An exciting opportunity has arisen for a full time enthusiastic, motivated and caring Advanced First Contact Mental Health Practitioner to work within primary care, as part of a growing multi-disciplinary team within Scarborough Core Primary Care Network (SCORE PCN). This role is fundamental to the development and leadership of innovative and integrated mental health services and will join our current adult first contact mental health practitioner to build this team within the PCN.

The SCORE GP practices are working collaboratively so that care is delivered to defined patient populations in a different way to meet the needs of that population. The focus is on prevention & personalisation of care, whilst working together to make the best use of shared resources.

Together with TEWV, SCORE PCN is transforming local community mental health services for people with significant mental health problems. New funding has enabled the PCN to create a multi-disciplinary team, working in close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders. By working co-operatively, SCORE will provide meaningful support for people with mental health difficulties in a way that meets their needs closer to their communities and homes.

NMC Mental Health Nurses, Social Workers (England), HCPC Occupational Therapists encouraged to apply.

Main duties of the job

You will work as an autonomous practitioner and clinical lead within friendly teams of GP's, ANPs, Practice Nurses, and Pharmacists.

You will develop close working relationships and be a valued member of the Primary Care Team.

You will work systemically, forging strong working relationships and collaborating with other professionals, both internal to, and external from, the PCN. Your role will involve offering specialist mental health advice and providing expert clinical care for people with a range of mental health needs, ensuring that those with complex mental illness do not fall between gaps in services.

You will improve access by being an advanced 'first contact mental health worker', undertaking triage, assessments, brief interventions, and reviews. You will contribute networking and navigation expertise, enabling access to a range of appropriate mental health support across the community system. You will ensure that, once assessed, each person receives the best possible care in the right place at the right time by the right supporting service.

About us

As a valued member of our PCN team, you will work across 4 GP Practices: Brook Square Surgery, Castle Health Centre, Haxby Group Scarborough & Eastfield Medical Centre. The PCN looks after the needs of 51,000 people within central Scarborough and the Eastfield area. After the successful introduction of our initial first contact mental health practitioner, we are now expanding the team, by introducing a strategic leadership role to the service. The PCN's population has high deprivation and challenges around the social determinants of health. We further welcome candidates with experience with hard to reach groups and improving health outcomes. You will work in an ambitious but compassionate, friendly team of professionals in various additional roles created to enhance general practice. The successful candidate will be well supported and will work autonomously, having daily responsibility for their clinics.

Job description Job responsibilities

This is a new, exciting and innovative post to support the needs of the local population living with a wide range of mental health difficulties. The role holder will fulfil an advanced first contact specialist mental health role within GP Practices across the Primary Care Network (PCN), seeing patients who would otherwise have traditionally seen a GP. Within the primary care setting, the role holder will work in a collaborative and multi-agency way. This will contribute to the safe and effective day to day operation of the PCN and the efficient and timely management of clinical enquiries and decision-making.

The role will offer expertise in networking and navigation to promote ease of access to a range of specialist mental health support services. This ensures that each person, once assessed, receives the best possible care in the right place at the right time and by the right supporting service.

The post holder will be an effective member of the multi-disciplinary team. They will be professionally accountable and responsible for patient care, undertaking initial assessment with signposting to appropriate services, or providing time-limited psycho-social therapeutic interventions directly, in e.g. GP surgeries, patients homes and other primary care settings. This will include providing clinical advice to GPs such as specialist opinion or prescribing support (within the parameters of the Non-medical prescribing/NMP framework) and providing supervision and oversight of First Contact Mental Health Practitioners.

You will be a non-medical prescriber or be willing to study towards this accreditation. Experience of cognitive behavioural therapy would be advantageous.

We would welcome enthusiastic innovators who are willing to develop this role. Primary Care experience is not essential; however, a good understanding of how Primary Care works would be beneficial. The right candidate will have a strong desire to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients, will display passion and understanding for working with individuals with mental health needs in the community, and have the motivation and flexibility to help develop our services, as the Practices evolve to meet the needs of their population.

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.

Please refer to the job description and person specification for further details.

Please do not hesitate to make contact for further information:

SCORE PCN:

Lucy Artley-Swiers lucy.artley-swiers@nhs.net

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Current professional registration with appropriate body in healthcare or social work - HCPC registration, NMC registration or Social Work England Registration
• Ability to evidence Continuing Professional Development since registration
• Certificate in mentoring, teaching & assessing in clinical practice as appropriate to own profession
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area.
• Recognised sign-off mentor (or equivalent) for students or must be achieved within agreed timescale.
• Clinical Supervisor.

Desirable

• If appropriate to professional registration NMP
• NMP (or willing to work towards within an agreed timescale, if relevant to professional registration).

Experience Essential

• Significant experience of working with people with complex mental health problems in a community setting.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers
• Experience working in primary care
• Demonstrable leadership or management experience in a senior clinical role
• Providing clinical supervision
• Mentoring students on practice placement experience
• Working in a multi-disciplinary team
• Quality improvement activities

Desirable

• Experience working in a multiagency setting.

Knowledge Essential

• Demonstrable knowledge to post-graduate level of evidence-based practice in caring for patients in the designated field.
• Ability to evidence an advanced level of clinical competence in one area of specialty practice
• 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
• Understanding of the physical healthcare needs and impact of patients with a LD or mental health problem
• 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
• Contemporaneous knowledge and understanding of recent health and social care policy guidance and implications on practice
• Clinical Governance and its application in practice.

Skills Essential

• Communicate highly complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers/families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead professional responsibilities.
• Work effectively across complex organisations, pathways and services.
• Demonstrable management and leadership skills.

Personal Attributes Essential

• Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team.
• Able to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances
• 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. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of the service.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

346-NYA-241-22