Approved Mental Health Professional

Are you an experienced Forensic social worker/ AMHP or an AMHP wanting to gain forensic experience? Do you have a positive and flexible can-do attitude? Then we would love to hear from you.

About the Role

We have an AMHP vacancy currently available in the Forensic Team. This role is within Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland integrated Forensic Mental Health Service. This well established and supportive specialist team offers both community and low secure inpatient services and the successful post holder will link in with both areas, as well as people placed nationally in specialist care and prison.

This role will consist of:

• Working as part of a specialist integrated social care and health team to provide social work assessment under the Care Act 2014/ s117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 to a caseload of community and inpatient forensic service users across Leicestershire, with the aim of identifying and meeting their eligible needs (including commissioning packages of care) and managing/ reducing the risks that their mental health poses to others. This will include people currently under part III of the MHA (including under s37, s37/41 and s47/49) and those subject to criminal justice requirements.
• Working in partnership with colleagues from NHS England, CCG's, the Police (including MOSOVO/ IOM services), Probation, Prisons, the Criminal Justice Liaison Services, children's services, specialist substance misuse services and other 3rd sector agencies.
• Acting as a social supervisor for conditionally discharged patients, including the completion of monitoring reports to the Ministry of Justice.
• Contributing to and supporting the MAPPA process/ attending MAPPA meetings.
• Completing social circumstances reports for detained patients and attending Tribunals/ Managers Hearings.

The role is usually based at the Herschel Prins Centre on the Glenfield hospital site in Leicester. Hybrid and flexible working arrangements/ reasonable adjustments can be discussed. The forensic team currently consists of AMHP's from both Leicestershire County and Leicester City, CPN's, Forensic Psychologists, Healthcare Support Workers, Occupational Therapists and Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists/ Associate Specialists (as well as our ward colleagues on the Phoenix low secure ward which is based on the same site).

The successful candidate will also be expected to participate on the Countywide AMHP rota on a monthly basis, as well as any MHA 1983 considerations needed for those on their caseload. Forensic experience is desirable but not essential as full training will be given, and ongoing support will be available. This is a fascinating role and as forensic vacancies continue to be rare it is hoped that experienced staff and those wishing to gain experience in this area will consider taking advantage of this opportunity. A DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity is required for this post.

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

• Be a registered social worker, mental health nurse, occupational therapist or clinical psychologist and have completed the required Approved Mental Health Professional training.
• Ability to travel to service points within LLR in a cost-efficient way.
• Be skilled in risk management and able to work in partnership with people, their families, communities and our interagency colleagues to help to identify the most appropriate options for support.
• Have experience of assessing a range of complex needs in the fields of mental health and/or learning disability, and/or brain injury and/or older and disabled adults.
• Have highly developed analytical skills and experience of providing effective assessment and risk management and of person-centred, solution focused and resource efficient options.
• Have knowledge of social work methodologies, social care policies such as asset based social work, and relevant legislation including The Care Act, Mental Health Act, and Mental Capacity Act.
• Be a confident communicator who is skilled in diplomacy, persuasion, assertiveness, and conflict management and able to build effective working relationships and be able to work proactively both as an individual and as part of a team and know when to seek advice and support from others.
• Be able to supervise, coach and mentor less experienced social care practitioners.

In addition, we expect you to share our commitment to our values and will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the interview process. This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement for this role.

Interested in Flexible Working? We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact: Chelbie Shepherd – Resourcing Co-ordinator.