Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen within Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. We are looking for an experienced Mental Health Law Administrator to join the Mental Health Care Division - Mental Health Law Administration Team based at Clock View.
The successful candidate will have excellent administration and communication skills as they will be required to liaise with various disciplines and agencies. They must be able to prioritise their work to meet strict deadlines. Attention to detail is essential as the role will involve the scrutiny of statutory documentation to ensure compliance with the MHA 1983 and current legislation.
It is mandatory to attend in house training on Mental Health Law and related topics.
Main duties of the job
To have responsibility for supporting and providing expertise on a range of Mental Health law related issues, particularly the Mental Health Act 1983.
To support the M H Law Service Manager in updating all action plans and reports provided by the Care Quality Commission.
To provide support to the Team Manager and M H Law Service Manager.
To ensure that the multi-disciplinary teams within the Trust operate in accordance with the requirements of the law and accepted good practice.
To participate in the development and delivery of training to a wide range of multi-disciplinary staff.
To support the Trust's planning for the implementation of changes to Mental Health law.
The post holder will be required to provide and receive complex, sensitive information, coordinate a range of specialist systems and processes and should possess persuasive,motivational, negotiating skills. They will need to be confident in presenting information to awide variety of audiences, including staff and members of the public.
They will require a rangeof administrative and organisational skills and skills for researching a variety of issues andproposing solutions for dealing with complex enquiries.
They must be able to plan and organise meetings and events, prioritise their work and work autonomously. The post involves contact with patients and relatives often when upset or unhappy with the circumstances of their care.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide expert knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the MentalHealth Act 2007), Mental Health Review Tribunal Rules, Consent to Treatment regulations,the MHA Code of Practice, ensuring delivery of the best possible care in a manner governedby legislation/good practice.
To have knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and their respective Codes of Practice and be able to provide advice on this and its implications to a wide range of individuals, including patients, carers and multi-disciplinary staff within the Trust and the relevant Acute Trusts in accordance with the proposed SLAs with those organisations.
To take a central role in participating in the Trusts planning for the implementation of changes in Mental Health law, recommendations from inquiries and changes to case law, which includes the development of multi-disciplinary policies and procedures, introduction of new systems and implementing required training for all levels of staff.
To raise awareness around assessments of capacity, best interests and deprivation of libertyfor patients lacking capacity to consent to specific interventions.
To ensure that all legal requirements are met to the highest of standards, dealing with possible conflict between staff, doctors, family members, legal representatives and other external agencies.
To ensure the appropriate use of the MHA/MCA and the interface between the two.
To be the first port of call in addressing issues of concern raised by the Hospital Managers,Mental Health Review Tribunal and Care Quality Commission, reporting back to the MentalHealth Law Service Manager.
To assist advocates with any concerns regarding MHA/MCA legislation.
To obtain cost effective and timely legal advice, where appropriate, on MHA/MCA issues, inline with the relevant Trust procedures.
To act as authorised signatory in respect of payments to Hospital Managers and associatedexpenses.To act as Trust contact with the CQC and ensure all issues raised by the Commission are addressed appropriately and on a timely basis.
To participate in MHA/MCA-related incident investigations, as required.
To be formally authorised to act on behalf of the Hospital Managers in receiving and scrutinising section papers.
To receive, analyse and relay information from, and to, a wide range of staff, patients, carersand external agencies on contentious or complex issues relating to the MHA/MCA.
To attend relevant local committees and meetings, including the MH Law Forum.
To support the Team Manager and M H Law Service Manager in devising/developing systemsand procedures to ensure the effective administration of all Mental Health law related issues,including data collection and record keeping.
To be responsible for maintaining a local Mental Health Law resource and ensuring allrelevant wards/departments have access to the required statutory forms/paperwork, appealforms, rights leaflets, policies and guidance (in appropriate formats) at all times.
To ensure the Hospital Managers receive all the necessary information and support to enablethem to carry out their statutory duties.
To assist the Mental Health Law Admin Manager in the management and supervision of newly appointed Mental Health Act Administrator(s) and/or any junior staff employed to work in the office.
To be flexible in the duties performed and is expected that similar duties not specifically listedabove will be carried out as requested, and may be required to work across different siteswithin the Division
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide expert knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the MentalHealth Act 2007), Mental Health Review Tribunal Rules, Consent to Treatment regulations,the MHA Code of Practice, ensuring delivery of the best possible care in a manner governedby legislation/good practice.
To have knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and their respective Codes of Practice and be able to provide advice on this and its implications to a wide range of individuals, including patients, carers and multi-disciplinary staff within the Trust and the relevant Acute Trusts in accordance with the proposed SLAs with those organisations.
To take a central role in participating in the Trusts planning for the implementation of changes in Mental Health law, recommendations from inquiries and changes to case law, which includes the development of multi-disciplinary policies and procedures, introduction of new systems and implementing required training for all levels of staff.
To raise awareness around assessments of capacity, best interests and deprivation of libertyfor patients lacking capacity to consent to specific interventions.
To ensure that all legal requirements are met to the highest of standards, dealing with possible conflict between staff, doctors, family members, legal representatives and other external agencies.
To ensure the appropriate use of the MHA/MCA and the interface between the two.
To be the first port of call in addressing issues of concern raised by the Hospital Managers,Mental Health Review Tribunal and Care Quality Commission, reporting back to the MentalHealth Law Service Manager.
To assist advocates with any concerns regarding MHA/MCA legislation.
To obtain cost effective and timely legal advice, where appropriate, on MHA/MCA issues, inline with the relevant Trust procedures.
To act as authorised signatory in respect of payments to Hospital Managers and associatedexpenses.To act as Trust contact with the CQC and ensure all issues raised by the Commission are addressed appropriately and on a timely basis.
To participate in MHA/MCA-related incident investigations, as required.
To be formally authorised to act on behalf of the Hospital Managers in receiving and scrutinising section papers.
To receive, analyse and relay information from, and to, a wide range of staff, patients, carersand external agencies on contentious or complex issues relating to the MHA/MCA.
To attend relevant local committees and meetings, including the MH Law Forum.
To support the Team Manager and M H Law Service Manager in devising/developing systemsand procedures to ensure the effective administration of all Mental Health law related issues,including data collection and record keeping.
To be responsible for maintaining a local Mental Health Law resource and ensuring allrelevant wards/departments have access to the required statutory forms/paperwork, appealforms, rights leaflets, policies and guidance (in appropriate formats) at all times.
To ensure the Hospital Managers receive all the necessary information and support to enablethem to carry out their statutory duties.
To assist the Mental Health Law Admin Manager in the management and supervision of newly appointed Mental Health Act Administrator(s) and/or any junior staff employed to work in the office.
To be flexible in the duties performed and is expected that similar duties not specifically listedabove will be carried out as requested, and may be required to work across different siteswithin the Division
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent OR equivalent level of experience and in-depth knowledge
- Qualification in Mental Health Law
Desirable
- Training qualification or equivalent experience
- Appropriate Keyboard and IT Certificates
KNOWLEDGE/ EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Significant in-depth knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007) and Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Experience in working with all levels of staff across an organisation.
- Experience of working with mental health service users, including forensic services
- An excellent understanding of the NHS structures and their inter-relationship
- Fully conversant with a range of standard IT packages, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and databases.
- Fully conversant with the MHA elements of NCRS
VALUES
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
SKILLS
Essential
- High standard of written and spoken English
- Able to provide and receive complex and sensitive information
- Able to translate complex legal information into everyday English to various staff/voluntary groups/service users and members of the public
- Highly developed interpersonal skills required to communicate sensitive and unwelcome information to detained patients and their carers/families
- Able to communicate complex legal information to consultant psychiatrists, senior managers and clinical/social care staff, where there could be strong opposing views and objections to the advice given
- Good presentational skills to deliver specialist presentations and training sessions to all staff groups
- Able to exercise judgement in identifying and assessing complex legal scenarios
- Able to advise senior clinicians of the legal [sometimes conflicting] options, outlining the implications of each to enable clinicians to come to a decision
- Able to interpret complex legislation and case law to advise clinicians and senior managers recommending actions to prevent litigation claims
- Able to advise patients and their carers of their legal rights and the statutory duty of the Trust
- Ability to plan work within the MHL Admin Team, allocating tasks and co -ordinating reviews of detention with all clinical groups across the Borough and partner agencies
- Ability to devise and implement operational systems to include local procedures and protocols
- Able to participate in the development of strategies with senior managers and partner organisations in the implementation of MH legislation across the Trust
- Able to develop and deliver training packages for multi - disciplinary staff within the organisation
- Able to maintain concentration with frequent interruption
- Able to concentrate on occasion for prolonged periods when checking detailed and complex documents, policies and reports
- Due to the unpredictable nature of the job, able to change from one activity to another at a moment's notice
- May be required to travel between sites across the Trust to provide cover in emergency situations
- Provide specialist advice in relation to the care and treatment of clients/ patients subject to the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007) and the Mental Capacity Act 2005
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent OR equivalent level of experience and in-depth knowledge
- Qualification in Mental Health Law
Desirable
- Training qualification or equivalent experience
- Appropriate Keyboard and IT Certificates
KNOWLEDGE/ EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Significant in-depth knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007) and Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Experience in working with all levels of staff across an organisation.
- Experience of working with mental health service users, including forensic services
- An excellent understanding of the NHS structures and their inter-relationship
- Fully conversant with a range of standard IT packages, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and databases.
- Fully conversant with the MHA elements of NCRS
VALUES
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
SKILLS
Essential
- High standard of written and spoken English
- Able to provide and receive complex and sensitive information
- Able to translate complex legal information into everyday English to various staff/voluntary groups/service users and members of the public
- Highly developed interpersonal skills required to communicate sensitive and unwelcome information to detained patients and their carers/families
- Able to communicate complex legal information to consultant psychiatrists, senior managers and clinical/social care staff, where there could be strong opposing views and objections to the advice given
- Good presentational skills to deliver specialist presentations and training sessions to all staff groups
- Able to exercise judgement in identifying and assessing complex legal scenarios
- Able to advise senior clinicians of the legal [sometimes conflicting] options, outlining the implications of each to enable clinicians to come to a decision
- Able to interpret complex legislation and case law to advise clinicians and senior managers recommending actions to prevent litigation claims
- Able to advise patients and their carers of their legal rights and the statutory duty of the Trust
- Ability to plan work within the MHL Admin Team, allocating tasks and co -ordinating reviews of detention with all clinical groups across the Borough and partner agencies
- Ability to devise and implement operational systems to include local procedures and protocols
- Able to participate in the development of strategies with senior managers and partner organisations in the implementation of MH legislation across the Trust
- Able to develop and deliver training packages for multi - disciplinary staff within the organisation
- Able to maintain concentration with frequent interruption
- Able to concentrate on occasion for prolonged periods when checking detailed and complex documents, policies and reports
- Due to the unpredictable nature of the job, able to change from one activity to another at a moment's notice
- May be required to travel between sites across the Trust to provide cover in emergency situations
- Provide specialist advice in relation to the care and treatment of clients/ patients subject to the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007) and the Mental Capacity Act 2005
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.
