Job overview
Bedfordshire and Luton Perinatal Mental Health Team is looking for passionate Registered Mental Health Nurses/ Occupational Therapists. Social workers who are looking to make a difference whilst working in an environment that promotes staff development and training opportunities.
ELFT is passionate about developing its own staff, driving them to go on to become more established practitioners and this post is no different.
You could be an existing Band 5 or Band 6 Nurse looking to take your next steps or an experienced practitioner looking for a new venture;we have training and development opportunities tailored to suit your needs within the perinatal framework.
Our team operates Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm however there are opportunities for flexibility available in a team that is dynamic and transforming the way we offer support women and birthing people in Bedfordshire and Luton with perinatal mental health challenges. If this sounds like something that could inspire you then we want to hear from you!
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a clinician with a special interest in improving care for women, birthing people and their families. Experience of working in the perinatal mental health field is desirable; a keen interest in this specialist area is essential.
The Perinatal Mental Health service provides specialist, multidisciplinary perinatal mental health care for women from preconception, during pregnancy and up to two years postnatal who live in the county of Bedfordshire and Luton.
To help support you with the above we offer a robust induction and tailored training is given and encouraged. ELFT perinatal teams do offer regular in-house training opportunities to learn from each other with the aim to continuously improve our practice.
Working for our organisation
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Clinical Responsibilities
1.1 To support the delivery of, highly specialist evidence based assessment, care planning, treatment and review for service users in the perinatal period.
1.2 To provide specialist consultation, advice and support to Trust inpatient and community services on best practice when working with women/birthing people in the perinatal period
1.3 To work intensively with a small complex and challenging group of pregnant women/birthing people or those with an infant up to two year old.
1.4 To work with colleagues to establish a clear process and criteria for receiving referrals to undertake direct work or information for advice and liaison work.
1.5 To assist in setting up structures that allows the dissemination of knowledge and skills regarding working with perinatal service users in inpatient and community services.
1.6 To liaise and work with Mother and Baby Units
1.7 To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team exercising professional responsibility with team guidance and supervision, to provide risk assessment,monitoring and review of women with complex need in the perinatal period.
1.8 To be mindful of the needs of women, children, young people, families and individuals from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds and to develop, with colleagues, sensitive and innovative ways of meeting these needs.
1.9 To participate in perinatal service users have a perinatal planning meetings, pre-birth and post-birth .
1.10 To participate in team multi-disciplinary meetings, CPA Meetings and other Child Protection meetings/case conferences.
1.11 To be responsible for monitoring and recording and reporting on clinical work and communicating highly complex clinical information to a variety of recipients e.g. patient’s, families and carers, other professionals orally and in writing.
1.12 To record relevant information at the time of referral, during ongoing work, and for evaluation purposes as consistent with the policies and protocols of ELFT record keeping policies.
1.14 To seek consultation with clinical supervisor and line manager on clinical work and participate in regular supervision.
1.15 To be aware of and comply with all Trust policies and procedures and in particular follow and promote the Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children Policy and the Perinatal Mental Health Policy.
1.16 To provide assessment, health education and guidance to partners of women in the perinatal period
1.17 To develop an assessment clinic for partners and co parents of women in the service
2. Policy and Service Development
2.1 To work with colleagues to promote and evolve a perinatal mental health service for the assigned locality.
2.2 To ensure appropriate links are maintained with colleagues in perinatal mental health services, safeguarding children and parental mental health services across the Trust and other related services within the Trust and other agencies.
2.3 To attend ELFT Trust wide meetings as appropriate.
3. Performance Management
3.1 To ensure documentation and care plans are developed, are comprehensive and consistent with the policies and protocols of the Trust. 3.2 To be responsible for monitoring, recording and reporting on clinical work and communicating complex clinical information to a variety of recipients e.g. patients, families and carers and other professionals, both verbally and in writing.
3.3 To provide clinical information as required for input into local and ELFT electronic data collection systems.
3.4 To adhere to all Trust policies.
3.5 With the line manager, to construct a job-plan, which contains workload targets in line with service needs and local agreements.
4. Clinical Governance
4.1 To be knowledgeable about, and advise on best practice on treatment of pregnant and postpartum women, with particular regard to relevant NICE guidelines and MBRRACE reports.
4.2 To be knowledgeable about, and advise on best practice on safeguarding children, incorporating latest guidelines, policy and statutory requirements.
5. Training and Development
5.1 Adhere to the NMC’s Standards of Conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives.
5.2 To attend regular supervision and to discuss with supervisor new learning and innovation.
5.3 To participate in the Trust appraisal systems and be committed to ongoing continuing professional development including participation in further specialist or other such training as agreed with line and professional managers.
5.4 To be accountable for own professional action and to seek advice and supervision from line manager where needed over ethical issues and Trust policies.
5.5 With perinatal mental health and safeguarding children colleagues, to support and assist with developing and delivering professional development training programme regarding perinatal mental health for Trust and external staff and the impact that this has on parenting and children.
6. Personal Development The post holder will:
6.1 Ensure that he/she is aware of current developments and practice in relation to the interface between perinatal mental health services and child protection services;
6.2 Acknowledge his/her own strengths and limitations, and discuss/identify their training and development needs with his/her line manager;
6.3 Participate in projects within the Trust as negotiated with senior management;
6.4 Participate in regular supervision with his/her line manager;
6.5 Promote innovations or practice developments, both internal and external to the Trust;
6.6 Manage his/her own time efficiently;
Person specification
Evidence of professional qualification in Mental Health nursing/Occupational Therapy or social work
Essential criteria
1. significant post qualification experience
Desirable criteria
2. Experience of multi-agency pre-birth planning for women/birthing people with serious mental illness
Qualifications
Essential criteria
3. Evidence of professional registration
Desirable criteria
4. Qualifications/ training in specialist skills e.g. therapeutic/ psychological interventions