First Contact Mental Health Practitioner

Essential

• Current professional registration with appropriate body in healthcare or social work.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• Certificate in mentorship, teaching & assessing in clinical practice as appropriate to own profession.
• Clinical Supervisor.
• Key skills in literacy, numeracy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent).
• If appropriate to professional registration, recognised sign-off mentor (or equivalent) for students or must be achieved within agreed timescale

Desirable

• Leadership or management qualification.
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area.
• If appropriate to professional registration, NMP (or willing to obtain)

Essential

• Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers/families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services
• Provide effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead professional responsibilities.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services.
• Write reports
• Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional settings
• Use approved breakaway techniques (within agreed timescale).

Essential

• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community setting.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers.
• Providing clinical supervision.
• Mentoring students on practice placement experience
• Working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience and involvement with quality improvement activities

Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge to post-graduate level of evidence-based practice in caring for patients in the designated field.
• Knowledge of Stepped Care model.
• Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).
• Detailed understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice.
• Clinical Governance and its application in practice.
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.
• Understanding of psychological models of care and treatment.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of delivering psycho-social interventions and approaches.
• Care Programme Approach and its application in practice
• Contemporaneous knowledge of recent health and social care policy and guidance on implications for practice

Essential

• Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours.
• Compassionate in meeting the needs of vulnerable people and their families and carers.
• Able to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances.
• Able to work flexibly and co- operatively as part of a team.
• Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently.
• Committed to continual quality and service improvement
• Self-aware and committed to professional and personal development.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of the service.