Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen as part of this model for a registered nurse with a keen interest in providing outstanding support within mental health community settings.
This is an exciting new role that builds upon the success of other Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme posts (ARRS) in physical health to create mental health specific roles that work alongside our GPs and other Primary Care colleagues, while receiving clinical support from our multidisciplinary mental health teams in West London Trust.
The role will offer mental health assessments and brief interventions to referred patients and will also work to support the development of mental health expertise within a defined group of GP practices aligned to a specific PCN.
As one of our MHARRS practitioners you will be employed on a permanent NHS contract and will be hosted within a defined PCN. You will work alongside GPs, practice nurses, social prescribers and other primary care based professionals to help deliver an integrated and holistic approach to care.
Throughout your employment in this role you will receive regular supervision from a Senior clinician within MINT and will work within an agreed scope of practice, although we expect this to change and develop as the role develops.
Applicants will need to be self-motivated, have significant prior experience of working in mental health settings and to be able to work both autonomously as a mental health professional while still building relationships with GP practice teams.
We encourage applicants from a range of diverse backgrounds and would be keen to hear about how you could bring experience of diversity to your clinical practice.
Main duties of the job
The MHARRS roles will involve several elements which will support the management of people with mental health conditions in primary care, who may be new or known previously to secondary care mental health services. The roles are focused on those who are supported by Primary Care and therefore will include an element of case finding to prevent deterioration in mental health as well as supporting MDT working.
The post holders will provide assessments, formulation and delivery of the psychological intervention/s in primary care, as well as supporting access to MINT or other services such as Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP), Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT where needs can be better met by these services. The post holder would be expected to work closely with experts by experience, local communities and will also be involved in raising the awareness of mental health difficulties in the general population.
The post holders will contribute to the provision of some psychological interventions in the PCN, which will be under the direction of a qualified clinical psychologist from MINT Service who will retain clinical responsibility for clinical work carried out.
The post holders will be part of the Primary Care MDT team assisting case reviews, triage of those presenting with mental health needs, support GPs with referring clients to Mental Health Services as appropriate and ensure the delivery of physical health checks. For those with SMI and where applicable to the skilled professional, the post holder will support antipsychotic medication management. The role will be embedded within a PCN working with several GP surgeries supported by the local MINT Service to enable safe transfers of care. It is crucial that the post holder can:
•Review and support the practice lists of SMI including completion of annual reviews with the GPs.
•Where appropriate; proactively in conjunction with GPs identify and clarify where people would benefit from mental health input (e.g. IAT or other services such as MINT)
•Facilitate people with long term mental health conditions to access mental health services and transfers of care back to their GP from WLT MINT.
•Screen, Triage and deliver short term interventions based on clients’ needs and enable access to therapeutic activities working closely with voluntary, Community and third sector organisations.
•Provide an enhanced level of support to PC clinicians through advice and training to improve skills and capacity in responding to the needs of people with mental health conditions discharged back to them
•Work within an agreed process for safe transfer of care from WLT MINT to GPs as well as and rapid re-referral, when appropriate
Working for our organisation
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. •Professional qualification in mental health e.g. Occupational Therapy, Social Work or Mental Health Nursing (RMN) with current NMC/HCPC registration or Psychology as accredited by the BPS. Professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
2. •Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology as accredited by the BPS, and HPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist under the relevant domain
3. •A recorded/registered qualification in one of the following – psychology, nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy and registration with the appropriate body for that profession
Desirable criteria
4. •Educated to degree or Diploma level with other courses relevant to primary care mental health services e.g. CBT, Brief Solution Focussed Therapy etc.
5. •RGN/physical health qualification
6. •Evidence of recent and ongoing relevant further professional development
7. •Attendance at specialist short courses relevant to the post (e.g. MBT or DBT, Trauma Informed Care, Group Approaches)
Experience
Essential criteria
8. Experience of work in the NHS, PCNs or outreach work, or local engagement work (e.g. youth worker, mentoring, peer support etc.), experience of working in voluntary sector, working in community groups.
9. Experience of working in General Practice
10. Experience of working with Complex Emotional Needs (previously termed Personality Disorders)
11. Mental health care and/or working with carers and/or delivering therapeutic group
12. Work in multi-cultural settings and work with interpreters
13. Mental health issues as a service user or carer
Desirable criteria
14. Evidence of experience in a Band 6 position or equivalent
15. Experience of case finding
16. Work with behaviours that challenge services
17. Experience of working in a primary care setting/ social care/ voluntary sector
18. Experience of supervising junior staff within own and/or other disciplines
19. Experience of conducting audit, evaluation or research
Knowledge
Essential criteria
20. Basic understanding of health care systems and structures: staffing, roles and responsibilities, the role of hospitals, primary care and community care
21. Team/self-management and organisation skills that enable a number of complex activities and clinical work to be undertaken, revising and adjusting these according to the needs of individual patients and the service
22. Knowledge of counselling skills/cognitive behavioural skills, psychosocial interventions Knowledge of recovery
23. Contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others
24. Manage effectively verbal aggression from service users, families, etc. and the risk of physical aggression
25. Ability to engage challenging and/or acutely distressed patients in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations and use de-escalation techniques effectively Assessment and treatment of Deliberate Self Harm
26. Risk assessment/management and crisis intervention skills
Skills
Essential criteria
27. •Being able to work flexibly across local environments
28. •Computer literate
29. •Concentrate intensely for a substantial proportion of working time, during client contact, teaching/supervision sessions, team meetings, preparing written work etc
30. •Use IT packages – word processing, e-mail and internet, Excel and Access
31. •Plan, organise and prioritise own workload
32. • Record and report on clinical information as required
33. •Ability to use or learn NHS clinical systems