Job overview
Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Band 7, plus AMHP payment of £2000 per annum.
We are seeking to recruit a band 7 AMHP to join the Bedfordshire and Luton Countywide AMHP Service on a permanent position. It is an excellent opportunity for an experienced or newly qualified AMHP, who is ambitious about service development. AMHP Lead for the Service, you will be responsible for providing routine and urgent Mental Health Act assessments (MHA) under part 2 of the MHA (1983). You will be expected to provide triage support for the AMHP service, leading on day to day operational activities of the AMHP service on a rota basis and supporting the AMHP Operational manager to ensure the service delivers on its objectives. You will also provide and offer training, advice and consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues, regarding the use of mental health law and least restrictive options; to ensure the timely delivery of an appropriate, safe, effective, and responsive and well led AMHP Service that is caring and maximizes people’s statutory rights.
Flexible working arrangements can be considered in line with Trust flexible working policy.
Main duties of the job
Purpose of the Job:
The post holder will be the Lead AMHP for the AMHP Service in Luton and Bedfordshire; providing operational management to a team of AMHPs and rota AMHPs. They will also offer expertise to multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure the timely delivery of a safe, effective, responsive and well led AMHP Service that is caring and maximizes people’s statutory rights.
The AMHP Service in Bedfordshire and Luton is commissioned to carry out statutory assessments under the Mental Health Act, (1983 MHA, as amended 2007) for consideration of compulsory admission to hospital, Community Treatment Orders, Guardianship and related duties.
As AMHP Lead the post holder will be responsible for the operational management and leadership of your team, ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the Service. This will include professional responsibility and accountability for ensuring that all key professional/ quality standards and performance indicators for the AMHP Service are met in a timely manner. Leading on the professional support and development of others, you will provide professional supervision for other AMHPs and manage performance in order to ensure quality standards are maintained.
As AMHP Lead the post holder will be responsible for a mixture of managerial and senior clinical duties including undertaking of MHA assessments. With an enhanced level of knowledge and expertise in relation to the use of the MHA (1983, as amended 2007).
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
Please refer to the attached AMHP Job Description and person specification for further information. .
Person specification
Education, Training and Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Registered Social Worker, Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Psychologist
2. Current Professional Registration (HCPC, NMC etc)
3. Practice Educator/ Registered mentor
4. AMHP post graduate qualification Evidence of continual professional development
5. Educated to degree level of equivalent experience
Desirable criteria
6. Best Interest Assessor
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
7. Significant post qualification experience working as an AMHP
8. Previous experience of supervising and managing others with proven leadership
9. Previous experience at working as part of a multidisciplinary team
10. Previous experience at working autonomously
11. Previous experience of working within an NHS/ LSSA environment and an understanding of the strengths, challenges, polices and practices within these environment
12. Extensive and demonstrable experience of assessing skills for service users with mental health needs and the ability to formulate correct plans of care and achieve correct outcomes, using best practice guidance
13. Experience of teaching and assessing others in practice
14. Experience of developing or contributing to the development of new services preferably in mental health
Knowledge
Essential criteria
15. Demonstrate thorough knowledge of the MHA (1983) and subsequent amendments, Code of Practice (2015) and other relevant pieces of mental health related case law
16. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of current legislation and policy pertaining to the provision of mental health services in all settings including the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act (2010), Care Act 2014 and relevant NICE Guidance
17. Demonstrate a thorough understanding and working knowledge of mental disorder and the treatment options.
18. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge, understanding and practical experience of complex risk assessment and risk management
19. Demonstrate a full understanding of the key issues and priorities relating to the provision of mental health services
20. Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the local and national standards and guidance relating to people detained under the MHA
21. Sound report writing skills, ability to compile complex case recording, report presentation, including legal documents i.e. social circumstances reports, court reports etc.
Skills and values
Essential criteria
22. Assertiveness and engagement with other professionals, able to make reasoned arguments and represent own professional views and perspectives
23. Decision-making and problem solving, able to adopt creative and flexible approaches to meet the needs of service users.
24. Well-developed communication skills, able to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.
25. IT skills, experience of working with service user data systems
26. Team player, able to negotiate and lead other professionals whilst considering competing views and agendas
27. Able to work independently, with initiative, but to seek appropriate guidance and supervision when required.
28. Committed to core social care values, able to recognise that protection is sometimes required and should be carried out in the least restrictive manner observing the human and civil rights of the individual
29. A commitment to leadership & change management
30. Able to travel between Trust sites throughout the county, with a full clean licence
31. Understanding of the Trust structure, values, aims and objectives