Senior Mental Health Practitioner - Children's Crisis Service

Senior Mental Health Practitioner - Children's Crisis Service

Location: Barnstaple, EX31 3UD
Salary: £37339.00 to £44962.00
Date posted: 8th October 2024
Closing date: 3rd November 2024

Our professional responsibility is to reduce the risk of infection to others as far as possible. Getting vaccinated against diseases that can be passed person-to-person in healthcare settings is part of this responsibility. The Trust will provide advice, guidance and support on vaccinations and access to vaccinations where requested.

Job Description:

• Are you passionate about improving the lives of vulnerable young people with mental health needs?
• Are you dynamic, innovative and have a desire to be part of creative, supportive, and high quality mental health service?

Child and Family Health Devon CAMHS crisis services has undergone a vital expansion, transforming our urgent care services for children and young people who experience mental health crisis across Devon.

We are seeking Senior Mental Health Practitioners to join our existing award winning team in North Devon. We are focused on ensuring children and young people get the right help, when they need it the most. You will have a shared commitment to learning and development, we look forward to you incorporating your own CAMHS clinical experience into practice, but we are also committed to enhancing this, with training opportunities to support our care delivery in AMBIT and DBT, to name but a few.

Main Duties of the Job

The team currently offers urgent assessments in hospital or in the community, with a drive to ensure there is no health without mental health. We are proud to offer intensive support at home, with the people young people care about around them, actively working with our partners to prevent children and young people from being admitted into hospital. We operate shifts between 9am-10pm, 7 days per week, on a rota basis, so that our service is accessible and flexible.

The teams are based across Devon, which is beautiful and diverse, from quaint harbour villages to the hustle and bustle of vibrant towns. Within this amazing landscape, we are very much part of the wider CAMHS and child and family health service, ensuring that children and young people are central to their care and recovery and have all their holistic needs met.

About Us

We provide mental health & learning disability services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

Our Values

We not only recruit employees based on their qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess and demonstrate the behaviours which underpin the core values of our organisation. These values include attributes such as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, and giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others; and being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part-time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health & learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Job Responsibilities

The post holder will deliver high quality comprehensive mental health services. The role involves managing a defined caseload with a focus on providing expert assessment and evidence-based treatment for children and young people with complex mental health difficulties and their parents/carers. Collaborative working with a wide range of statutory and non-statutory agencies is central to this role.

The post holder will contribute to the multi-disciplinary approach of the team, providing integrated healthcare for children across Children and Family Health Devon. Bringing professional expertise, skills and knowledge to multi-disciplinary teamwork, the post holder will work with and offer supervision/consultation/advice to others. With a focus on providing high quality, safe and compassionate care to children/young people, the post holder will engage in team and service development including participating in audit, evaluation and review.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A professional mental health qualification e.g. RMN, Social Work Degree, BSc/Diploma in OT, SROT, or equivalent. Active registration with the appropriate professional body e.g. NMC, HCPC.
• Recognised qualification in evidence-based therapeutic mental health interventions for children/young people and their families/carers. Post graduate qualification relevant to specialism. Clinical Supervision qualification.

Experience

• Substantial experience of managing an extensive and complex caseload and working with children/young people presenting with a range of complex mental health presentations. Experience working within a community CAMHS mental health setting. Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.
• Providing clinical supervision. Participation in user involvement in services. Experience of delivering model-based psychological therapy.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills including the ability to engage with children/young people of all ages experiencing a wide range of mental health presentations. Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings, sharing own professional knowledge, skills and expertise, whilst valuing the perspective of others. Able to produce well-written reports. Demonstrate effective communication skills and experience of using these with children, young people and families. Knowledge and experience of gaining meaningful feedback from children, young people and families to inform meaningful change. Experience of working in a person-centred way which shows you can demonstrate values that are important to children, young people and families. Knowledge and understanding of what children, young people and families feel is important to them and their lives. Able to recognise potential difficulties and participate in finding solutions. Ability to assess and develop plans to manage risk and safeguard children. Able to plan creatively to maximise the effectiveness of care plans, including complex multi-agency care plans. Able to work independently and as part of a team. Ability to manage own time and that of the team. Ability to work flexibly. Ability to be mobile across a geographical area in a timely manner and in accordance with service need. Computer literacy. Excellent clinical assessment skills. Ability to manage change in a positive manner. A willingness to use and learn IT systems, e.g. Electronic Record Keeping and online video platforms used for therapy, professionals meetings or training. There will be a requirement to work extended hours which may vary depending on agreed job plan. The Crisis service operates between the hours of 9am and 10pm, 7 days per week, for unplanned crisis care and between the hours of 9am and 8pm (Monday-Friday) and 9am and 5pm (Sat/Sun/BH) for planned.
• Able to participate and present information in a group setting.

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.