Older Adult Clinical Lead role at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
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Job Overview
The Westminster Older Adults and Health Ageing Community Mental Health Team is a dynamic and integrated multidisciplinary service providing mental health and social care support to older adults in Westminster with functional disorders and dementia. It is co‑located with the Westminster City Council mental health team, offering a holistic approach to care. The team is also involved in the CNWL Open Dialogue project, which promotes person‑centred recovery‑oriented care.
The team operates using a case management and recovery‑focused model, offering multidisciplinary assessments and interventions for service users with complex needs, as well as their families and carers. Regular multidisciplinary meetings facilitate case discussions, initial assessments, and reflective practice. A key feature of the service is the integrated older adults home treatment team, which delivers intensive support, crisis management, admission prevention, and helps ensure timely hospital discharges. The CMHT and HTT teams collaborate closely, offering a responsive and flexible service to meet the needs of service users. Coordination with older adults’ inpatient services allows smooth transitions of care.
The service promotes a friendly, respectful work environment where staff receive professional development, including supervision and appraisals. Involvement of service users and carers is a core element of the service's design and delivery.
Main Duties of the Job
The postholder will provide older adults clinical leadership as part of the management team. The role focuses on developing a transformation agenda, integration and primary care pathways. It offers an exciting development opportunity for staff to interface across primary and secondary care, delivering more holistic and joined up care for older adults with multiple complex comorbidities including frailty, functional mental health needs or dementia. The role also involves providing specialist advice, assessment and formulation, and delivery of brief interventions for older adults with complex mental health conditions and dementia.
Developing clinical pathways across the mental health older adults, including clinical practice and standards, as well as supporting organisational development and quality improvement strategies. Supporting workforce development, particularly community mental health nursing and allied mental health professionals, ensuring staff develop the skills and strategies required for their roles.
Working for our Organisation
* Flexible shift working opportunities for a healthier work-life balance
* Commitment to develop you through coaching and in‑house development sessions such as leadership programmes, non‑medical prescribing, CBT‑P training, and more
* Free access to Staff and Wellbeing service to ensure you are always looking after yourself
* Commitment to career mapping and continuous professional development including opportunities within the Trust
* Shadowing opportunities including HTT, Psych Liaison and many more
* Local Reflective Practice forums run by a senior lead
* An opportunity to work with a friendly, dynamic, passionate and diverse team committed to looking after each other and their patients
* Excellent staff benefits: childcare vouchers, health and wellbeing services, season ticket loans, cycle‑to‑work scheme, blue light card, discounts at Nando’s and Superdrug, mobile phone contracts, and more!
* Award‑winning Staff Networks
* Hidden Gem & annual award ceremonies
Detailed Job Description
Overview of Main Responsibilities
* Provide the clinical lead for staff within the service.
* Assist the team manager in developing a model of working with service users with complex needs, ensuring services are provided to the highest standard.
* Deputise for the team manager as needed.
* Participate in and lead meetings as appropriate.
* Show demonstrable experience of working with older adults or those with complex physical and MH needs, including functional and organic illness, and work flexibly across local environments.
* Maintain well‑developed clinical skills to practice at a high standard, guide and supervise staff at all levels.
* Manage a caseload, provide psychosocial interventions, carry out risk assessments and care planning.
* Provide expert advice and consultation in professional matters and ensure other disciplines have access to expert information.
* Work within relevant legislative frameworks (Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Care Act 2014, etc.).
* Ensure safeguarding vulnerable adults and coordination with other community and acute in‑patient services.
* Maintain and develop administrative procedures for case records.
* Ensure service users are involved in service and local service development.
Person Specification
Educational And Qualifications
Essential criteria:
* Professional qualification Mental Health Nursing (RMN) with current NMC/HCPC registration OR Occupational Therapist OR Social Worker
* Attained at least Level 2 Maths and English (equivalent to GCSE grade 9‑4 A*‑C)
Desirable criteria:
* Educated to degree or diploma level with relevant courses (CBT, Brief Solution Focused Therapy, etc.)
* RGN/physical health qualification
* Evidence of recent and ongoing relevant professional development.
* Attendance at specialist short courses (MBT, DBT, Trauma Informed Care, Group Approaches, etc.)
* Open Dialogue training or willingness to undertake.
Experience
Essential criteria:
* Experience with older adults with complex physical and mental health needs, including functional and organic illness.
* Experience working in NHS, PCNs, outreach, voluntary sector, community groups.
* Experience with older adults with serious mental health problems and carers.
* Experience delivering therapeutic group interventions or working in MDTs.
* Experience in multicultural settings.
Desirable criteria:
* Experience in a Band 6 position or equivalent.
* Work with interpreters.
* Service‑related research or audit experience.
* Post‑registration experience.
* Experience with personality disorder.
* Experience in primary care, social care or voluntary sector.
* Teaching/training experience.
* Experience with challenging behaviours.
* Experience supervising junior staff.
Knowledge
Essential criteria:
* Basic understanding of health care systems and structures.
* Team and self‑management and organisational skills for complex activities.
* Knowledge of counselling, cognitive behavioural, psychosocial interventions.
* Knowledge of recovery approaches for mental health conditions.
* Ability to work with diverse backgrounds.
* Management of exposure to distressing/highly emotional circumstances.
* Managing verbal aggression and risk of physical aggression.
* Respectful and collaborative approach to service users, carers, and professionals.
* Negotiation and confrontation handling skills.
* De‑escalation techniques for hostile situations.
* Assessment and treatment of deliberate self‑harm.
* Risk assessment, crisis intervention, psychosocial assessment methods.
* Clinical knowledge for autonomous decisions with senior support.
Desirable criteria:
* Interpret research and apply to practice.
* Specialist knowledge of mental health conditions and physical disorders.
Operational
Essential criteria:
* Computer literate.
* Concentration and multitasking during client contact, teaching, supervision, meetings, written work.
* Proficiency with IT packages (Word, email, internet, Excel, Access).
* Use NHS clinical systems.
* Accountability for own work and results.
* Flexibility across local environments.
* Adherence to professional guidelines.
* Cross‑culturally and multilingual work.
* Planning, organising, prioritising workload.
* Recording and reporting clinical information.
* Awareness of cultural norms and appropriate response.
Desirable criteria:
* Experience using SystmOne.
Seniority Level
Mid‑Senior level
Employment Type
Full‑time
Job Function
Health Care Provider
Industries
Hospitals and Health Care
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