Mental Health Liaison Practitioner (Band 6) - Mental Health - Greater Manchester Mental Health [...]

Informal visits and/or contact with the service beforehand are welcomed

Are you a qualified RMN, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist, looking for a new challenge, or to take the next step in your career? Do you enjoy varied work and the opportunity to develop your skills across a wide range of presenting complaints and age groups? If the answer is 'yes', then an opportunity to work in a well-established, friendly and knowledgeable Liaison service may be for you.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable Mental Health Practitioner to join the Salford Mental Health Liaison Team, based within Salford Royal Foundation Trust Hospital, recognised as one of the best hospitals in the NHS.

The Liaison Service has been established since 2010 and operates over a 24-hour period, in-line with CORE-24 requirements. The team incorporates over 20 whole time equivalent staff from different professional backgrounds and we are very proud to have recently received accreditation with the Psychiatric Liaison Accreditation Network (PLAN) for the second time.

Main duties of the job

1. Work as part of the integrated multidisciplinary 24-hour mental health liaison service providing clinical interventions focusing on relapse prevention, early discharge and improved quality of life for patients referred to the service.
2. Assess people attending the A & E department, including Under 16s on the Paediatric (PANDA) Unit, offering highly developed risk assessments and management plans.
3. Provide a service to the wards, and the Intermediate Care Setting assessing individuals with a range of complex needs, including both organic and functional illness.
4. Provide support and training to the acute hospital staff regarding recognising mental illness and appropriate onward actions to be taken.
5. Offer assessment, support and care for individuals brought to Salford's identified Place of Safety facilities in relation to Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Working for our organisation

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 6,400 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 160 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• RMN, BA Social Work, BSc Occupational Therapy or equivalent.
• Successful completion of Preceptorship or equivalent.
• Trained clinical supervisor.
• Qualifications related to physical health problems.

Experience

• Varied experience in relation to patient illness profiles and care settings.
• Working experience of using a range of assessment tools for mental health conditions.
• Ability to liaise effectively with other disciplines, agencies and carers.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.
• Experience of working within liaison services/assessment within A&E Department/General Hospital.
• Experience of working with older people with functional or cognitive impairment in either a community or inpatient setting.
• Experience of working with Children and Young People in either a community or inpatient setting.
• Experience of working across both inpatient and community settings.
• Experience/training in Psychosocial interventions.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the background, range of services and evidence base of Liaison Psychiatry.
• Sound knowledge of the social factors involved in the development of mental ill health and key features of relapse prevention.
• Good understanding of the co-morbidities on both mental and physical conditions.
• Sound knowledge of Mental Health Act legislation.
• Motivation to learn and actively participate in training and learning of self and others.
• Experience assessing people with illness associated with later life, or will develop competence in this area.
• Sound knowledge of Mental Capacity Act and DOLS.
• Knowledge of the PLAN accreditation scheme.

Skills & Abilities

• Competent in the area of risk assessment and formulation of risk management plans including supporting patients who self-harm or are in a neglectful state.
• Ability to undertake Bio/psychosocial assessments across a varied patient illness profile.
• Ability to formulate clear discharge plans for a wide range of people.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a wide range of people including professionals, patients and carers.
• Good time management and organisational skills being able to work under pressure.
• Motivated and flexible with a positive attitude to change and commitment to service improvement.
• Ability to utilise the current IT systems within both GMMH and SRFT such as the Electronic Patient Record(s) and Datix.

Other Requirements

• Ability to work as an effective member of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work a range of shifts over a 24 hour period.

Important Information about working for GMMH:

All positions within the Trust are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks. The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.

The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups.

**Please note, this vacancy may be closed at any time if sufficient applications have been received**