Band 6 Primary Care Liaison Practitioner - Devizes

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide information, proportional assessment and sign posting to patients and their family and carers presenting with mental health problems/needs in community settings.

To foster strong collaborative and trusting working relationships with the referring agent/Primary Care Health Care Professionals underpinned by an educative and solutions focussed philosophy whilst providing them with credible clinical expertise.

This may include:

The promotion and use of additional standardised assessment tools.

Promoting the importance of working with, strengths and aspirations of the person referred.

The provision of succinct formulations and recommendations (inclusive of risk management advice).

Assessment of or advice on the impact of culture and diversity.

Consideration of the respective Primary Care HCPs confidence and capability in relation to The 10 Essential Shared Capabilities (best practice in Mental Health Care).

Best practice advice and support in a broad range of conditions for people with both functional or organic mental health needs.

Promotion and recognition of the needs of family and carer/s, including various support networks and third sector agencies.

Advice and support on evaluating risk from a positive risk taking perspective.

Support and clarity on formulations within a bio-psycho-social model, including people with medically unexplained symptoms.

Identifying and ensuring specialist involvement where required.

Advice on interventions and treatments required to enable positive change.

Support and advice within Safeguarding and public protection procedures where the issues are complicated by mental health problems.

Second opinion on complex capacity assessments.

To facilitate the development of safe and effective mental health care practice within the primary care setting.

To assist the primary care and secondary mental health teams in the delivery of safe and appropriate care planning processes.

To provide a prompt response to all referrals following jointly agreed procedures and within agreed time frames.

To provide concise and effective liaison and feedback to clinical staff within secondary mental health services and Primary Care teams including advice on effective and appropriate management strategies for those patients referred to the service.

To ensure where needed that people experience a seamless transfer into AWP provider/treatment services.

To make effective use of the standard liaison approach and structure for assessments according to the SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) format.

Following assessment, to provide short- term follow up of patients where appropriate.

To contribute evidence based expertise to multi-disciplinary team care planning processes.

To provide effective communication with service users, relatives and carers, Primary Care and Secondary health services.

To advise on medication management issues.

To ensure the active involvement of carers during all stages of the assessment process.

To provide a prompt response to requests for information and advice.

To ensure appropriate communication, both verbal and written, at all stages of the consultation process.

To promote positive attitudes, mutual understanding and collaboration between non mental health staff and mental health services, users, carers, voluntary agencies, primary care and social services.

To provide evidence-based specialist advice on how best to meet the mental health needs of the population for staff of other agencies, service users and carers.

To raise awareness of the effects of physical conditions on the mental health of service users.

To assist and participate in appropriate service development forums.

To provide mentoring/ training for others in relevant practice areas, according to professional requirements, taking a collaborative approach to practice development and evidence-based care.

Demonstrate responsibility for developing own practice in line with professional qualifications and for contributing to the development of others, by making use of and providing, effective feedback, supervision, coaching and appraisal.

To adhere to the NMC professional code of conduct ensuring required skills and competencies required are maintained.

Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others, undertaking assessments and taking appropriate action where required.

Develop own knowledge and practice, and contribute to the development of others, making use of available feedback, supervision and appraisal to identify appropriate areas of development for this work role, taking responsibility for accessing identified learning and training opportunities.

Lead, maintain and participate in practices which enable team working.

To maintain the single health and social care record, ensuring both paper and electronic records are kept up to date in accordance with professional and organisational standards.

To assist in the development and implementation of appropriate systems aimed at ensuring a consistent approach to assessment, communication and follow-up.

To make appropriate use of time and resources.

To participate in clinical audit and service evaluation programmes as required.

To participate in local arrangements where required to manage unexpected staff absences.

This post is open to newly qualified social workers. In line with AWP trust policy all newly qualified social workers (NQSW) will be recruited initially at Band 5 level, regardless of advertised role banding. All NQSWs are expected to successfully complete their ASYE within 2 years of employment, unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case it may be extended for a further 2 years.

If you have been appointed to an advertised Band 6 role this will be an automatic progression, following confirmation of your successful ASYE completion. If you have been appointed to a Band 5 post you will then be eligible to apply for a subsequent Band 6 vacancy upon successful ASYE completion.

Person Specification

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Front line experience of using advanced assessment skills especially in determining the nature and severity of mental illness/health (functional and organic) and differentiation between physical and mental health symptoms and conditions.
• Extensive working knowledge of the structure of the wider health and social care community including statutory and non-statutory services and direct experience of multi professional and inter-agency working and collaboration.
• Specialist knowledge of the needs, treatment approaches and rights of people with mental health problems and the needs of their carers and family.
• Significant and demonstrable levels of initiative utilised within practice and work delivery.
• Able to work autonomously.
• Demonstrates an understanding of recovery principles and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care.
• Demonstrates substantial experience of, and relevant professional practice qualification in mentoring/assessing students and learners.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the effects of discriminatory behaviour on mental health.

Desirable

• Experience gained in a wide variety of settings.

Education and Qualification

Essential

• Professional qualification in mental health equivalent to Registered RMN, Registered Social worker or Registered Therapist.
• Detailed working knowledge secondary specialist mental health services and the wider health and social care community and the third sector.
• Significant skills and experience in educating and training the mainstream workforce, particularly non-specialist mental health workers.
• Demonstrates substantial experience of assessing risk and developing risk management strategies.

Desirable

• Relevant post-registration qualifications, such as Thorn, Non-Medical Prescribing, CBT, AMHP, Brief Interventions etc.

Other Requirements

Essential

• Mobile with the facility to move quickly across a geographically dispersed area with limited access to public transport.
• Empathy for individuals who have experienced mental health problems and ability to cope with behaviour which may be challenging at times.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Green Lane Hospital

Marshall Road

Devizes

SN10 5DS

Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)