Sequoia provides evidence-based interventions for people with Complex Emotional Needs and Personality Difficulties across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. We offer Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) informed groups, psych-education courses and peer support groups. All interventions are delivered both online and in person and staff work in a hybrid way, between home and locations within our communities, across BNSSG.
We are looking for someone who is either an MBT practitioner or someone who has completed some training in MBT. If you have practice experience but no formal training, then please contact us as we have the budget to train people further. We will build in time within your job to join an established MBT service and deliver full programme MBT as well as the shorter MBT informed intervention which we deliver within Sequoia.
We have good supervision structures and pride ourselves on being inclusive both in our team and for the people we serve. It is exciting to work in a newly developing service that is based on a test and learn approach and so we are looking for someone who is keen to help shape the service as it grows. We aim to deliver well organised services, so alongside your other skills we highly value people who are organised and have good attention to detail.
You will be responsible for the oversight of MBT informed interventions; keeping an overview of triage referrals, support conversations (assessments) and post group reviews as well as, of course, running the groups. There is an existing programme of 14 sessions designed and ready to be delivered. You will be working alongside the Clinical Lead to fine tune and improve the MBT branch of the service including looking at feedback and data to identify changes which need to be made. You will be the ‘go-to’ person in the service for MBT and help with supporting staff working alongside you as well as those external to Sequoia. There will be an ongoing specialist MBT supervision available to you to help guide the development of this aspect of the service.
You will also be involved in other parts of the service outside of MBT and have the opportunity to help with the design, implementation and improvement of the service as a whole. You will be supporting the day to day running of a service with a large caseload of people with mild to moderate complex emotional needs, inclusive of personality disorders.
Whilst the focus of the service is delivering group interventions, you will also offer people support conversations (the new terminology for assessments). People have support conversations at the beginning of their journey with Sequoia, throughout if necessary and a review at the end.
Sequoia is a brand new AWP service - please see the service summary attached to the job advert.
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.

TRAINING/EDUCATION/RESEARCH:

Provide training around working with people with CEN to a range of mental health professionals from a range of backgrounds (including experienced clinicians as well as unqualified staff) Provide training to professionals from other agencies as requested (e.g. housing).
Contribute to the learning and skills development of pre and post registration/qualification students, trainees, novice practitioners and new team members.
Undertaking MBT Basic and Practitioner training, if not already completed and work towards practitioner status linking with existing trust MBT services.
Maintain awareness of relevant developments in MBT and in thinking about working with people with CEN, including research, theory and best practice guidelines. Dissemination to clinical and management colleagues as needed.
The post-holder will contribute to evaluation of aspects of the service. This will include agreeing and using appropriate outcome measures, data input and analysis with appropriate supervision.
Keep up to date with statutory and mandatory training and maintain appropriate continuing professional development activities.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

As a member of the AWP BNSSG Sequoia, the post holder will provide a high quality service to people suffering from complex mental health problems, in particular people with complex emotional needs (CEN/PD) associated with the diagnosis of Personality Disorder, such as attachment, interpersonal difficulties and emotional intensity. This will include specialist assessment to determine the most appropriate treatment.
The post-holder will work closely with both internal and external stakeholders in the ongoing development of the service.
The delivery of group and individual treatments.
The caseload will include people with significant complexity and risk.
Provide specialist supervision and consultation for mental health professionals working with people with CEN/PD as required.
Comply with their profession’s regulatory requirements, ethics and code of conduct.
Work within AWP’s policies to manage care pathways and risk.
Work within AWP’s procedures for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults.
Participate in regular clinical supervision.
Demonstrate in clinical practice their respect for the experience of the people accessing our service.
Contribute towards the local clinical framework e.g. care programme approach (CPA)/Your conversation, your team, your plan, including taking on care coordination/key working responsibilities as needed.

CLINICAL ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Keep appropriate electronic records of clinical interventions.
Provide appropriate data reporting on clinical activity.
Complete clinical administrative responsibilities needed for the appropriate clinical frameworks e.g. CPA.