SPA/Out of Hours Crisis Response (OOHCR) Practitioner

• MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Answer all calls to the SPA in a patient and courteous manner, and to screen and prioritise these appropriately.
• Undertake clinical triaging of all calls to the SPA, deciding on the correct care pathway for that call.
• Handle called from 111 option 2 where people use this function to call and report a mental health concern
• Refer callers onto secondary adult MH services where appropriate liaising with teams to ensure timely follow up support
• Signpost callers on as necessary into non-statutory, third sector services.
• Identify social care and safeguarding concerns through the clinical triage process and make referrals to statutory services where needed to support the patient. .
• Respond to calls within time limits set out in the SPA Operational Protocols, ensuring that where they cannot speak to a caller immediately, they are called back in timely manner.
• Take details of all callers, and to record details of all calls onto the relevant patient information system (ie.SystmOne).
• Undertake face to face assessments with patients in their own home to establish their mental health needs and ensure timely treatment and support.
• Maintain staff and patient safety through comprehensive risk assessment and adhering to trust policy on home visiting and lone working (all visits will be with 2 staff)
• Ensure strong working relationship with local HTTs at the beginning and the end of each night taking referrals and making referrals to HTTs as needed.
• Be fully conversant with statutory and non-statutory services across Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, and the provision of CNWL services in each borough.
• Leading clinical handovers and coordinating shift to ensure safe allocation of all work and smooth running of service. With support from Team managers
• Ensure safe and effective delivery of care / advice to patients and their carers, utilising own knowledge and skills.
• Provide support, information and education to family members, carers and other professionals who may access the SPA.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships with key stakeholders, such as GPs, the Police and LAS, taking and triaging referrals as appropriate.
• Maintain a good public image of the SPA by dealing with all calls and face to face interactions in a professional manner.
• Be aware of appropriate escalation procedures in relation to difficult calls, i.e.. A suicidal patient, etc.
• Demonstrate good risk assessment and management skills, ensuring that decisions made are in the interests of the individual patients needs and their safety.
• Participate in both clinical and managerial supervision in relation to role.
• Participate in ongoing training / teaching / reflective practice sessions as required.
• Ensure that all professional and Trust-wide clinical policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Be responsible for the maintenance of accurate patient records on relevant patient information system (ie. SystmOne).

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively in person, via telephone and in writing
• Assessing patients via telephone and in person, identify needs and implement treatment/support plans in a timely fashion.
• Strength in brief interventions and empowering service users to achieve their goals
• Have strong understand of safeguarding responsibilities and able to raise concerns with the appropriate statutory bodies where needed.
• Understanding how the Mental Health Act impacts on your work and the people you are working with
• Demonstrate sound knowledge of commonly prescribed psychiatric medications, side effects and contraindications