We are looking for an innovative, motivated and compassionate mental health professional to join the Mental Health Liaison Team (MHLT) within Queen Alexandra Hospital (QAH), Portsmouth. We have developed a new Senior OPMH role to complement the existing senior leadership team within the service. The primary function of this role is to work as a highly experienced OPMH Practitioner with patients admitted to QAH who have complex mental and physical health needs. You will be an important figure in advocating for patients and promoting parity of esteem between mental and physical health within the acute setting.

Clinical supervision and the delivery of training and development opportunities for MHLT practitioners and health care support workers will be an essential part of the role, to ensure they have the skills and knowledge required to practice effectively.

In addition to clinical practice the post holder will take the lead in coordinating the day to day clinical work of the OPMH part of the service. Having oversight of referrals being received, then prioritising and delegating work to colleagues based on clinical need and risk. In the absence of the Mental Health Liaison Team Leader the post holder will be expected to deputise on their behalf and ensure the smooth running of the service from an operational perspective, for example ensuring staffing meets the minimum requirements for safe practice.

Please see the attached Job Description for further details.

Main duties of the job

The primary function of this role is to work as a highly experienced Older Persons Mental Health Practitioner with patients admitted to QAH who have complex mental and physical health needs.

The post-holder will be responsible for ensuring all those who are admitted to a ward for physical health care with additional mental health needs, receive timely and appropriate care during their stay in QAH.

Liaising with carers, family members or significant others involved in the patient's lives will be an essential part of the role. Ensuring they are given the opportunity to have their thoughts and views heard and providing them with the support they need to be actively involved with their care.

Working with our colleagues in QAH to improve patient experience will be a core function of the role. Promoting parity of esteem between physical and mental health problems and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health problems.

To deliver evidence-based interventions in line with NICE guidelines. The post-holder must also have a robust understanding of risk and be able to implement patient-focused risk management plans in an acute general hospital.

The post-holder will function as a fully integrated member of the service's multi-disciplinary team, supporting consistent achievement of the service's standards and aims, through their own individual practice and participation in quality improvement initiatives.

About us

Are you committed to providing remarkable care and service?

Are you passionate about helping people and want to make a difference every day?

We want to meet you!

Southern Health is one of the largest Foundation Trusts in the UK, specialising in mental health, adult and child community health and learning disabilities. We are committed to promoting the welfare and safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk of abuse and neglect through our 6,500 strong workforce.

Southern Health has over 300 sites across the county and we serve 1.5 million people throughout all stages of their lives. Our aim is to work alongside the people we support (and our health and care partners) to deliver the best possible care and constantly improve.

Here at SHFT we have so much to be proud of:

• Working as a team and supporting each other, we put patients and our staff at the heart of everything we do.
• We have a skilled and diverse workforce and are committed to our staff development, offering bespoke training packages, leadership pathways and career opportunities.
• We offer a variety of benefits such as an amazing pension scheme, generous annual leave, Childcare Choices scheme, many discounts (Blue Light card, The Company Shop, NHS Staff Discounts, cycle to work scheme) and much more.

Come to work with us, together we will provide outstanding treatment and care to improve lives.

Job description Job responsibilities

Acting as a senior clinician within the MHLT taking a lead on the coordination and allocation of referrals for OPMH patients made to our team from QAH wards.

Providing clinical supervision to B6 and B5 practitioners within the service.

Undertaking assessments of patients with complex mental and physical health needs and developing treatment and care plans for those patients whilst they remain in QAH.

Promoting and devising risk management plans for patients during their stay, and communicating these plans to ward staff and providing support to ensure they are implemented.

To liaise effectively with services and service providers both inside and outside of the organisation to enhance patient care and develop appropriate discharge plans.

Representing MHLT at meetings relevant to the functions of our service, within and outside of the organisation for example the Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust Mental Health Operational Group, Southern Health Joint Liaison Working Group and SHFT OPMH Transformation Meetings.

To ensure that all communication takes place in a manner that is consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.

In times of extreme demand on the service, and/or staffing shortages the post holder will be expected to provide cover for the core functions of the liaison service.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Appropriate relevant professional qualification.
• Masters or Additional post-graduate qualification related to mental health care or equivalent experience.
• e.g. Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, with appropriate registration
• Evidence of other development and/or training which indicates a commitment to continuous development and preparation for practice at a senior level.

Desirable

• Quality improvement, management, research or leadership qualification and/or training
• Psychological therapy qualification or training.
• Dual qualification eg RGN/RMN
• Qualification in the delivery of training to adult learners

Experience Essential

• Significant post-qualification experience in mental health service.
• Experience working within older persons mental health care; of assessing and managing complex physical and mental health problems, both functional and organic in nature.
• Experience of working with dementia, recognising through assessment the different aetiologies and appropriate treatment options.
• Experience of working with delirium, ability to recognise the signs and symptoms, how to rule it out, and treatment options in the acute settling.
• Experience of managing acute risk in the context of mental illness and psychological distress.
• Experience of making autonomous decisions regarding discharge, sign-posting and admission of service users following a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of risk.
• Experience of working with service users with harmful use of illicit substances and alcohol.
• Experience of conducting audits and service evaluations .
• Experience of service development, Quality Improvement and leading change.
• Experience of promoting and maintaining high standards of professionalism and of supervising junior colleagues.
• Experience of teaching or delivering training.

Desirable

• Experience of working with specific diagnoses of Personality Disorder, both in assessment and treatment of.
• Experience of assessing and risk-managing violent self-harm.
• Experience of presenting data for service development.
• Experience at working at Band 6 level or above within liaison psychiatry or a community mental health service.
• Experience of managing or leading a team / colleagues.
• Experience of working in an acute general hospital
• Experience of working with patients with Eating Disorders

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

348-PSE-I-1057A