Care Coordinator - Lewisham Early Intervention in Psychosis

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 54,000

Job description

Care Coordinator - Lewisham Early Intervention in Psychosis

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and dynamic Care Coordinator to join the Lewisham Early Intervention Service (LEIS). The post is open to qualified Nurses, Social Workers and Occupational Therapists.

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced community care coordinator with a particular interest in psychosis and looking to gain experience working in an Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) setting.

The team has been commended by students and former colleagues for its passion and enthusiasm in supporting service users, along with its supportive team dynamic.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will undertake the responsibilities of a care coordinator, working within the Care Programme Approach for a defined caseload of service users and their carers. They will conduct initial assessments of those suspected to be experiencing a First Episode of Psychosis (FEP). They will provide evidence-based psychosocial interventions in line with NICE guidelines, focusing on engagement, recovery, and social inclusion as well as addressing physical health care needs.

About us

About the Team

LEIS is a large multi-disciplinary team providing a comprehensive service to people living in Lewisham who may be experiencing psychosis for the first time. The successful applicants will be enthusiastic about this client group, and committed to working within the recovery approach to deliver NICE concordant care.

About the Location:

You will be based at 59 Cordwell Road, London, SE13 5QY. Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). SLAM also operates across other locations, such as London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich, and Wandsworth.

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close-knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that you are valued and appreciated, which is why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.

Job responsibilities

1. Assessment: To be responsible for the assessment of newly referred adults with First Episode Psychosis and the subsequent presentation of findings to the wider team. To work with diagnostic uncertainty, providing ongoing comprehensive assessments and outcome monitoring for all service users within caseload. To undertake risk assessments regularly, involving all other health professionals/agencies involved. To ensure that risk assessments are regularly updated, meaningful, and reflected in care plans.
2. Engagement: Assertively outreach difficult-to-engage clients. To meet service users regularly, as far as possible at a venue of their choice, whether at home, CMHT centre, education, work, or recreational establishments to assist with engagement and encourage participation in treatment delivery as well as facilitating independence in all aspects of daily living.
3. Support: To provide ongoing care coordination of a designated caseload of service users who will be experiencing their first episode of psychosis. To provide support and advice in relation to service users regarding the issues concerning them. To work collaboratively with service users focusing on a recovery approach.
4. Interventions: To provide interventions relevant to a first episode client group. To ensure all interventions are age appropriate and that care is sensitive to the needs of black and minority ethnic service users. To provide low intensity CBT and Mindfulness interventions under supervision. To provide psycho-education to service users. To have a client-centred approach with a focus on re-socialisation and social inclusion.
5. Families and Carers: To involve families and carers in treatment plans where appropriate. This may require direct family interventions. Ensuring services are provided within guidance of the Children and Carers Acts. To ensure that the needs of Carers are assessed and the care services are provided as necessary. To provide families and carers with psycho-education.
6. MDT Working: To work in cooperation with members of the multi-disciplinary team and all other relevant health professionals to assess, develop, implement and evaluate high quality packages of client-centred care. To form effective relationships with inpatient services to facilitate early effective discharge. To participate in Mental Health Act Assessments of service users that you are responsible for as appropriate. To take part in all clinical meetings.
7. Communication: To maintain accurate clinical documentation on designated caseload ensuring case notes are up to date as per guidance and in line with electronic patient journey system. To ensure effective verbal and written communication with all involved with the delivery of care. The post holder will liaise with other disciplines and organisations to ensure that all issues affecting service user care are managed and communicated to a high standard.
8. Personal Development: To remain up to date with current/emerging good practice relating to community mental health services, in general and Early Intervention services in particular. To abide by the policies of SLAM NHS Foundation Trust and Local Authority. To keep abreast of all developments pertaining to the provision of Community Mental Health Care. To contribute to effective MDT working. To meet regularly with Team Manager/Supervisor. To remain up to date with all mandatory training requirements. To undertake CPD as agreed with Team Leader. To provide supervision to other junior members of staff.
9. Miscellaneous: To participate in the team duty system. To provide cover for colleagues in their absence. To participate in research as requested. To undertake audit/clinical governance as required. To undertake other duties as requested by Clinical Service Lead and the LEIS Team Leader and to be willing to work from any location in the borough.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the Recovery Approach and its application in practice
• Knowledge of Early Intervention in Psychosis Approach
• Knowledge of CPA, Community Care Act, Carers Act, Mental Health Act and other relevant legislation as application to practice.
• Knowledge of the role of a Care Coordinator
• Knowledge of current Government Policy and Guidelines concerning provision of community mental health care and of EI in psychosis in particular.

Skills

• Skills and experience in crisis management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to involve service users and carers in care planning.
• Ability to provide psycho education to service users and their carers about psychosis.

Experience

• Significant experience of working with service users with psychosis when acutely ill.
• Significant experience and skills in risk assessment and management.
• Significant experience and skills in clinical assessments.
• Experience of working with service users with psychosis and their carers.
• Experience of partnership working with statutory and voluntary services.
• Experience of the use of evidence-based interventions relating to the care of service users with first episode psychosis.
• Experience of working with service users experiencing psychosis within a community setting.
• Experience of carrying out Family Interventions.
• Experience of care coordination/CPA.

Qualifications

• Relevant professional qualification. e.g. RMN, CQSW or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development e.g. relevant training.
• Meridan/FI training or equivalent.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

£44,806 to £53,134 a year per annum incl. of HCAs