Tele-coach Psychological Practitioner

Devon Partnership NHS Trust; Exeter; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job description

Location: Exeter, EX2 5AF
Salary: £29970.00 to £36483.00
Date posted: 24th March 2025
Closing date: 7th April 2025

Our professional responsibility is to reduce the risk of infection to others as far as possible. Getting vaccinated against diseases that can be passed person-to-person in healthcare settings is part of this responsibility. The Trust will provide advice, guidance and support on vaccinations and access to vaccinations where requested.

Job Description:

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our mental health First Response Service, an exciting newly commissioned service based in Exeter. The team promotes a dynamic and innovative way of working, triaging and responding to crisis referrals. The role encompasses the NHS principle; right care, right time and right place. The First Response Service triages mental health crisis calls and referrals, providing tele-coaching psychologically informed interventions, support, guidance and signposting. The service further delivers timely and responsive face to face assessments where indicated.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is growing as we establish ourselves as one of the leading providers of mental health services in the country.

Working as part of Devon Partnership NHS Trust, you will make a difference to peoples lives from the moment you start.

Main duties of the job

This is an ideal post for anyone who has experience and knowledge of working within mental health. Psychology or health-related graduates are welcome to apply. Tele-coach Practitioners complete clinical risk and mental state assessments by telephone, providing short-term psychological interventions for people presenting in mental health crisis in view of signposting them onto the most appropriate service to meet their care needs. This is undertaken with direct supervision from senior clinical practitioners.

Working via telephone, Tele-coach Practitioners are experts in emotional validation, de-escalating crises and coaching people regarding distress tolerance techniques, promoting emotional regulation interventions. Using a range of psychologically informed interventions, Tele-coach Practitioners empower people using the service and their carers/families to manage crises more safely and effectively. Successful candidates will work a variety of shift patterns providing 24/7 support to the service.

We are looking for recovery-focused and confident individuals with excellent communication skills. The role includes the tele triage of crisis calls or referrals to the Trust, coupled with managing requests for clinical information. The role further consists of providing advice, guidance, support and signposting. You will at all times be supported and supervised by a senior clinical mental health lead.

About us

We provide mental health & learning disability services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

Our values

We not only recruit employees based on their qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess and demonstrate the behaviours which underpin the core values of our organisation. These values include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part-time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health & learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the full Job Description and Person specification attached to this advert which will provide further information on this role.

Job Purpose

The post involves working with people of all ages (Children and Young People, Adults or Older People) experiencing a mental health crisis via the telephone, often working with a high level of distress. For people experiencing a mental health crisis, Tele-coaches will provide:

• Complex mental state assessments
• Complex clinical risk assessments
• Complex clinical formulations
• A range of recovery-focused interventions
• Validation and de-escalation of crisis
• Distress tolerance and emotional regulation coaching techniques
• Empowerment of persons in crisis, carers and families as a means of managing situations effectively

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Evidence of working with people who have suffered with a Mental Health problem (Children and Young People, Adults or Older People)
• Evidence of ability to study successfully at graduate level or equivalent experience
• Qualified to degree level in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling, psychological therapy, other health-related subject or equivalent experience
• Ability to complete Trust Mandatory Courses

Skills

• Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with users of services experiencing a wide range of complex mental health presentations
• Ability to form positive therapeutic relationships with users of services, carers and other professional bodies
• Ability to assess situations, make decisions, co-ordinate and organise appropriate responses
• Assessment, planning, and evaluation of mental health difficulties
• Able to risk assess
• Ability to work without direct supervision
• Experience in applying psychologically informed interventions
• Able to demonstrate commitment to high-quality care and service provision
• Able to prioritise work to reflect changing needs
• Ability to manage own time
• Ability to work flexibly
• Able to participate and present information in a group setting
• Have an awareness and ability to maintain personal boundaries
• Research awareness
• Supervising learners and other staff

Knowledge

• Evidenced based interventions relevant to the clinical service
• Knowledge of Multi-Disciplinary Working
• Understanding of Recovery principles in Mental Health
• Knowledge and understanding of both adult and children's safeguarding guidance
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1987
• Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act & Deprivation of Liberty safeguards
• Relevant specialist clinical courses/training

Experience

• Application of evidenced based interventions relevant to the clinical service
• Evidence of working with people of any age who have experienced a mental health problem
• Experience of working in a Multi-Disciplinary environment