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Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner

Employer
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
Location
Winchester
Salary
£33,706 to £40,588 a year
Closing date
31 Mar 2023

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We are excited to be offering 2 Band 6 Community Mental Health Practitioner posts within the Mid and North Hampshire Perinatal team (This covers Winchester, Andover, Basingstoke, and Northeast Hampshire and Farnham) These posts are for Basingstoke and Andover and Winchester area. The teams current base is Melbury Lodge in Winchester but as the team have expanded in geography over recent years we are imminently transitioning to a Hub and Spoke model. Therefore the mid and north team will have sub locality base near to the geographical area outlined above(this is likely to be Alton or Basingstoke area).

The Hampshire and IOW Perinatal Community Mental Health Team provides mental health support and services for women and their families during pregnancy and up to 24 months after birth. The team prioritises women with moderate to severe and complex mental health needs. The service also provides consultation for advice, information and signposting for women/birthing people with a less severe mental illness in the perinatal period to primary care providers including GP's Health visitors and maternity services as well as the women/birthing people themselves.

In addition to above as a specialist service we offer an excellent induction and ongoing training package; upskilling clinicians to have perinatal expertise regarding perinatal mental health conditions, risks and relapse factors, and to hold a robust knowledge base on infant mental health, development and attachment and bonding.

Main duties of the job

The role of the Perinatal Community mental health practitioner will be to undertake comprehensive assessments, manage a complex caseload of service users, provide practical advice and support including family work, psychological interventions and overseeing any safeguarding issues -- adult and child protection. They will also monitor medication management and concordance and monitor their effects. Coordinating and care planning the multidisciplinary interventions available to a women will be crucial and ensuring a patient led care plan is in place.

The successful post holder will be part of an innovative service providing specialist assessment, support and treatment for women/birthing people and their families. The service is an early implementer site in developing a Maternity mental health service and has close links with IAPT services with the aim of ensuring a clear pathway for women/birthing people in terms of their health and wellbeing during the antenatal and postnatal period.

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

The Perinatal community practitioner is pivotal role in assessing, planning and coordinating women's care whilst under the service; working alongside a multidisciplinary team of Psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, social worker, Nursery nurses, Peer support workers and Carers Peer support.

Provide specialist advice/support to professionals and mothers regarding safe medication usage in pregnancy and whilst breast feeding.

Demonstrate a commitment to offering mothers with perinatal illness choices in dealing with their illnesses including a range of therapeutic interventions e.g. Compassion focussed therapy, Emotional coping skills, Cognitive behavioural therapy, and EMDR.

Develop and maintain clinical skills necessary for caring for women within the agreed service criteria through a variety of learning opportunities and provide evidence of clinical competence through maintaining a professional/personal portfolio.

Refer clients on to other statutory and voluntary agencies when assessed as necessary e.g. signposting to IAPT or referring to Maternity mental health service.

Assess the impact of a parent's mental Illness on baby and older siblings within the individual household, notifying relevant agencies of concerns if appropriate.

Report any areas of concern regarding child protection issues and attend multi agency case conferences and child protection conferences when necessary in conjunction with utilising the expertise and support of the team's social worker.

The Perinatal community practitioner will attend, participate and in some cases lead clinical/patient related meetings such as professionals meetings, CPA, and MDT.

To assess partners/fathers mental health needs where screening has highlighted unmet wellbeing/mental health needs and signpost appropriately where needed working closely with Carers Peer support workers.

To evaluate patient progress and alter treatment programmes as and when appropriate.

To involve patients in goals and treatment proposals. To gain valid informed consent. To work within the legal framework with patients who lack capacity for informed consent or are subject to the Mental Health Act.

To develop comprehensive discharge and contingency plans with relevant professionals to arrange on-going care.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential
  • Minimum requirement of two years post basic training,
  • Holding an RMN qualification/ Diploma or degree in Occupational Therapy/ Certificate of qualification in Social Work/ or Diploma or Degree in Social Work. E.g. DipSW , Ba Social work.
  • Previous experience in a relevant Adult Mental Health
  • Service community setting with care coordinator experience.
  • Evidence of Mentorship training related to professional background or commitment to undertaking this.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the needs of women suffering from perinatal mental illness through evidence of ongoing formal training.
  • Evidence of a detailed understanding of the Care Co-ordination process.
  • Evidence of working in a multi-disciplinary team
  • Evidence of working closely with other agencies e.g. Children and Families Teams within statutory agencies, primary care teams and organisations within the voluntary sector.
  • Evidence of commitment to quality improvement in own clinical area and/or service provision.
  • Evidence of commitment to the principles of user/carer empowerment.
  • Post-basic professional development/portfolio evidence
  • Drivers licence Use of suitable transport in order to carry out the job of community nursing within a rural and urban geographical area. Full driving licence if driving own vehicle.


Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

348-SW-C-1209B

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