Forensic Mental Health Specialist

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job description

An exciting job opportunity has arisen for a mental health nurse or social worker to join our Counter Terrorism Clinical Consultancy Service. This is a joint team with Counter Terrorism Policing and the NHS. The aim of the team is to work with counter-terrorism officers in assessing and managing the risks posed by individuals with severe mental illness and, in doing so where possible, to divert severely mentally ill people into support and services who can provide the relevant treatment they need.

Please note this is a national service and therefore there will be an expectation of regular travel to other sites, including overnight stays.

The role will work alongside psychiatry, psychology, nursing and police officers. The successful candidate will have a significant amount of experience within forensic mental health settings, including custody and secure hospital. The role will require security clearance to SC level with the Metropolitan Police Service - Please note that this is a formal requirement for the job and can take up to a year to clear.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be part of a team of NHS & Metropolitan Police staff and provide high quality liaison, assessment and management plans to the referring agencies. The post holder will be responsible for gathering information on referrals, participating in MDT risk stratification and agreeing an onward pathway and liaising with stakeholders.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the highest level of information governance and Trust and NMC (or other governing body) values are adhered to at all times.

About us

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

1. We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all.
3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
4. We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

Why NLFT?

We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.

We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.

NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme.

Excellent internal staff network.

The postholder will be aligned with our Values:

1. We Are Kind
2. We Are Respectful
3. We Work Together
4. We Keep Things Simple
5. We Empower
6. We Are Proudly Diverse

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that falls under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other locations.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will act as a mental health expert to the policing colleagues and will hold a caseload within the team. Their role will be to provide a clinical formulation of the main concerns in a case and to consult to other stakeholders. Please see JD for further details.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• A professional qualification relevant to mental health practice: RMN/Degree/Diploma in Nursing, CQSW/Degree/Diploma in Social Work.
• Post graduate qualification in forensic mental health.

Knowledge & Experience

• Significant knowledge of PREVENT.
• Significant experience and knowledge of working with people with mental health problems.
• Experience in acute adult, multidisciplinary community mental health services.
• Significant experience of working within a Forensic/Criminal Justice environment.
• Significant experience of assessing risk and developing risk management plans.
• Evidence a good understanding of clinical governance and its application in this setting.
• Ability to be innovative in practice.
• Experience of giving written and oral evidence in a court or tribunal setting.

Skills and Abilities

• Compassionate - Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with patients, carers and relatives about complex and sensitive issues remaining sensitive and empathetic.
• Ability to work under pressure and on own initiative.
• Ability to treat Service Users with respect and dignity, being culturally sensitive as appropriate, and consider the needs of the whole person.

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.

£54,320 to £60,981 a year Per annum including Inner London Allowance.