Advanced Mental Health Practitioner Telephone Duty Service

Job overview

Interviews will be held on 14 May 2024.

Based in our Reading hub, you will work as part of the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team supporting patients in the community to avoid hospital admission. The post holder will be involved in the effective delivery of care and smooth running of our triage service. You will be responsible for providing the continued clinical advice, training and supervision of junior staff operating within a multidisciplinary team providing care for those patients who are in a mental health crisis and require intensive home treatment and support without which they would likely require admission to Hospital. With experience working within Mental Health as senior clinician you will enjoy working as part of a large team and thrive in a busy fast paced environment. The post holder will be part of a shift pattern, ensuring that the telephone duty service has a 24hours staffing coverage.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for the effective delivery and quality of care standards for a sub-division of service or for the delivery of specialist services across an organizational and geographical area.

To safely triage referrals coming into the service and attend to walk-ins, where applicable.

To maintain and develop relationships with professionals external to the area of service, service users and their significant others (where appropriate) within area of service/specialism.

To ensure services are delivered in a manner that is appropriate, relevant and respectful to all community members, recognising the diversity of ethnicity, culture, belief, privilege and capacity of service users and carers.

Effectively manage highly complex and sensitive situations and condition related information regarding diagnosis and prognosis to service users, other professionals and external agencies, where there may be barriers to understanding or a hostile and antagonistic working environment.

To line manage a team of staff and students from both Health and Social Care, undertaking annual appraisals, PDP’s and proactively supporting the development review cycle, the progression of personal performance and achievement of objectives, including career aspirations within the Trust and Partner Organisations processes.

Working for our organisation

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire.

We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer.We work hard to create an inclusive environment where you’ll be supported by friendly and professional colleagues to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare:

Caring for and about you is our top priority

Committed to providing good quality, safe services

Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.

Benefits of working for us include:

Flexible working options to support work-life balance.

27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell

Generous NHS pension scheme

Excellent learning and career development opportunities

‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme

Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services

Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants

Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities and armed forces community to support equality

Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave.

Free parking across Trust sites

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The “must haves” for this role:

Degree in health/social care or equivalent qualification/experience with professional registration

Experience of clinically supervising junior and unqualified staff and mentoring students

Experience of working effectively in and leading a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment

Experience working in a very busy and fast paced mental health setting, preferably also with a risk triage experience.

Effective and competent interpersonal, influencing, communication, observation and reporting skills

If you recognise yourself in these requirements, we recommend you apply today!

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. For further application tips – see the help with your application document attached once you click apply.

If you’re someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, you belong at Berkshire Healthcare!

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

Essential criteria

Degree in health/social care or equivalent qualification/experience

Continuous Professional Development

Essential criteria

Registered Mental Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Allied Health Professional or Social Worker whereby the person is licensed to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care for patients with mental health problems.

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment

Experience of working in a busy mental health crisis triage setting or similar

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

Excellent knowledge and understanding of the health and social care systems and operating frameworks, clinical observations and the Mental Health Act

Previous knowledge and experience of working in a care environment and with service users who have complex mental health needs

Effective and competent interpersonal, influencing, communication, observation and reporting skills

Strong organisational skills and the ability to analyse situations and be able to make the right decisions

Able to empathise, be supportive and sensitive to the needs of others as well as being able to cope with distressing circumstances

Ability to cope in a pressurised environment and apply practical problem solving skills in everyday situations

Competent IT skills and the ability to navigate around various systems and software packages (such as outlook, databases, MS office and the internet)

Able to work flexibly on a shift pattern as required and the ability to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements of the position

Ability to work effectively in a team, work on own initiative, work unsupervised and manage own workload.

Desirable criteria

Specialist knowledge acquired through training in a specialised discipline

Additional Requirements

Essential criteria

Ability to travel to multiple sites

Manage difficult situations with service users that have complex mental health conditions and challenging behaviours

Berkshire Healthcare helps people manage their health in their local area, through a range of specialist and community services across the county. We promote independence and quality of life through community and mental health services and aim for seamless delivery of the best care in the right place. We get to know communities and the people in them so we can deliver the best services that meet their health needs.

Our team of 4,300 staff provide specialist mental health and community health services to a population of around 900,000 within Berkshire. We provide healthcare to people in their own homes and from different sites across the county.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.

Appointment to any position is conditional on the satisfactory completion of the core NHS Employment Checks Standards. Information disclosed in your application will be checked and any offer of appointment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information or provide false or misleading information.

Please ensure your application is submitted with a valid email address for your referees in order to minimise delays in the recruitment process. Short-listed applicants will be contacted by email, therefore applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly.

Applicants are advised that as a result of the high level of response we receive for some of our vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date.

Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke free environment. A smoke free policy is in operation and smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust’s sites.

NO AGENCIES TO CONTACT BERKSHIRE HEALTHCARE DIRECTLY PLEASE

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