Team Leader - Mental Health Liaison Team

Band 7

Main area: Community Health Services

Grade: Band 7

Contract: Fixed term: 12 months (12 months from start date)

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Job ref: 351-BAY762-EB-A

Site: Furness General Hospital

Town: Barrow-in-Furness

Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 per annum

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 10/03/2025 23:59

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community-based services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:

1. Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
2. Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
3. Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working; we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has become available for the Team Leader post in the MHLT (Mental Health Liaison Team) and HBPOS (Home Based Place of Safety).

Barrow MHLT/HBPOS is seeking to appoint a Band 7 Team Leader. This is a well-established team with a wealth of experience. We are a supportive and caring team, who will welcome a new team member with all they can bring to the team.

We are seeking to appoint an individual that can demonstrate a wide variety of experience. As a Registered practitioner, you will be responsible for supporting your team in ensuring that our service users’ needs are met through the delivery of high-quality care.

Patients present in AED (Accident Emergency Department) and the HBPOS with a wide range of mental health and psychological problems, including following an episode of self-harm, psychiatric emergency, and as a consequence of physical illness.

Do you have the skills and experience as a practitioner to manage a busy community team? You will need to demonstrate an ability to motivate yourself and others and have experience with LSCFT Human Resources procedures. You will work as part of the multidisciplinary team; providing leadership and promoting teamwork. You will oversee and ensure the support and development of the team along with monitoring team performance.

Main duties of the job

You will be a Registered Mental Health Nurse, Approved Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or Dip SW with evidence of professional development. You should have leadership skills and qualities to support the team and the development of the Mental Health Urgent Pathway.

We can offer you supervision, training, and support to progress your leadership skills. You will be part of a team and be included in the developments moving the service forward.

You will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the HBPOS and MHLT team. You will ensure that patients are supported when accessing our services with dignity and compassion.

You will be expected to support the team to meet their KPI (Key Performance Indicator) and to review any breaches.

You will manage the team's off duty to ensure we are able to provide service 24/7.

You will be required to make autonomous decisions, based on an analysis of complex presenting problems, while utilizing effective clinical judgments about the most appropriate treatment, discharge, and follow-up options.

You will use higher-level communication skills, both written and oral, and have an ability to engage with challenging and/or acutely distressed individuals, sometimes in potentially hostile and/or antagonistic situations.

Working between the Acute Trust, Police, NWAS (North West Ambulance Service), and LSCFT is our day-to-day business.

Working for our organisation

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health, and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria, and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working; we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time, and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Must hold relevant professional qualification (RMN/OT or Social Work)
• Completion of, or working towards, Management or Leadership training
• Documented evidence of continuing professional development (CPD)

Knowledge

• Expert knowledge on mental health issues and how these impact on the individual, carers, and the wider community
• Expertise in current best practice in Adult Mental Health, and awareness of relevant government directives and legislation
• Specialist knowledge and application of mental health assessments and interventions using expert-level clinical reasoning

Experience

• Post registration experience in a mental health setting (at least 1 year of which will be in a relevant specialist area)
• Familiarity with audit processes
• Extensive clinical experiences including individual and group work

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent presentation and training skills
• Ability to work autonomously and set own and others’ priorities

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.