The Durham and Darlington Perinatal Team is continuing to grow and develop and we are looking for a Senior Mental Health Practitioner as part of our drive to meet the Perinatal Long Term Plan ambitions.

We are seeking a highly motivated mental health nurse, occupational therapist, or social worker with a keen interest in perinatal mental health.You will be a member of a pro-active and forward thinking multi-disciplinary team and be offered opportunities to develop and enhance your skills in this field.

The post holder will be part of a multi-disciplinary Community Perinatal Team, contributing to theeffective provision of Perinatal Mental Health Services to a caseload of pre-conceptual, pregnant,or postnatal women.

The post holder will work as a Monday to Friday 9-5pm. Alongside an active caseload you will also be required to support the duty system in the team which entails managing and prioritising daily enquiries and referrals addressingany identified risk concerns and offering urgent assessments for women if indicated in line with operational policy.

To ensure the delivery of high standards of care, in accordance with evidence basedprofessional practice and trust policies. Work within the multi-disciplinary team, with partners,carers, relatives, other services, and agencies to promote positive mental health and wellbeing ofwomen.

Main duties of the job

Job Summary

• To improve the lives of people with mental ill health by minimising the impact of their condition through the delivery of excellent services to promote recovery and well-being.
• To be compassionate in meeting the needs of patients and their carers.
• To work as part of a community team which may be integrated, working collaboratively and in partnership with local authority services.
• To be professionally accountable and responsible for patient care, undertaking a range of clinical/therapeutic interventions in patients' homes and other community settings.
• To act as lead professional or care co-ordinator as appropriate.
• To promote social inclusion, community access and participation through the provision of patient care.
• To facilitate others in the team to develop competence by providing leadership, day to day supervision, clinical advice and clinical supervision to registered healthcare professionals as appropriate, associate practitioners, community support workers and students.
• To be committed to and take a lead role in activities integral to the Trust's Quality Improvement System.
• To always promote a positive image of people with mental ill health.
• To always promote a positive image of the Adult Mental Health Service and the wider Trust.

About us

We seek highly motivated individuals who are open to learning & developing their skills in perinatal mental health with a comprehensive induction, ongoing development within the post from existing members of the team & other professionals. The wider Perinatal Service supports Continuous Professional Development with outside speakers & team members who bring relevant learning & case discussion.

Team members are also expected to provide maternal mental health awareness training to Midwives & Health Visitors & Mental Health colleagues. Our work can be challenging & requires excellent risk management skills & a knowledge of safeguarding protocols ensuring thoughtfulness of the unborn & other children in the family at all times.

We are an aspirational service & actively encourage innovation; joining the wider Perinatal Services and we also continue to develop our links with Mother & Baby Units across the country.

Be the best you can be - bring your skills, re-set your work life balance and come & work in TEWV.

Job description Job responsibilities

You will have experience of assessing and managing service users within the community and be experienced in delivering psychological wellbeing interventions. The post holder must have excellent communication skills, be able to act on their own initiative and have a knowledge of safeguarding procedures. You must be able to work flexibly within a challenging environment.

Due to the nature of the role it is essential that applicants are able to travel independently across the locality and have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes. If necessary, adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Communication and working relationship skills

• Contribute to the teams engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including women and their families, their partners, carers and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies.
• Impart complex and sensitive information to:
• Women and their families/carers re: assessment, care planning, treatment and review.
• Primary care teams regarding womens care.
• Multidisciplinary teams within maternity services and TEWV to ensure the provision of consistent co-ordinated care. External agencies also involved in the provision of care and support eg: voluntary and private sector, police, social services, housing, Childrens Centres etc
• Relevant community groups.
• Liaise with a wide range of other professionals and agencies.
• Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service including the
• handling of clinical enquires.
• Present information some of which may be contentious to women and their
• families/carers.
• Ensure equality of access to services for all women paying particular attention to diversity
• issues and women from hard-to-reach groups.

Analytical and Judgment Skills

• Make evidence based clinical decisions with sound judgement.
• Be able to analyse information to reach clinical decisions.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Attend management and professional meetings as directed by their line manager.
• Managing and co-ordinating duty workload in collaboration with the needs of women and their families, the wider needs of the service and referring agencies.
• Plan and organise case conferences liaising with other agencies as required to meet the needs of women and their families
• Ensure that interventions are delivered in an integrated and co-ordinated manner particularly where dependent on other external agencies.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

• Maintain a caseload of appropriate clients.
• Responsible for developing time limited care packages including assessing, planning,intervention and evaluation. Ensuring active involvement of women and their families
• Engage in triaging referrals by reviewing and advising on eligibility criteria.
• Provide specialist advice to referrers/other multi-disciplinary staff in relation to the care ofthe client.
• Participate in all aspects of safeguarding including safeguarding children training.
• Practice in a way that actively minimises dependency and promotes recovery.
• Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable for ofwomen and their families, working to the principles of the functions policy implementationguidelines and practice in line with the standards and values set out in them.
• Contribute to the development of standards for the perinatal mental health service
• Aim to uphold the principles and approach of CPA, whether people are formally in CPAor not.
• Work co-operatively with colleagues including accepting staff recent assessment of theclient, if the client is transferred to them, to minimise the disruption to the client.
• Ensure a duty of care to your patients and clients, who are entitled to receive safe andcompetent care.
• Womens wishes, feelings, values and beliefs should be taken into consideration as wellas the views of the people close to them.
• Take personal accountability for your own practice. This means that you are answerablefor your actions and omissions, regardless of advice or directions from anotherprofessional.
• Ensure that you remain professionally competent by participating in your own and othersclinical supervision.
• Deliver psychological interventions with relevant training and clinical supervision whererelevant to the role.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Participate in programmes of audit and research within the team and implement thefindings.
• Contribute to professional clinical governance arrangements to ensure thequality of the service provided.
• Participate in the development of Perinatal Mental Health Services.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• Responsible for care of own equipment.
• Where appropriate handles or processes cash or patients valuables.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice andManagement

• Provide clinical supervision for qualified staff.
• Periodically co-ordinate the activity of the team and facilitate handover meetings.
• Mentor students allocated to the team.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

• Maintain up to date client records in a timely and accurate manner

Responsibility for Research and Development

• Contribute to the research developments within the Perinatal Service.

Freedom to Act

• Clinical practice is guided by the Community Perinatal Standard Operating Procedures.
• Participate in the Quality Review of Clinical Records.

Additional contact details

Laura Wilkinson - 0191 4510400 - laura.wilkinson4@nhs.net

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Current professional registration with an approved professional body.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• For registered nurses: MIP, FLIP, ENB 998 Teaching & Assessing in Clinical Practice or City & Guilds 730 Teaching in Adult Education. Must be achieved within agreed timescale.
• Recognised sign-off mentor, clinical educator or equivalent. Must be achieved within agreed timescale.
• Key skills in literacy, numeracy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)

Desirable

• Leadership or management qualification
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area

Experience Essential

• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a care environment.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers.
• Providing clinical supervision to individuals or groups as professionally appropriate.
• Mentoring or facilitating students on practice placement.

Desirable

• Leadership or management experience
• Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community environment.

Knowledge Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge to post-graduate level of evidence-based practice in caring for patients in the designated field.
• Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).
• Care Programme Approach and its application in practice.
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

346-DDA-233-22