Mental Health Liaison Practitioner

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

37.5 hours 7 days, 24 hour cover including nights. Location - Blackpool, Lancashire.

Job Summary
We are looking to recruit a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner who has an enthusiasm for and passion to work within the Urgent Care Pathway within Mental Health Services. The Band 6 practitioner will have the opportunity to consolidate their skills in mental health and who are keen to develop the specialist skills needed within the Urgent Care Pathway.

The Mental Health Liaison Team is a dedicated team of professionals providing comprehensive and holistic assessments for patients within the Acute Trust hospital from 16 years and over. This exciting opportunity will allow the successful Practitioner to develop within a very friendly, supportive Team, consolidating and expanding all clinical skills working with the diverse population within the Fylde Coast. The successful candidate will also be supported and encouraged to further develop on courses such as NMP, specialist MHL training, opportunities to top up to degree level, amongst a multitude of other service specific in house training opportunities. Within the Mental Health Liaison Team we work collaboratively as a team, displaying core team and trust values ensuring all aspects of a patients care is thorough and completed to an exceptionally high standard.

Main duties of the job

The Mental Health Liaison team provides a comprehensive service to patients/service users, carers and clinical colleagues based within our acute trust at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. This involves:

1. Offering an assessment service to patients presenting with a range of mental health and psychological problems.
2. Providing a mental health consultation-liaison and advice service.
3. Delivering a range of interventions to individual patients and their families, as appropriate.
4. Assisting and supporting general hospital colleagues in making decisions about treatment and care in complex situations.
5. Providing formal and informal education and clinical supervision to registered and unregistered staff.
6. Representing mental health services within the general hospital.
7. Providing a communication structure between the general hospital, secondary mental health services, primary care and non-statutory services, as a means of ensuring the highest possible standards of patient care.
8. Following assessment, discuss and agree with the band 7 practitioner, the most appropriate pathway, signposting and where an inpatient stay is potentially required refer to the Enhanced Gatekeeping MDT.
9. Co-ordinate 136 MHA presentations in the A&E Department and support Section 136 Suites co-located.

About us

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.

Job responsibilities

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• On-going registration with the NMC.
• Specialist qualification or equivalent level in skills and development.

Knowledge

• Knowledge and practice of Mental Health Act 1983.
• Knowledge and practice of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Knowledge of common mental health problems and medication used in relation to these.

Experience

• Experience of involvement in innovative nursing practice and multicultural nursing environments.
• Supervision and management of staff.
• Experienced in acting as a mentor/assessor of student staff.
• Experience of assessing, planning and implementing and reviewing care needs.

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.

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust