Mental Health Practitioner

NHS; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

As part of the wider Older Peoples Mental Health Services an exciting opportunity has arisen for a Mental Health Practitioner to join the Young Onset and Rarer Dementia team.

This award winning team is based at The Meadows within the borough of Stockport and provides support for clients (under 65) and their carers.

The team are responsible for providing interventions to people with a diagnosis of a young onset dementia, or a rarer type of dementia, in a community setting involving particularly challenging and complex cases.

Main duties of the job

1. To carry out a thorough assessment of the service users' current mental health needs, including risk assessment, psychological needs and cognitive functioning.
2. To demonstrate the ability to make decisions in relation to the clinical management of individual patients and make critical clinical judgements in relation to mental health and care provision within the community setting.
3. To be able to assess and manage clients presenting with co-morbidities of physical and mental health needs including the impact of medication.
4. Provide advice on issues related to activities of daily living, working with service users / carers / relatives with regards to all aspects of the care package.
5. Communicate clearly with service users who may lack insight into their condition and the risk issues involved.

About us

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
• Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
• Access to Continued Professional Development
• Involvement in improvement and research activities
• Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
• Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel

Job responsibilities

1. To work in the community and liaise with in-patient areas assessing and prioritising clients appropriately.
2. To manage a caseload of clients with complex and challenging mental health needs.
3. To assess clients in the most appropriate location often in their own home working in accordance with the Lone Working Policy.
4. To plan and implement client centred interventions using selected and graded activity to meet the needs of the individual ensuring issues of behavioural disturbance, aggression, wandering, mood disorder, psychosis and de-motivation are considered.
5. Contribute to making decisions regarding client care in consultation with the multi-disciplinary team.
6. Undertake the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of specific packages of care (in conjunction with other team members).
7. Maintain standards with regards to the quality of interventions provided.
8. Work within the framework of the Care Programme approach act as care coordinator / care manager, as required.
9. Work within the framework of the All Agency Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy and be willing to undertake relevant training.
10. Provide advice on issues related to activities of daily living, working with service users / carers / relatives with regards to all aspects of the care package.
11. Communicate clearly with service users who may lack insight into their condition and the risk issues involved.
12. Maintain confidentiality and a high professional standard at all times.

Research and Audit

1. To ensure that Paris records are efficiently maintained.
2. To contribute to audits as required.
3. To provide relevant data as required in line with performance monitoring targets.
4. To participate in research and development opportunities as directed by team or service manager.

Education and Training

1. To contribute to the on-going training and development of non-mental health trained staff with regard to mental health issues.
2. To have effective presentation skills in order to positively promote the Young and Rarer Dementia Team.
3. To provide mentorship, education and training to learners from a range of professional backgrounds.
4. To attend mandatory and other training as identified as relevant to the post and necessary to ensure safe effective practice.

Service Development

To participate in monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of service delivery and contribute to developments relevant to mental health services.

Management

To provide engage in peer supervision, advice and support to team members across the divisional team. To deal appropriately with clinical incidents, complaints etc. from patients, relatives and members of the public, via line manager, in accordance with Trust policy.

This job description is not exhaustive, but is intended to give an overall picture of the role. Other duties within the general scope of the post may be required from time to time. The duties of the post and job description can be reviewed through the agreed process.

General Duties of all post holders

1. To undertake any other reasonable duty, which is appropriate to the band, when requested by Senior Staff.
2. To be familiar with and comply with all Trust and departmental policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines.
3. To be aware of and work towards the Trusts strategic goals.

Standards of Business Conduct

The post holder will be required to comply with the organisations standing order and standing financial instructions and at all times, deal honestly with the organisation with colleagues and all those who have dealing with the organisation including patients, relative and suppliers.

The post holder must ensure that their behaviour and interests inside and outside work do not conflict with their Trust position, duties and/or responsibilities.

The post holder must comply with and support the development of the performance standards within the service/department to ensure the service is responsive to and meets the needs of its customers.

The post holder will be required to develop and maintain good working relationships with all patients, service users, staff, contractors and where appropriate, members of the public.

The Trust aims to maintain the good will and confidence of its own staff, patients, service users, NHS contractors and the general public. To assist in achieving this objective it is essential that at all times, the post holder carries out their duties in a courteous, sympathetic and professional manager.

All post holders who are members of a professional body must comply with standards of professional practice / conduct. It is the post holders responsibilities to ensure they are both familiar with and adhere to these requirements and maintain their professional membership to the relevant.

Person Specification

From JD and PS

• As per desirable criteria of post

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.