Mental Health Practitoner

The post holder will be expected to promote and develop clinical leadership and clinical practice and be a positive role model to junior members of the team through the practice of evidence based care. The post holder will be expected to support professional development through clinical appraisal and supervision and contribute to the ongoing educational programme for staff, fostering a positive learning environment. The post holder will be encouraged to foster collaborative cross organisational working.

The postholder may be expected to transfer to another CRHTT temporarily or permanently where there is a clear clinical need to do so.

Management responsibilities

Support and teach junior staff to develop understanding of mental health signs and symptoms and develop appropriate responses to these in practice.

Recognise and respond appropriately to challenging behaviour in line with Trust policies and training.

Lead and coordinate junior staff and the wider care team in the management of difficult situations and de-escalation, developing resilience and strategies to manage, including on leading staff and patient de-briefing sessions.

Demonstrate an in-depth of knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty and other legislation applicable to the practice area and how they are implemented in practice ensuring adherence to legislation at all times.

Teach junior staff to understand the legal frameworks that support their practice

Develop the clinical practice of junior members of staff, including newly qualified staff.

Act as shift co-ordinator when allocated to provide a point of contact for all enquiries, working in partnership with the team manager and the wider MDT to coordinate the shift.

Deputise for the team manager in their absence and be accountable for the care and management of team, including maintaining communication with the Borough Crisis Manager and other senior staff.

Assist the team manager in ensuring the team is safely staffed, prioritising, and deploying resources within budgetary parameters and escalating concerns to managers where appropriate in accordance with HR policies and procedures.

Support the team manager to investigate incidents and complaints: compile reports and disseminate this information to management.

Recognise practice that needs improvement and work in partnership with the team manager to ensure appropriate action is taken to address it.

Support the team manager to ensure mandatory and statutory training are up to date for all staff.

Facilitate the induction of new staff and students.

Support the team manager to ensure all newly qualified band 5 staff have undertaken their induction and preceptorship.

Support the team manager to ensure all qualified nurses are engaged with the revalidation process.

Maintain your status as a mentor/sign-off mentor and participate in training of students.

Encourage band 5 nurses to undertake and develop their mentorship skills.

Attend and participate in regular personal development, ensuring compliance with all mandatory training requirements. Maintaining a work development portfolio and complying with all requirements of NMC/ HCPC revalidation.

Be able to conduct comprehensive mental state examinations.

Demonstrate and apply an enhanced understanding of Mental Health signs and symptoms and how these may present in practice, including recognition of impact on patient presentation and behaviour including risk factors, especially in the older adult population

Deliver a range of clinical interventions with patients.

Be able to conduct a detail risk assessment, with clear formulation of risk and suitable risk management plan.

Work autonomously within the parameters of the role, leading and supporting junior staff and wider care team to implement the delivery of quality care, contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational, and spiritual care in a recovery-focused way through therapeutic engagement and activities, and taking steps to address any issues that arise.

Be confident to take positive risks to support patients within the environment that most suits their needs.

Lead on and undertake activities to ensure that the fundamentals of care are met.

Co-ordinate and evaluate collaborative patient centred care; getting feedback and improving plans with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).

Provide accurate information about care in an accessible format to patients and their relatives / carers.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

Qualifications

Experience

Desirable: - Experience of shift co-ordination/ deputising for senior colleagues

Skills

Desirable: - Involvement in clinical audit/ research