Job summary
The mental health services for Older people in the Northwest Hertfordshire are looking for an experienced clinician to work with service users at various stages of their mental health. The post holder should be passionate about making a difference for individuals and their carers during their personal journey. They should be ambitious to work in this challenging role in a demanding environment, with real scope to develop and influence practice. The post holder will work with people aged 65 and over and will have care coordination responsibilities. They will work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.
As a staff member, you are a representative of Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) and play a vital role in fostering positive relationships and communication between the Mental Health Trust and not only service users and their carers and relatives, but also other agencies, charities and providers.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is expected to provide routine assessments to service users considered to have mental health concerns, formulate a treatment plan with the multidisciplinary team, and monitor their progress until discharge to primary care.
This role is varied and challenges the post holder to be assertive, offering an opportunity to work in a variety of settings with people with a range of mental health needs. However, it rewards the applicant with the recovery of service users, enabling them to live a reasonable life within their limitations.
Working collaboratively with our service users, their carers and our colleagues to positively manage risk in the community, whilst enabling and empowering an individual's recovery journey.The post holder will demonstrate a high standard of record keeping and documentation, adhering to Trust policies.
Deliver care that is person-centred, reflecting current best practice, and challenge practice that may be detrimental to older people receiving high-quality care.
Demonstrate a working understanding of the legal and ethical issues in providing mental health care, in particular a good knowledge of the Mental Health Act (1983) and its use in non-mental health areas.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As the post holder will be working within the Community Specialist Mental Health Team for Older People (Northwest), they will be expected to build and maintain effective working relationships with individuals, carers, partner agencies, and wider system colleagues. Constructive collaboration, clear communication, and mutual respect are essential to ensuring highquality, coordinated care. In all interactions, the post holder will represent Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) and uphold its values and professional standards.
The role requires close partnership working with other HPFT services, including the Crisis Function Team and the Early Memory and Diagnostic Service, as well as Hertfordshire County Councils Health and Community Services. These relationships are fundamental to delivering safe, seamless care and ensuring that service users receive timely, appropriate support across the mental health pathway.
The post holder will be responsible for the assessment of care needs, and for the development, implementation, and evaluation of individualised programmes of care. They will manage a defined caseload and signpost service user to relevant team. The role also includes responsibility for staff supervision, supporting staff development, contributing to the learning of students, and working effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
All staff are expected to comply with the Trusts AntiDiscriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct, and Equality and Diversity requirements. The post holder must ensure that their practice reflects these standards at all times.
Please refer to attached job description and person specification
Job description
Job responsibilities
As the post holder will be working within the Community Specialist Mental Health Team for Older People (Northwest), they will be expected to build and maintain effective working relationships with individuals, carers, partner agencies, and wider system colleagues. Constructive collaboration, clear communication, and mutual respect are essential to ensuring highquality, coordinated care. In all interactions, the post holder will represent Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) and uphold its values and professional standards.
The role requires close partnership working with other HPFT services, including the Crisis Function Team and the Early Memory and Diagnostic Service, as well as Hertfordshire County Councils Health and Community Services. These relationships are fundamental to delivering safe, seamless care and ensuring that service users receive timely, appropriate support across the mental health pathway.
The post holder will be responsible for the assessment of care needs, and for the development, implementation, and evaluation of individualised programmes of care. They will manage a defined caseload and signpost service user to relevant team. The role also includes responsibility for staff supervision, supporting staff development, contributing to the learning of students, and working effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
All staff are expected to comply with the Trusts AntiDiscriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct, and Equality and Diversity requirements. The post holder must ensure that their practice reflects these standards at all times.
Please refer to attached job description and person specification
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RMN or Dip/Bsc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing
- ENB 998/Preceptorship and Mentorship
Desirable
- ENB 812/Bsc in Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health).
- Psychosocial interventions
Experience and Attainments
Essential
- Experience of working in a range of settings relevant to the post
- At least 2 years of post registration experience with at least one year at Band 5
- Experience of working in acute mental health inpatient/day care services
- Experience of working in situations of crisis and emotionally demanding environments
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding process
- Experience of teaching and training
- Experience and knowledge of working in a multi-ethnic community
- Experience of delivering evidence based care
Desirable
- Experience of working with acute mental health problems in a community setting
Knowledge
Essential
- Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, ethical issues, strategic frameworks and current guidelines regarding the range of presenting problems in adult mental health, their implications for both practices and clinical management
- Professional Code of Conduct
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Clinical risk assessment and management in a community setting
Desirable
- Knowledge of parenting literature and its application
- Ability to teach and train others using multi-media materials suitable for presentation.
- Knowledge of current developments in research with service user group
Skills and Aptitudes
Essential
- Skills to use and give supervision effectively
- Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment and treatment of individual, couples, and families requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Skills in applying theory to practice and ability to use a range of models in formulating community care plans
- Ability to communicate effectively within a multi-professional team
- Ability to work with diverse communities in a wide variety of contexts
- Ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information where persuasive, empathic and reassuring skills are required
- Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situation including; staff and organisational problems; safeguarding; family breakdown; serious mental ill health and risk of self-harm
- Ability to cope with verbal abuse and to recognise and diffuse potential physical abuse from service users
- Ability to apply practice governance as appropriate to maintain ethical and effective clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Assessing and monitoring physical health care
Desirable
Communication and People Skills
Essential
- Able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing at an ageappropriate level - complex, technical, and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS
- Ability to work flexibly across service boundaries.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others.
- Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals
Organisational skills
Essential
- Ability to maintain high standards of record keeping, including data entry and recording.
- Ability to work autonomously, setting appropriate goals in accordance with professional, ethical guidelines and Trust policies
Other
Essential
- Confident to work autonomously in the community and use own initiative to make decisions in complex situations.
- Able to travel independently across the Trust
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- RMN or Dip/Bsc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing
- ENB 998/Preceptorship and Mentorship
Desirable
- ENB 812/Bsc in Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health).
- Psychosocial interventions
Experience and Attainments
Essential
- Experience of working in a range of settings relevant to the post
- At least 2 years of post registration experience with at least one year at Band 5
- Experience of working in acute mental health inpatient/day care services
- Experience of working in situations of crisis and emotionally demanding environments
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding process
- Experience of teaching and training
- Experience and knowledge of working in a multi-ethnic community
- Experience of delivering evidence based care
Desirable
- Experience of working with acute mental health problems in a community setting
Knowledge
Essential
- Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, ethical issues, strategic frameworks and current guidelines regarding the range of presenting problems in adult mental health, their implications for both practices and clinical management
- Professional Code of Conduct
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Clinical risk assessment and management in a community setting
Desirable
- Knowledge of parenting literature and its application
- Ability to teach and train others using multi-media materials suitable for presentation.
- Knowledge of current developments in research with service user group
Skills and Aptitudes
Essential
- Skills to use and give supervision effectively
- Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment and treatment of individual, couples, and families requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Skills in applying theory to practice and ability to use a range of models in formulating community care plans
- Ability to communicate effectively within a multi-professional team
- Ability to work with diverse communities in a wide variety of contexts
- Ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information where persuasive, empathic and reassuring skills are required
- Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situation including; staff and organisational problems; safeguarding; family breakdown; serious mental ill health and risk of self-harm
- Ability to cope with verbal abuse and to recognise and diffuse potential physical abuse from service users
- Ability to apply practice governance as appropriate to maintain ethical and effective clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Assessing and monitoring physical health care
Desirable
Communication and People Skills
Essential
- Able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing at an ageappropriate level - complex, technical, and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS
- Ability to work flexibly across service boundaries.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others.
- Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals
Organisational skills
Essential
- Ability to maintain high standards of record keeping, including data entry and recording.
- Ability to work autonomously, setting appropriate goals in accordance with professional, ethical guidelines and Trust policies
Other
Essential
- Confident to work autonomously in the community and use own initiative to make decisions in complex situations.
- Able to travel independently across the Trust
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
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
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Health and Wellbeing Centre, The Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1LD
The Marlowes
Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1LD
Employer's website
https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)
