Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Psychiatric Liaison Practitioner

The closing date is 19 June 2025

Job summary

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to join the innovative Liaison Service?

The liaison psychiatry service aims to provide mental health advice and support to individuals receiving care and treatment at any of the general hospitals in Kent and Medway. The teams work closely with their General Hospital colleagues to ensure that mental health and wellbeing is effectively treated alongside any physical health needs.The general hospital staff can refer anyone over the age of 18 who attends A&E or is an inpatient on a medical or surgical ward. The team can then offer advice, support or a full mental and psychical health assessment as appropriate.

Are you highly motivated and a qualified Mental Health Nurse or Occupational Therapist?

If you are then this may be the opportunity you have been waiting for, there are Full-time and part-time posts available.

Part time posts will also be considered where possible.

Main duties of the job

To work as part of a psychiatric liaison team providing a liaison and assessment service 7 days per week that will involve working unsocial hours and public holidays.
Offer an assessment service to patients aged 18+ (with no upper age limit) presenting at the general hospital with a broad range of mental health and psychological problems, and diagnosed psychiatric illnesses.
Providing a mental health consultation, liaison and advice service throughout the departments.
Delivering a range of evidence based psychosocial interventions to individual patients as required.
Assisting and supporting general hospital colleagues in making decisions about treatment and care in complex situations.
Providing formal and informal education and case consultation to registered and unregistered staff.
Representing mental health services within the Hospitals.
Providing a communication structure between secondary mental health services, primary care and non-statutory services, as a means of ensuring the highest possible standards of patient care.

About us

Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.

We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people in Kent and Medway, as well as specialist services for adults in Sussex and Surrey. We arerated Good overall by the CQC.

Each year we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 people in the community.

We are proud to employ over 3,800 people from 66 nationalities, and to serve an increasingly diverse range of communities across rural and urban areas.

You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.

The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.

Our strategy

Our mission is what we set out to do every dayWe deliver brilliant care through brilliant people

Our vision is where we want to be in the futureTo provide outstanding care and to work in partnership to deliver this in the right place, for every service user, every time.

Check out our recruitment videos Recruitment - YouTube

Date posted

05 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

380-WK0283

Job locations

Tunbridge Wells Hospital

Tonbridge Road

Pembury

TN2 4QJ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see job description for full details on vacancy description, responsibilities and person specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see job description for full details on vacancy description, responsibilities and person specification.

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential

Registered Professional Qualification in Mental Health Nursing or Occupational Therapy including registration with the relevant regulatory body.
If not a qualified mentor, commitment to work towards this

Desirable

Registered General Nurse (as a dual trained practitioner)
Post Graduate Degree/Masters programme
Qualified Mentor (998 or equivalent)/ Accredited Practice Educator (APPLE programme for OT).

Experience

Essential

Experience of liaising with a variety of stakeholders both internal and external to the mental health trust
Minimum of 18 months post qualification practice experience in mental health - any age

Desirable

Experience of leading service developments
Experience of clinical audit and research

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

Up to date knowledge of national and local guidance relevant to liaison psychiatry (e.g. Parity of esteem agenda, Crisis Care Concordat, National Suicide Prevention Strategy, Relevant NICE Guidelines)
A working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act, Duty of Candour
Knowledge of the effects of physical health and long term conditions on mental health and wellbeing
Interpersonal skills: good communicator, problem solving abilities, calm under pressure, engaging, alignment with KMPT values. Ability to work according to Trust Values at all times, especially in complex and challenging situations
Clinical skills: Robust mental health needs assessment, including risk and Mental State Examination/Formulation ability.
Training: Ability to deliver in ad hoc and formal education sessions
Information Technology: Ability to use IT systems effectively and in a timely way
Travelling: Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

Essential

Registered Professional Qualification in Mental Health Nursing or Occupational Therapy including registration with the relevant regulatory body.
If not a qualified mentor, commitment to work towards this

Desirable

Registered General Nurse (as a dual trained practitioner)
Post Graduate Degree/Masters programme
Qualified Mentor (998 or equivalent)/ Accredited Practice Educator (APPLE programme for OT).

Experience

Essential

Experience of liaising with a variety of stakeholders both internal and external to the mental health trust
Minimum of 18 months post qualification practice experience in mental health - any age

Desirable

Experience of leading service developments
Experience of clinical audit and research

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

Up to date knowledge of national and local guidance relevant to liaison psychiatry (e.g. Parity of esteem agenda, Crisis Care Concordat, National Suicide Prevention Strategy, Relevant NICE Guidelines)
A working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act, Duty of Candour
Knowledge of the effects of physical health and long term conditions on mental health and wellbeing
Interpersonal skills: good communicator, problem solving abilities, calm under pressure, engaging, alignment with KMPT values. Ability to work according to Trust Values at all times, especially in complex and challenging situations
Clinical skills: Robust mental health needs assessment, including risk and Mental State Examination/Formulation ability.
Training: Ability to deliver in ad hoc and formal education sessions
Information Technology: Ability to use IT systems effectively and in a timely way
Travelling: Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner

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

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Address

Tunbridge Wells Hospital

Tonbridge Road

Pembury

TN2 4QJ

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Address

Tunbridge Wells Hospital

Tonbridge Road

Pembury

TN2 4QJ

Employer's website

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