This position is an exciting and innovative role, which will help to provide mental health support to Primary Care Networks in Knowsley.
You will primarily work in primary care but also work across the interface between Primary Care and Mental Health Services to provide advice, support and assessment to the Local Primary Care Teams, Service Users and Carers.
The role aims to improve the experience for our patients with mental health needs who would otherwise have seen a GP and the post holder will see new presentations of primary care mental health problems.
To be based within a number of GP practices across Knowsley South & Central, supporting Primary Mental Health Care, with experienced nursing screening and assessment skills, being able to signpost to communities, safeguard, raise risks and refer into secondary care when required.
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Clinical
To provide a safe and effective day to day operation of the service, including the handling of clinical enquiries. The role holder may be required to undertake telephone triage screening assessments in order to assess the level of risk/priority with that patient, so they can be treated, signposted, or referred on to agencies as appropriate.
To undertake assessments of individual client’s difficulties, establishing risk and determining the appropriate course of action taking into consideration all possible options. The relationship should adopt a ‘partnership approach’, engaging service users in the positive management of their health and wellbeing.
Work with patients in order to support adherence to prescribed treatments, monitoring mental health medication, taking into consideration interactions with physical needs.
To maintain an individual case load providing short term interventions and support, under the guidance of the GP and ensure that the caseload is well managed, and care and treatment is provided in line with practice standards.
Provide and receive information, some of which may be contentious, sensitive, and complex to and from individuals and their families/carers and actively support as appropriate.
To collate and organise contemporaneous information about opportunities and resources in the local area which may be of benefit to clients referred to the service (e.g. voluntary and community organisations, educational and recreational opportunities). Facilitate ‘sign posting’ to other appropriate services and occasionally undertake very short-term interventions for clients with mild to moderate mental health difficulties
To evaluate outcomes and maintain accurate clinical data.
Have an awareness of your own clinical competencies, knowledge base and experience and ensure that you practice within this and seek support as required.
To understand and process Quality Outcome Framework data.
Undertake joint assessment work (as required) with PCN colleagues.
Offer advice to or obtain advice for the Primary Care Team on appropriate interventions and on-going Service User care management.
Ensure systems/ pathways are in place to enable smooth transition between primary care and secondary mental health services.
Regularly be involved in quality improvement activity/audit/significant event review and clinical meetings.
Clinical Partnership
Support the establishment of partnerships and networks with key stakeholders across the PCN/ secondary mental health care system.
Develop links and foster a culture of ‘partnership’ between Primary Care Teams and Mental Health Services.
Facilitate joint work with PCN, Secondary Care providers and Voluntary Sector (VCSO) to increase range of services / interventions available to the communities.
Attend PCN meetings and work with PCN members to develop and implement joint governance and clinical forums.

Please refer the Job description for details