Liaison Psychiatry Practitioner

NHS; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job description

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Are you ready to take the next step in your career and join a supportive, specialist team? The Older Adults Liaison Psychiatry Service at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) is seeking a Band 6 Liaison Practitioner to work across Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) and Nottingham City Hospital. This substantive role is full-time, but part-time applicants are welcome.

This is an exciting opportunity for an organised, motivated, and compassionate individual with a passion for older adults' mental health. We welcome applications from nurses, occupational therapists, and social workers, regardless of prior liaison psychiatry experience.

No prior experience in liaison psychiatry? No problem! We provide a robust and supportive induction programme to ensure you feel confident before practising independently.

As part of our team, you'll benefit from:

1. Collaborative Working: A multi-disciplinary environment where your expertise and ideas are valued.
2. Specialist Training: Develop advanced skills tailored to the unique needs of older adults.
3. Supportive Environment: Regular supervision, a comprehensive induction, and professional development opportunities.

If you have excellent communication skills, a flexible approach, and a commitment to making a difference, we encourage you to apply. Build a fulfilling career in our innovative, supportive service.

Main duties of the job

Join our Liaison Psychiatry Service, where compassion is at the forefront of mental health care for individuals aged 65 and over. Working across Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) and Nottingham City Hospital, our service offers proactive, specialist support to older adults facing mental health challenges such as dementia, acute confusion, delirium, and depression.

As a pivotal member of our team, you will:

1. Provide Specialist Care: Deliver expert mental health assessments and interventions to older adults in an acute hospital setting, addressing complex psychiatric and co-morbid physical health needs.
2. Shape Education & Training: Equip acute hospital colleagues with the skills and knowledge to confidently manage mental health conditions, fostering a culture of awareness and responsiveness.
3. Promote Collaboration: Work closely with multidisciplinary teams, families, and carers to ensure a seamless, holistic approach to care.
4. Drive Service Excellence: Actively contribute to service development and innovation, ensuring older adults receive compassionate, high-quality care tailored to their needs.

Your role will be instrumental in improving the experience and outcomes for older patients, ensuring they receive the right care at the right time. By joining our service, you'll not only make a difference to individuals and their families but also help shape a hospital-wide approach to mental health that prioritizes dignity, understanding, and excellence at every stage.

About us

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Job responsibilities

The Older Adults Liaison Psychiatry Team at Nottingham University Hospitals is proud to be PLAN-accredited, a nationally recognised standard of excellence in liaison psychiatry. This accreditation reflects our commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centred care. As a member of our team, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to maintaining and building upon this exceptional standard.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Deliver Specialist Care: Provide comprehensive mental health assessments, interventions, and care planning for older adults presenting with a range of psychiatric and physical health needs.
2. Collaborate with Acute Hospital Colleagues: Offer expert advice and consultation to ensure that older adults with complex mental health conditions receive integrated and seamless care.
3. Empower Through Education: Support and train acute hospital staff in understanding and managing mental health challenges, enhancing their confidence and skills.
4. Contribute to Service Excellence: Actively participate in service development and quality improvement initiatives, ensuring that our patients receive compassionate and evidence-based care.
5. Support PLAN Accreditation: Continue to uphold and enhance the nationally recognised standards that make our service a leader in liaison psychiatry.

Why Join Us?

This is a challenging but rewarding role within a dynamic and highly experienced team. Whether you're new to liaison psychiatry or looking to advance your expertise, we provide a structured and supportive induction programme tailored to your individual needs. You'll have protected time to build your confidence and skills before practising independently, with access to regular supervision and mentorship.

If you are a compassionate and motivated professional with a passion for making a difference, we warmly invite you to apply.

Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances, the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria here.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Person Specification

Further Training

• Evidence of further training
• ENB 998 or equivalent
• Clinical supervision course

Skills

• High level interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Effective teaching skills
• Clinical supervision skills
• Caseload management

Contractual Requirements

• To work shifts covering 7 days a week at 37.5 hours per week.
• A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however, reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Experience

• Experience of working within an MDT.
• Recent experience with older adult mental health.
• Community Mental Health experience working with Older People with Mental Health problems.
• Recent experience of working within Liaison Psychiatry Services.

Qualifications

• Professional mental health nursing qualification.

Values and Behaviours

• All staff should be able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as identified within the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy and associated Equality, Diversity and Human Rights legislation.
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust, Honesty, Respect, Compassion, Teamwork.

Physical Requirements

• Has the physical ability to perform the full range of duties.

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.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

£37,338 to £44,962 a year (pro rata for part time)