Primary Care Mental Health Liaison Practitioner

We are looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.

So what can we offer you in return? We are an organisation which puts people first. We will do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We will help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you will have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

Your development is important to us, so don’t forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.

The Bognor Assessment & Treatment Service is a community mental health team which supports people living with a severe and enduring mental illness. The MHLP team is part of the Bognor Assessment and Treatment Service and work as liaison between the ATS and GP Surgeries. The post holder will work within GP surgeries and will be the liaison and link between primary care and secondary care services.

We are looking for an experienced Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner (Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist and Social Worker) to work within GP Surgeries to provide 6-8 sessions of CBT informed or psycho educational intervention to people with moderate mental health problems. The successful applicant will also be responsible for completing initial assessments and liaising with GPs, IAPT services, local agencies and signposting to third sector services.

Main duties of the job:

• Working autonomously to a defined caseload of clients diagnosed with mild to moderate mental health problems.
• Offering specific interventions such as psycho-education, CBT informed sessions and short term recovery focused interventions.
• Completing initial assessments and working closely with our referrals coordinators, GPs and other agencies.
• Co-facilitating groups if you have an interest in this area.

What you will receive from us:

• A friendly and supportive team that meets regularly to ensure you feel safe and supported.
• Several MDT meetings per week to ensure support is available for complex case discussions.
• Regular managerial supervision and the opportunity to supervise junior staff.
• Access to regular clinical supervision and support from our Community Leads.
• Encouragement to think about your development and career goals, with support to complete further training.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Work as part of the secondary care mental health service, acting as a link clinician to primary care teams.
• Carry out clinical work within primary care settings.
• Work with GPs and primary care teams, specifically colleagues in IAPT, providing support, advice, consultation and shared care for adults presenting with a functional mental illness.
• Assess individuals with complex presentations prior to referral to secondary care.
• Maintain a close working relationship with local secondary care teams.
• Build professional relationships within Primary Care to allow effective development of care pathways.
• Provide comprehensive and accurate information on the role of the Primary Care Mental Health Liaison Practitioner.
• Organise, provide and coordinate formal and informal training to GPs and primary care teams on topics relating to mental health.

Person specification:

• Registered Mental Health qualification or equivalent.
• Post Basic Courses / relevant Study Days.
• Evidence of CPD.
• Experience of clinical work with people with a range of mental health problems.
• Experience of partnership working within various statutory and non-statutory teams and agencies.
• Experience of successfully managing a caseload and prioritising clinical work.
• Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people with a variety of mental health problems.
• Experience of conducting clinical assessments, including risk assessments.

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

For further details or informal visits, please contact Marylinda Gororo, Service Manager on 0300 304 0400 or email marylinda.gororo@spft.nhs.uk.