London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Mental Health Specialist Practitioner

This job is now closed

Job summary

The Mental Health Specialist Practitioner will provide specialist enhanced clinical assessment and support specifically to patients who have called the London Ambulance Service for Mental Health issues, or suspected Mental Health issues.
The post-holder will follow a six week rolling rota that will see them complete shifts within our Emergency Operations Centre undertaking telephone assessments on patients experiencing a mental health crisis as well as working alongside a paramedic on our Mental Health Joint Response Car.
Working as an autonomous practitioner the post holder is expected to provide advanced assessment, clinical decisions and co-ordinated complex and challenging situations in regards to the management and treatment of this patient group. The Mental Health Specialist Practitioner will be deployed to as both a primary and an additional resource to mental health patients as well as conducting telephone assessments and provide remote advice to crews on-scene with mental health patients.

Main duties of the job

As a highly proficient Mental Health Practitioner they will provide mental state/ risk assessment of callers and be expected to practice with a positive risk taking framework. They will demonstrate advanced breadth of knowledge and critical thinking and provide expert second opinion in terms of diagnostics and management, where required. At times the role will be demanding and the Mental Health Specialist Practitioners will be expected to manage an autonomous workload.
In addition, the Mental Health Specialist Practitioner will be expected to have a special interest area and will deliver training to a range of staff groups across the trust as well as promoting joint working with colleagues within other MH trusts.
The JD provides a general outline of the post but it is not intended to be a rigid final list of duties. Therefore, from time to time, it may be amended in consultation with the post holder to meet the service needs.

About us

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the biggest and busiest emergency ambulance service in the UK with over 5,500 staff who work across a wide range of roles. Our service operates over an area of approximately 620 square miles across London based in 70 ambulance stations.

As an integral part of the NHS in London, we work closely with hospitals and other healthcare professionals, as well as with other emergency services. We are also central to planning for, and responding to, large-scale events or major incidents in the capital.

Post location: Fulham

Date posted

17 July 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£51,488 to £57,802 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

308-SPECPARA-002

Job locations

Fulham

London

SE1 0BW

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide specialist mental health input as part of pre-hospital mental health care within the London Ambulance Service by:

Rotating through the Emergency Operations Centre conducting telephone based assessments and face to face assessments as part of the Mental Health Joint Response Car.
Ensuring that there is a parity of esteem for patients using the LAS for a Mental Health crisis.
Maintaining consistently high CPI scores for clinical care as per audit procedure.
Regular delivery of training sessions to LAS staff.
Developing strong local links with relevant Mental Health providers.
Supporting the Consultant Nurse and Paramedic Mental Health in the development of services.
Being a visible leader and champion of evidence based mental health care.
Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships across all Sectors/services in the organization, and external partners, e.g. EOC, Clinical Hub, A&E department leads, Other NHS providers, including Mental Health Providers and Service user groups.
Demonstrate expertise in acute mental health care in the pre-hospital setting.
Operate as an autonomous practitioner responding at times as a sole resource.
Demonstrate clinical leadership and co-ordination to the management of patients in a Mental Health Crisis.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide specialist mental health input as part of pre-hospital mental health care within the London Ambulance Service by:

Rotating through the Emergency Operations Centre conducting telephone based assessments and face to face assessments as part of the Mental Health Joint Response Car.
Ensuring that there is a parity of esteem for patients using the LAS for a Mental Health crisis.
Maintaining consistently high CPI scores for clinical care as per audit procedure.
Regular delivery of training sessions to LAS staff.
Developing strong local links with relevant Mental Health providers.
Supporting the Consultant Nurse and Paramedic Mental Health in the development of services.
Being a visible leader and champion of evidence based mental health care.
Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships across all Sectors/services in the organization, and external partners, e.g. EOC, Clinical Hub, A&E department leads, Other NHS providers, including Mental Health Providers and Service user groups.
Demonstrate expertise in acute mental health care in the pre-hospital setting.
Operate as an autonomous practitioner responding at times as a sole resource.
Demonstrate clinical leadership and co-ordination to the management of patients in a Mental Health Crisis.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

BSc in relevant degree or equivalent experience
Significant post registration experience with current NMC/HCPC registration
Mentorship Qualification and experience of mentoring students
Commitment to CPD

Desirable

Willingness to undertake the Advanced Practice Course
Master's degree in healthcare related subject or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

Advanced bio psychosocial mental health assessment skills, including formulation and differential diagnosis and experience of autonomous decision making
Significant post registration experience in acute mental health care
Working with patients in their own home
Current understanding of research, and application of evidence based practice
Ability to work in high pressured environments
Management of agitated and hostile patients

Skills

Essential

Well-developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust's and your performance expectations
Experience of working autonomously as a practitioner with patients experiencing a mental health crisis
Contributing to the development of policy, protocols and procedures
Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them
Experience of clinical leadership

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

BSc in relevant degree or equivalent experience
Significant post registration experience with current NMC/HCPC registration
Mentorship Qualification and experience of mentoring students
Commitment to CPD

Desirable

Willingness to undertake the Advanced Practice Course
Master's degree in healthcare related subject or equivalent experience

Experience

Essential

Advanced bio psychosocial mental health assessment skills, including formulation and differential diagnosis and experience of autonomous decision making
Significant post registration experience in acute mental health care
Working with patients in their own home
Current understanding of research, and application of evidence based practice
Ability to work in high pressured environments
Management of agitated and hostile patients

Skills

Essential

Well-developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust's and your performance expectations
Experience of working autonomously as a practitioner with patients experiencing a mental health crisis
Contributing to the development of policy, protocols and procedures
Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them
Experience of clinical leadership

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Address

Fulham

London

SE1 0BW

Employer's website

https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

London Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Address

Fulham

London

SE1 0BW

Employer's website

https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)