Mental Health Practitioner (RMN/SW)

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust

Pennine Lancashire is seeking an experienced Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to join our Mental Health Liaison Team, Royal Blackburn Hospital. This is an exciting opportunity and the successful candidate will be part of an evolving service that has the needs of our service users at its heart. We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic to join a forward-thinking, dynamic, and constantly developing team.

You must have proven clinical skills along with excellent communication skills, good knowledge and understanding of adult mental health and the needs of individuals in this group. You will also need to have a working knowledge of the care programme approach, NICE guidance, enhanced risk assessment, and the ability to explore issues relating to the impact of health and social needs on mental health and well-being.

Main duties of the job

1. Undertake comprehensive assessment of service users referred to the Team.
2. Provide highly developed risk assessment and risk management plans.
3. Determine the most appropriate course of action for an individual following assessment and MDT meeting and in collaboration with the service users, from a range of available options.
4. Act in an advisory capacity for all members of the team on issues relating to mental health.
5. Communicate effectively (both verbally and in writing) in a timely manner to the GP and other relevant professionals/agencies.
6. Identify safeguarding concerns and act accordingly to local policy.
7. Provide and receive complex, sensitive, and contentious information using developed skills to ensure assessments and care planning can be completed.
8. Establish therapeutic relationships with clients, relatives, and carers.
9. Refer patients for clinical interventions based upon evidence-based practice in conjunction with NICE guidelines.
10. Have a working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 and subsequent legislation as it affects the client group.

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, believing 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

• Recognised Core Mental Health Professional Qualification (e.g. RMN/Dip SW)

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of mental health problems and issues that impact upon people with mental health problems.
• Detailed knowledge of the impact of risk and protective factors that affect people with mental health problems.
• Knowledge of medication prescribed for management of mental health issues.

Experience

• Post qualification experience in clinical work with service users experiencing a range of mental health problems.
• Experience of delivering evidence-based interventions in a time-limited framework.
• Experience of risk assessment and management.

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.