Band 6 Mental Health Liaison Practitioner - Long Fox Unit

at  Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

The Mental Health Liaison Team provides a comprehensive service to patients/service users, carers and clinical colleagues based within the Weston General Hospital.
Offering an assessment service to patients presenting with a range of undifferentiated mental health and psychological problems, and psychiatric illness.
Providing a mental health consultation liaison and advice service.
Delivering a range of nursing and psychosocial interventions to individual patients and their families, as appropriate.
Assisting and supporting general hospital colleagues in making decisions about treatment and care in complex situations.
Providing formal and informal education and clinical supervision to registered and unregistered staff.
Representing mental health services within the general hospital.
Providing a communication structure between the general hospital, secondary mental health services, primary care and non-statutory services, as a means of ensuring the highest possible standards of patient care.
This post is open to newly qualified social workers. In line with AWP trust policy all newly qualified social workers (NQSW) will be recruited initially at Band 5 level, regardless of advertised role banding. All NQSW’s are expected to successfully complete their ASYE within 2 years of employment, unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case it may be extended for a further 2 years.
If you have been appointed to an advertised Band 6 role this will be an automatic progression, following confirmation of your successful ASYE completion. If you have been appointed to a Band 5 post you will then be eligible to apply for a subsequent Band 6 vacancy upon successful ASYE completion.
We are looking to appoint a motivated Mental Health Practitioner to join our established Mental Health Liaison Team at Weston General Hospital.
You will have excellent communication skills, be able to work autonomously, and have an interest in supporting those experiencing both physical and mental health needs.
In order to promote the early detection and identification of mental health symptoms you will be required to provide training and education to healthcare staff within the acute hospital and offer information and management advice on mental health presentations, define pathways and offer signposting .
We recognise the value of having good working relationships and open lines of communication with our partners in the general hospital and the role incorporates building on these working relationships.
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Liaison and Consultation
Be responsible for the full assessment of care needs of patients presenting with a range of undifferentiated mental health and psychological problems. As a result of this assessment, you will be responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, without direct supervision.
Provide a comprehensive consultation-liaison service to clinical teams, assisting them to formulate appropriate plans of care and make decisions in cases where patients may be exhibiting complex needs and/or challenging behaviours.
Initiate and participate in the teaching and educational programmes of all grades of nursing and non-nursing staff. You will also provide teaching and develop learning opportunities for pre and post-registration nursing students.
When appropriate, maintain a small caseload of patients, providing a broad range of treatments and clinical interventions, as appropriate to the individual’s needs.
Be responsible for participating in specific clinical projects and undertake all the necessary work to complete these, including facilitating meetings, liaising and/or negotiating with other staff.
Participate fully in appropriate quality assurance initiatives, with the emphasis on developing patient/service user-focused services.
Promote a positive attitude and encourage a supportive culture in relation to mental health and psychiatric illness across the general hospital.
Clinical Practice
Utilise a range of clinical skills appropriate to the individual patient’s needs and the clinical setting in which they are being cared for.
Undertake specialist psychosocial assessments with patients presenting following an episode of self-harm.
Prompt referral on to secondary mental health services, social services and voluntary groups, as appropriate.
Flexible, needs-based follow-up of individuals who require assessment following an earlier attendance after an episode of self-harm.
Concise, effective liaison and feedback to clinical staff within the general hospital regarding advice on appropriate management strategies for individuals referred.
Utilise a range of follow-up options and sources of help and support for patients, as appropriate.
Effective liaison and communication with patients, relatives, carers, primary health care and secondary mental health services.
Role model clinical excellence and high standards of nursing practice to other staff.
Demonstrate and apply a sound understanding of the legal and ethical issues in caring for people with mental health problems. In particular, demonstrate a sound understanding of the application of the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act and their use within a non-mental health setting.
Management
Following negotiation, take responsibility for agreed clinical and managerial projects associated with the provision of the Mental Health Liaison Service.
In the absence of the clinical team leader, take responsibility for the overall management of the service, to the agreed local and professional standards.
Ensure the promotion of the health and safety, well-being and interests of patients, staff and visitors that come into contact with the service and its environs.
At all times practice within the boundaries of the NMC The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives.
Supervise, monitor and appraise the performance of registered and unregistered staff within sphere of responsibility.
The post-holder will be designated to regularly take charge of the clinical service in the absence of the person who has continuing responsibility.
You may also be required to undertake a range of management duties in the absence of, or at the request of, the designated team leader.
Audit and evaluation
Participate in appropriate audit projects, including data collection, as a means of contributing to the ongoing evaluation and audit of the Mental Health Liaison Service.
Education
Actively participate in the identification of own learning and education needs and demonstrate achievement against personal development plans (PDPs).
Participate in the mentoring and education of a range of students placed with the team.
Act as a mentor and preceptor, when appropriate.
Participate in the planning, development and delivery of multi-professional education programmes and training sessions for a range of clinical and managerial staff.
Provide clinical supervision to colleagues and students, as required.
Clinical governance
Promote and encourage user and carer feedback regarding the service.
Participate in and undertake appraisal and clinical supervision.
Adhere to relevant trust health and safety and clinical policies as appropriate

Please refer the Job description for details