Community Mental Health Practitioner - Brent CMHT

We care for you as much as you care for others. There’s a place for you at CNWL. We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career. With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you’re at, there’s always a place for you at CNWL.

We are looking for team players who are passionate about the well-being and recovery and who are able to place service users at the centre of care. The service operates from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and the post holder will participate in the team duty and assessment systems. The team is committed to working with an individual’s strengths in order to maximise autonomy and to deliver NICE concordant care for all service users on our caseload. If you are looking for a new challenge to make a real difference supporting the recovery of adults in Brent experiencing mental health crises then this is the job for you.

• The post holder will be a member of Brent CMHT which also leads on primary care mental health liaison and link working.
• Responsible for undertaking initial and comprehensive assessment of health and social care needs alone or with colleagues and feedback to Multi-Disciplinary Team.
• They will have care co-ordination and co-worker responsibility for the overall care of an identified group of service users, being part of a service that is committed to recovery and social inclusion.
• Provide supervision to an identified group of staff and students on placement with the team.
• Carry out MDT activities including being on duty and clinic rota as appropriate and within sphere of profession.
• Develop and maintain effective communication strategies between Mental Health Services and General Practice Teams to improve care pathways.
• Work within CNWL policies and procedures, professional and legal framework upholding the values and ethos of the organisation.
• Provide regular ongoing contact with GP Practices as part of the post holder’s link worker role.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working in our healthcare settings.

• Work collaboratively with other members of the multi-disciplinary team in the delivery of MH care pathway.
• Educate health professionals, other services regarding threshold criteria for Secondary Mental Health service and provide pre-referral advice and consultation.
• Ensure, and clarify where necessary, the patient pathways through mental health services.
• Undertake initial assessment and reviews including the formulation of care plans to meet the identified needs of the patient.
• Undertake Risk Assessments and formulate risk management plans as per Trust policies.
• Regular attendance and participation at clinical meetings that facilitate discussion of patient/client needs.
• Plan and implement care as appropriate to the needs of the patient that is underpinned by best practice guidance and person centred principles.
• Review and evaluation of care plans and risk management plans on an ongoing basis.
• Advice regarding medication management including promoting concordance and monitoring and advising regarding effect and side effects.
• Facilitate undertaking of physical and mental health reviews.
• Provide information, advice and assessment to carers, as required.
• Work with primary care to ensure that referrals to secondary services are timely and appropriate.
• Work as part of the mental health practitioner team at base, in clinic and in service users' homes as appropriate.
• Develop and maintain access to community & voluntary agencies/services who can offer patients alternative avenues for support and therapeutic help.
• Ensure safe discharge process back to primary care when secondary services are no longer required.
• Facilitating and attending joint training events within Organisation/ Borough as appropriate.
• Promote appropriate service users involvement in all aspects of the delivery of the service.
• Participate in clinical and business meetings.
• Create and maintain systems for managing data including audit.
• Supervise junior colleagues and students.

Previous Experience: Significant experience of working in a clinical area providing mental and physical health care and assessment. Demonstrable experience of working with people who experience serious ongoing mental health problems. Knowledge and experience of working with people prescribed Clozapine or Long Acting Injection (LAI) medication.

Qualifications: Qualified Mental Health Nurse or OT. Current registration with professional body. Non-medical prescribing.

Skills and knowledge: Care planning, empowering and working in partnership, safeguarding and advocacy, understanding how the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards impacts on their work.

Other: Able to work efficiently in the community. Holder of full UK Driving Licence/Car Driver.