Team Lead - Talking Therapies | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Widnes

This advert is for the post of Team Leader within Talking Therapies (previously known as IAPT). The post-holder will deputise for the Clinical Team Manager and will:

• Support the development of staff within a high-pressured environment.
• Hold a reduced caseload where required and deliver evidence-based interventions to clients.
• Be familiar with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and be committed to equal opportunities.
• Develop, support and deliver training in innovative practice to staff.
• Raise awareness of the service with colleagues from external statutory and non-statutory organisations.
• Take a lead role in a key area of service development which may include focus on KPIs; Perinatal; Long Term Health Conditions (LTHCs); Older Adults; BAME / Diversity; LGBTQI+ etc. in line with service, trust, and national focus.
• Support the development of links with Primary Care, Secondary Care, GPs and service users in non-statutory organisations, especially services supporting minority groups.
• Provide line management and PACE/annual performance reviews.
• Support staff and the service to achieve key performance indicator targets.
• Contribute to Leadership and Team meetings.
• Support the service in improving the quality of service provision.
• Support with complaint resolution.

The post holder will have direct line management responsibilities for staff, and will sit under the Clinical Team Manager.

Clinical: Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the service referral protocols, and refer appropriate clients on to the relevant part of the service or to external services. Ensure the appropriate formulation and implementation of NICE approved specialist psychological treatment occurs within the service, based on current guidance. Ensure psychologically based risk assessments and risk management plans are implemented in the service.

Managerial/Leadership: Contribute to the ongoing development of the service, ensuring that a range of interventions are available in line with the current evidence-base, providing an effective and efficient service, demonstrated by the achievement of KPIs. Provide one-to-one Line Management in line with service policies. Ensure staff receive appraisals and associated training in line with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Policy. Manage HR issues within the service. Support staff and the service with performance elements. Keep all relevant records and information pertaining to area of responsibility and report information, where necessary, to your line manager, whilst working within the agreed administration procedures.

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. 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. Please note: Evening work is likely to be required.

Professional:

• Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating body, and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the department of health (e.g. IAPT/Talking Therapies, NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence).
• Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times.
• Be aware of, and keep up to date with advances in the spheres of treatment for common mental health problems.
• Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with management on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.
• Attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with Manager.
• Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.
• Attend relevant conferences/workshops in line with identified professional objectives.
• Contribute to the development of best practice within the service.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health and Primary Care Services.
• All employees have a duty and responsibility for their own health and safety and the health and safety of colleagues, patients and the general public.
• All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the Data Protection Act (1998) and Security and Confidentiality Policies.
• It is the responsibility of all staff that they do not abuse their official position for personal gain, to seek advantage of further private business or other interests in the course of their official duties.
• This Job Description does not provide an exhaustive list of duties and may be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder in light of service development.
• Ensure staff’s adherence to an agreed weekly clinical activity contract in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible.
• Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
• Ensure coherent records are kept of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
• Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.
• Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the overall therapy process.

General:

• Actively promote a positive image of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.
• Actively promote mental health issues positively.
• Ensure good communications both within Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and external agencies.
• Attend all supervision sessions or notified meetings where relevant.
• Attend all mandatory training sessions.

Line management responsibilities:

• Promote and demonstrate a pro-active management and leadership style to all staff within area of responsibility to ensure good working practices.
• Ensure and demonstrate that all legal and contractual requirements in relation to all staff are adhered to in accordance with agreed procedures and good practice.
• Ensure and demonstrate that all training needs are identified, met and updated with all relevant changes and practices, and within budget.
• Support in the recruitment and performance review of staff within area of responsibility in accordance with agreed HR, financial and other procedures, including appropriate staff induction and orientation to the service.
• Attend leadership meetings to help ensure information is effectively cascaded to staff; taking part in discussions; as well as highlighting any emerging issues that need to be considered or escalated.
• Participate in quality assurance checks – of practitioner notes and other clinical activity.
• Manage HR issues within the service, liaising with the Clinical Team Manager / Operational Services Manager, and appropriate Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust central offices e.g. HR.
• Support staff and the service with performance elements – including monitoring staff’s booked appointments/productivity and looking at recovery rates using reports.

Communication & Administration:

• Keep all relevant records and information pertaining to area of responsibility and report information, where necessary, to your line manager, whilst working within the agreed administration procedures.

All post holders will agree to:

• Commit to the vision of supporting Mersey Care in becoming a leading organisation in the provision of community services, mental health care, addiction services and learning disability care, and in doing so fully utilise their skills and experience to support the objectives of the Trust.
• Role model the values of the Trust – Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Respectfulness, Enthusiasm and Support – in all activities and interactions with employees, service users and other stakeholders.
• Challenge the stigma associated with mental health and learning difficulties.
• Comply with the Duty of Candour, defined by Francis as: 'The volunteering of all relevant information to persons who have or may have been harmed by the provision of services, whether or not the information has been requested and whether or not a complaint or a report about that provision has been made.'
• Work across professional and organisational boundaries to improve services for all.
• Maintain their specific knowledge base and develop new skills.
• Value the contribution of the patient/service user voice.
• Operate within any organisational codes of practice or those from a relevant professional body.
• Respect equality and diversity across all areas of working practice and communications with staff, service users and other stakeholders.
• Take responsibility for the accurate and timely collection and recording of data and ensuring all personally identifiable information is protected and used only for the purposes for which it was intended.
• Comply with all health and safety legislation and local policies and procedures.
• Adhere to all organisational policies.
• Have knowledge and understanding of technology in the workplace which is sufficient to maintain their efficiency and also how technology can empower service users in a digital environment.
• Comply with the NHS Constitution in relation to the staff responsibilities that it sets out for NHS employees.
• Attend a one day Just and Learning & Civility and Respect training workshop.
• Be an ambassador for Just & Learning and Civility & Respect following the training.
• Positively advocate the just and learning culture within your team.
• Support their team/services to create a positive environment for Just and Learning Culture.
• Participate in Just and Learning Culture events.
• Bring Just and Learning Culture updates/information to the attention of team members and other MCT colleagues they work with.
• Support and encourage the sharing of concerns about the safety and quality of care with senior leaders with the aim of improving safety and quality.
• Actively participate in creating an open culture within your team so that concerns and difficulties can be discussed safely and respectfully.
• Speak up in the event that they are exposed to incivility between colleagues in the workplace.
• Listen and understand others who have concerns and take a collaborative approach to work towards a solution to improve civility and respect.