Intensive Outreach Mental Health Practitioner in Canvey Island

This is for a 3 month fixed term contract. Previous care coordination experience with complex caseloads is essential. You will manage a small caseload of service-users who often present with increased complexity in relation to their needs and support requirements. Though challenging at times, it can be an incredibly rewarding client group to work with and the team itself is very experienced and supportive. The team base is in Canvey but due to the area the team covers, other Trust bases are also used as needed.

Main duties of the job:

• To assess, plan, deliver and evaluate care for service users who are referred to the Intensive Outreach Team, including the assessment and management of risk.
• To be responsible for a caseload of patients as the named key worker/care coordinator/lead clinician (or other equivalent title).
• To work alongside the service user in meeting the practical needs of everyday life such as activities of daily living, budgeting skills, social structures, leisure activities, etc. in a collaborative manner.
• To work within a psychosocial / family centred framework when assessing and planning individual packages of care.
• To be responsible for organising and planning an active clinical caseload as an autonomous practitioner managing your time effectively and liaising closely with other agencies and disciplines.
• To undertake evaluation of clinical symptoms and disabilities, advising appropriate medical staff of any changes requiring psychiatric evaluation and/or intervention.
• To undertake the role of CPA co-ordinator for a case load of service users with complex mental health problems who are difficult to engage and require intensive packages of care in line with the Trust's CPA policy.
• To develop therapeutic relationships with service users in order to provide support and assistance, as appropriate to the service users and their informal carers associated.
• To ensure that the Team is aware of the particular perspective of your professional background in relation to patient care, whilst acknowledging the need to blur professional boundaries in order to achieve a seamless approach to client care.
• To participate in mental health promotion/education and give advice as necessary to clients and their carers on the maintenance of good health and prevention of relapse.
• To administer and monitor the effects and adverse effects of prescribed medication and liaise with medical staff regarding any necessary adjustments in medication (if within professional competency).
• To ensure the Intensive Outreach Team promotes a positive view of mental health, breaking down prejudice and stigma to facilitate an understanding of problems associated with mental illness.
• To provide formal clinical supervision to students and other staff within the team.
• To take part in the team duty rota (if applicable), taking duty calls as required for the shift and following the lone working policy for checking staff whereabouts to maintain staff safety.
• To possess enhanced communication skills to be able to communicate with service users and carers who are experiencing a range of mental health experiences, including psychotic symptoms or personality disorder and who may be in distress.
• To complete formal tribunal/hospital managers reports for people detained under a section or a Community Treatment Order.
• To provide cover for line manager in their absence.
• To reflect on their own practice regularly and encourage the whole team to reflect on their practices in handovers and team meetings.
• To ensure the best possible clinical outcomes by using up-to-date skills and adhering to evidence based policies and procedures.
• To be fully conversant with statutory and non-statutory services across South East Essex.
• To maintain a good public image of the community mental health services by dealing with all patient, family, team and inter agency interactions in a professional manner.
• To be responsible for the maintenance and accurate patient records on relevant patient information system (i.e. Mobius).

Person Specification:

• Current professional registration with appropriate body in healthcare or social work.
• Evidence of appropriate CPD post qualifications.
• Extensive experience in care coordinating people in a community mental health setting.
• Experience working in the community under an AOT model.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.