Mental Health Practitioner in Aylesbury

Job overview

To play a key role in the important ‘Early Days in Custody’ of prisoners, working closely with other departments to ensure that all risks are assessed and managed.

To function fully within the Integrated Mental Health Team, assessing and treating patients through their journey in prison.

To accept referrals and triage patients with the team.

To undertake comprehensive assessments alone or with colleagues and provide feedback to the Multi-disciplinary Team, ensuring that planned care is individual and appropriate to the needs of the patient.

To provide effective case management to a defined caseload in accordance with the Care Programme Approach, in conjunction with the team, appropriate prison departments and external health, social care and probation services.

To ensure effective pre‑release care planning.

Main duties of the job

To work under the direction of the Deputy Head of Healthcare (Mental Health Lead) and Mental Health Clinical Lead Nurse to ensure that clinical priorities are clearly understood and met to an agreed standard.

To assess health and social care needs and negotiate care plans with patients and staff teams.

To undertake risk assessments including the formulation of comprehensive plans developed jointly with the patients and staff teams.

To work within the Prison Service safer custody framework for managing suicide and self‑harm (SASH procedures) to support patients requiring this.

To provide a service sensitive to age, culture, ethnicity and gender, sexuality and disability.

To contribute to the effective multi‑disciplinary team working within the team and the rest of the prison.

To participate in the reception/induction process, and any other model that the local team adopts, in order to identify individuals with mental health problems at the earliest opportunity.

To have an active presence and act as a resource for all staff and prisoners, in addition to those patients under your care, in the segregation unit and Clinical Assessment Unit.

To work with the agreed Core Assessment Tool within all relevant prison departments.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To case manage an identified caseload of clients, in conjunction with the multi‑disciplinary team and relevant agencies and carers.

To include the planning and implementation of effective care plans, regular review meetings, timely referral to external agencies, within the framework of the CPA, to ensure effective pre‑release planning.

To communicate effectively with all relevant internal departments and external agencies regarding clients, within the restrictions of a prison environment.

To work closely with the MDT and identify and facilitate an effective range of therapeutic interventions for this particular client group.

To respond to urgent referrals and to assess whether input from the team is indicated or appropriate.

To offer a range of evidence‑based interventions and proactive risk‑management approaches to help the patient reduce and manage symptoms, high risk behaviour and other disabling effects of their conditions and enable, as far as possible, full and sustained recovery.

To ensure that both CNWL Safeguarding Adults and Children Guidelines and procedures are fully understood and to ensure the safety needs of adults and children involved are met at all times and take appropriate action when either the adult or the child is felt to be at risk or in need.

To monitor treatment, support concordance and ensure prompt action is taken to alleviate unwanted effects.

To provide advice and information to patients about their care.

To provide access to and ongoing psycho‑education regarding various mental health conditions to patients and different health and prison staff.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• Evidence of professional development since registration.
• Post‑registration qualification that enhances clinical work: CBT, DBT, Dual Diagnosis, etc.

Previous Experience

• Experience of mentoring or supervising students.
• Experience of working in community setting.
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of working in a prison or forensic environment.

Skills and Knowledge

• Risk assessment and management skills.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently as appropriate.
• Proven ability to work patients to increase their level of self‑determination and resilience.
• Knowledge of CPA, Mental Health Act, MAPPA, legislation and policies relevant to prison mental health.
• Expert in engaging with people with mental health problems, assessing their needs, designing and delivering appropriate interventions and evaluating the effectiveness of the process.
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written.
• Excellent IT skills.
• Ability to use supervision positively and effectively.
• Problem solving, stress management & conflict resolution skills.
• Knowledge of safeguarding frameworks.
• Ability to engage in evidence‑based practice, with an understanding of care quality (clinical governance).
• Knowledge of current challenges / developments in prison health.
• Motivated to maintain the highest standards possible in the service.
• Able to accept constructive feedback.
• Able to ask for support where required.
• Compassionate & non‑judgmental approach.

Other

• To conduct self in accordance with relevant code of conduct and practice for registration.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.