Band 6 Mental Health Liaison Practitioner - Bath

Job description

Job responsibilities

Liaison and consultation

Be responsible for the full assessment of care needs of patientspresenting with a range of undifferentiated mental health andpsychological problems. As a result of this assessment, you will beresponsible for the development, implementation and evaluation ofprogrammes of care, without supervision.

Provide a comprehensive consultation-liaison service to clinical teams,assisting them to formulate appropriate plans of care and make decisionsin cases where patients may be exhibiting complex needs and/orchallenging behaviours.

Initiate and participate in the teaching and educational programmes of allgrades of nursing and non-nursing staff. You will also provide teachingand develop learning opportunities for pre and post-registration nursingstudents.

When appropriate, maintain a caseload of patients, providing a broadrange of treatments and clinical interventions, as appropriate to theindividuals needs.

Be responsible for participating in specific clinical projects and undertakeall the necessary work to complete these, including facilitating meetings,liaising and/or negotiating with other staff.

Participate fully in appropriate quality assurance initiatives, with theemphasis on developing patient/service user-focused services.

Promote a positive attitude and encourage a supportive culture in relationto mental health and psychiatric illness across the general hospital.

Clinical practice

Utilise a range of clinical skills appropriate to the individual patient's needsand the clinical setting in which they are being cared for.

Undertake specialist psychosocial assessments with patients presentingfollowing an episode of self-harm. Highly developed risk assessment andmanagement skills are required in order to undertake this function effectively.

Prompt referral on to secondary mental health services, social servicesand voluntary groups, as appropriate.

Flexible, needs-based follow-up of individual who require assessmentfollowing an earlier attendance after an episode of self-harm.

Concise, effective liaison and feedback to clinical staff within the generalhospital regarding advice on appropriate management strategies forindividuals referred.

Utilise a range of follow-up options and sources of help and support forpatients, as appropriate.

Effective liaison and communication with patients, relatives, carers,primary health care and secondary mental health services.

Role model clinical excellence and high standards of nursing practice toother staff.

Demonstrate and apply a sound understanding of the legal and ethicalissues in caring for people with mental health problems. In particular,demonstrate a sound understanding of the application of the Mental Health Act (1983) and The Mental Capacity Act, and their use within the non-mental health (acute hospital) setting.

Communication

Demonstrate the ability to receive and give complex clinical details clearlyand effectively.

Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and sensitively insituations that may be hostile and/or contentious.

Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self-awareness andempathy in all communications.

Demonstrate the ability to negotiate and problem-solve in contentiousand/or potentially antagonistic situations.

Management

Following negotiation, take responsibility for agreed clinical andmanagerial projects associated with the provision of the mental health liaison service.

In the absence of the clinical team leader, take responsibility for theoverall management of the service, to the agreed local and professionalstandards.

Ensure the promotion of the health and safety, well-being and interests ofpatients, staff and visitors that come into contact with the service and itsenvirons.

At all times practice within the boundaries of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

Supervise, monitor and appraise the performance of registered andunregistered staff within sphere of responsibility.

The post-holder will be designated to regularly take charge of the clinicalservice in the absence of the person who has continuing responsibility.

You may also be required to undertake a range of management duties inthe absence of, or at the request of, the designated team leader.

Audit and evaluation

Demonstrate a commitment to developing audit and evaluations skills.

Participate in appropriate audit projects, including data collection, as ameans of contributing to the ongoing evaluation and audit of the mental health liaison service.

Education

Actively participate in the identification of own learning and educationneeds and demonstrate achievement against personal development plans(PDPs).

Participate in the mentoring and education of a range of students placedwith the team.

Act as a mentor and preceptor, when appropriate.

Participate in the planning, development and delivery of multi-professionaleducation programmes and training sessions for a range of clinical andmanagerial staff.

Provide clinical supervision to colleagues and students, as required.

Clinical governance

Promote and encourage user and carer feedback regarding the service.

Participate in and undertake appraisal and clinical supervision.

Adhere to relevant trust health and safety and clinical policies asappropriate.

This post is open to newly qualified social workers. In line with trust policy, all newly qualified social workers 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 agreed to extend this for a further 2 years.

On successful completion of the ASYE, for which you will be given full support of an experienced Social Worker as well as Divisional Social Work Lead, and peer support from other ASYE candidates, you will then be eligible to progress to a Band 6 position.

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

Person Specification

Skills, Knowledge, Experience, Qualifications

Essential

• Effective communication and empathy, forming rapport, when interacting with service users, families and other healthcare professionals and when undertaking assessments with distressed individuals in crisis.
• The ability to evaluate the severity of a persons mental health condition, assess potential harm to themselves or others, identify protective factors and make informed decisions and interventions risk assessment and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to plan a safe discharge.
• Knowledge of key areas of liaison, psychosocial assessment and the psychological effects of physical illness.
• Have experience of and understanding of both functional and organic mental illness including anxiety, depression and delirium and dementia in older adults
• Diploma level/degree in relevant health/social care profession, eg RMN, OT, Social worker
• Knowledge of MHA, MCA and DOLS and safeguarding with Older Adults

Desirable

• Knowledge of various therapeutic approaches, in the care and treatment of individuals with both functional and organic mental illness
• Of working in a mental health liaison setting/general hospital
• Teaching & assessing qualification
• Knowledge/experience of those experiencing/ impact of social factors eg homelessness, financial difficulties and adverse life events in older adults.
• Knowledge/experience and understanding of underlying physical health causes in older adults
• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD)

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Balmormal Ward, Hillview Lodge

Royal United Hospital

Bath

BA1 3NG

Employer's website

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