Job overview
· Are you passionate about reshaping mental health care? Do you believe in the power of community, collaboration with community partners and local voluntary care sector, inclusion, and peer support to transform lives? We’re launching an innovative community care centre inspired by world-class models like the Trieste Mental Health Community Network, Navigo in Grimsby, and Clubhouse models in New York and Brixton.
· We have an incredibly exciting and rare opportunity to be part of a new community mental health pilot. This centre will hold a major national profile with NHS England who are hoping that the pilot will radically transform how we deliver mental health care in the UK.
· We are looking for dedicated staff to help us pioneer this revolutionary approach to care.
· What We Offer
· A Unique Care Model: Join a programme focused on community, social inclusion, and holistic recovery.
· Supportive Environment: Collaborate with peers, contribute to a recovery-oriented care system, and make a real difference.
· Development Opportunities: Be part of a pioneering team shaping the future of mental health care, with training and career growth built-in.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a highly experienced and enthusiastic Mental Health Practitioner.
We welcome applications from hands on individuals with a positive, hands-on approach, who relish a challenge & have a real passion for mental health and high standards of care.
This is a varied and challenging role and requires an experienced mental health professional (nurse, OT or social worker) with knowledge of working with service users with severe and enduring mental health problems.
Working for our organisation
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Assume responsibility for own case list and case management of patients with mental health disorders who are determined to be at medium/high risk and complex.
Work in the community settings as required. Work with wider MDT and Adult psychiatrists to make a clinical diagnosis and formulation from a standard assessment, including risk assessment, on which to recommend a treatment intervention.
Design, write and share a copy of the care plan with parents/carers and patients. Carry out the planned intervention with minimal supervision.
Assess safeguarding issues for own cases and refer concerns to the Adult Safeguarding team.
Deliver evidence based treatment interventions based on NICE guidelines. Use individual, group work, advice and supervision according to the needs of patients and have a flexible and innovative approach to packages of care.
Participate and lead in joint complex assessments with other disciplines and other agencies and provide reports for referrers, families and other agencies as required.
Maintain good relationships and clear lines of communication with other professional agencies and departments, providing specialist advice and support where appropriate.
Undertake all duties in line with the professional Codes of Professional Conduct, and maintain professional registration requirements for the post according to discipline/profession
Work in accordance and within the principles, policies, procedures and guidelines of all aspects of clinical governance.
Attend monthly supervision and annual appraisal meetings. Make effective use of colleagues in sharing and participating in casework supervision and other forms of supervision when required according to local practice, including attending peer supervision meetings if available.
Identify development and training needs with manager in accordance with Trust/Directorate guidelines. Remain up to date with changing practices and wherever possible make full use of all training and educational facilities.
Join and lead with colleagues in specialist teaching, consultation /support to other professionals and agencies. Participate in the provision of a good quality learning environment for trainees, overseeing placements and supervising trainees.
Participate in the monitoring, evaluation and audit of the service.
Work with others to undertake and promote research-based practice and use that knowledge in your everyday practice, sharing it with others in the team.
Person specification
Qualifications & Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
1. • First level nursing qualification/registration [RMN or RSCN, or first level qualification in social work, psychotherapy, clinical or counselling psychology.
2. All applicants will require professional registration with a statutory body: the Nursing Midwifery Council, Social Work England, Health Professional's Council, Chartered Clinical Psychologists by BPS, Child Psychotherapists by ACP or UKCP
3. Experience and ability to function as a specialist practitioner in Mental Health & Wellbeing assessments and specific interventions with patients with various mental disorders.
4. Experience of working as a care coordinator or community practitioner in Adult Mental Health or Wellbeing settings.
5. Working in collaboration with supervisor, service user, carers and MDT in assessing needs, planning and implementing care.
6. Taking responsibility for care delivery in a specific area and maintaining a safe therapeutic environment.
7. Evidence of experience of clinical governance and audit and the process of clinical supervision.
8. The skill to undertake mental health assessments to ascertain differential diagnosis
9. Evidence of ability to work with the client group using a recognised and registered therapeutic approach and related skills both in short and long term work.
10. Ability to contain anxiety and think clearly without recourse to premature action in situations of emotion and stress.
11. Evidence of skill in the use of a variety of approaches that patients may find supportive and offer individualised care
12. Evidence of competency in clinical judgement
13. Evidence of competency in risk assessment.
14. Evidence of using child protection or adult safeguarding in practice effectively.
Desirable criteria
15. Training in Clinical supervision
16. MSc level qualification associated with adult mental health, e.g. clinical psychology, psychotherapy or equivalent, with a strong portfolio of post registration clinical professional development
17. Experience of working with people with; A history of trauma, Personality disorder, SMI, Facilitation of case formulation
18. Ability to work as part of a team offering support to those with different professional backgrounds
19. Evidence of working autonomously
20. Relevant research and its application to assessment, treatment and case management. Research informed and evidence based methods of assessment, treatment and case management.