Mental Health Nurse for Emergency Department (Adult & Children)

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Mental Health Nurse for Emergency Department (Adult & Children)

Band 6

Main area Mental Health Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (working night shifts) Job ref 197-EK8933

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 – the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as “good” or “outstanding” in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King’s College London’s GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

Job overview

Successful candidates will work as part of the wider multi-disciplinary team in UHL / QEH Adult and Children Accident & Emergency department, using their professional skill-set and calming influence to identify and support patients presenting with mental health needs; supporting the implementation and engagement of care plans set out by the psychiatric liaison team and CAMHS Crisis Team.

The RMN will work as an interface between the Psychiatric liaison Team / CAMHS Crisis Team and A+E team to ensure patient’s mental health needs are interpreted into high quality care whilst in A&E and provide ongoing support with mental state reviews as well as dynamic risk assessments.

The RMN will engage directly with patients in a holistic manner and determine any clinical, environmental and social needs.

Main duties of the job

The applicants will use their specialist knowledge and skill set to identify and detail deterioration / improvements and fluctuations in patient’s mental health and feedback to the team/s where there are significant risks that need mitigating and work with your colleagues to do so. Your energy and drive will be rewarded with the support of an enthusiastic team.

It is an integral part of the senior RMN’s role to maintain clinical competence by working in their areas providing support, guidance, leadership and clinical adviceto staff. The job will also include visible inclusive leadership and engagement with patients and families, frontline staff, senior management teams, the Trust and its key stakeholders.

Working for our organisation

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

• Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
• Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
• Improving the experience of staff with disability
• Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
• Making equalities mainstream

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Adhere to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code (2015)
• Maintain own level of clinical competence
• Use evidence-based practice Clinical, Management & Leadership
• The post holder will be independently and clinically responsible for the coordination and implementation of effective nursing care in UHL / QEH A&E. The applicant will liaise with other professionals and with those providing support services if / when necessary
• Provide accurate reports to Mental Health Liaison Teams / CAMHS Crisis Team, assisting them to develop plans of care and make difficult decisions in cases where patients are exhibiting complex psychosocial needs and/or challenging behaviours.
• Act as patients’ advocate to ensure a patient orientated approach to the delivery of care and to meet standards within the NHS Plan and other relevant guidelines
• Ensure that sensitive patient records are documented and stored appropriately
• Ensures the cultural and spiritual needs of patients are recognised and accommodated within resources available.
• Undertake risk assessments for service users who are waiting in Emergency Department and be responsible for communicating information about the risks to all relevant services and agencies
• To work in partnership with the user, carer, Psychiatric Liaison Service, CAMHS Crisis Team, and agencies and have an understanding and awareness of the differences in their values and cultures as well as priorities and objectives and how those differences can affect partnership strategies
• Participate fully in quality assurance initiatives, with particular emphasis on a ‘patient first’ approach
• Be able to understand local policies, practice and frameworks, keeping up to date with the national agenda.
• Take on a range of management duties at the request of and in the absence of Senior management staff
• Initiate and participate in audit / research projects associated with the work of the service
• To manage flow of MH patients efficiently, economically and escape any concerns appropriately
• Be required to guide nursing staff, in the general hospital and mental health setting and non- nursing staff both in formal and informal settings
• Will act as a role model for all staff in the general hospital setting in providing a service for people with mental health problems
• To facilitate future learning for staff and students
• To prioritise and assist in the investigate and manage of complaints according to Trust policy
• To maintain accurate and complete records of activities and communications relating to patients in a timely manner in line with Trust and NMC standards for record keeping
• To actively participate in the recruitment and selection process
• To ensure all new staff, temporary staff and student nurses are inducted and orientated appropriately
• To contribute to any audits / research / benchmarking as required
• To communicate clear expectations to staff & colleagues, manage performance and champion change to create an environment where the courage to speak out is welcomed and encouraged.
• To manage staff absences and conduct return to work interviews escalating all performance concerns in line with Trust HR policies and procedures
• To ensure that all staff are up-to-date with mandatory and statutory training, appraisals and personal development plans
• Act to safeguard vulnerable children and adults in A&E.

Person specification

Knowledge

• Knowledge of long-term conditions and patient pathways
• Knowledge of safeguarding vulnerable adults
• Knowledge of how to manage budgets and resources Knowledge of the NMC Code and its application to nursing practice
• Demonstrates substantial experience of assessing risk and developing risk management strategies
• Able to articulate a detailed understanding of the relevant legal frameworks/legislation including CPA process, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, and Safeguarding.
• Knowledge of models of mental health assessment
• Sound evidence based clinical knowledge of adult mental health treatments and support

Personal Qaulities

• Computer literate - including the use of Outlook, I-Care, Microsoft Office and other software used by the Trust

Qualifications and Training

• Registered Mental Health Nurse Level 1
• Educated to 1st Degree level
• IT literate
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Further training and experience to post graduate diploma level equivalent
• Additional qualification in clinical specialty
• Post qualification work experience

Experience

• Demonstrable understanding of an Acute Mental Health environment
• Significant post-registration experience gained working in a range of frontline adult mental health services, undertaking assessment and delivering interventions
• Proven ability of working within a multi-disciplinary team and evidence of team development
• Experience of implementation of service developments
• Demonstrates substantial experience of, and relevant professional practice qualification in mentoring/assessing students and learners.
• Appraisal completion training

As a local employer and anchor institution we work closely with our community to recruit locally and we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce are reflective of the local communities which we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including if you are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. We have a number of active staff networks including Disability, LGBT+, Multicultural Inclusion and Women’s staff networks to bring staff together and celebrate diversity across our whole workforce.

Please note: Information provided during recruitment and pre‑employment checks must be accurate. Misrepresentation may be investigated as fraud and could lead to withdrawal from the process, professional sanctions, or criminal action.

Please note: that sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route is subject to Trust allocation and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approval.

Use of AI in recruitment: We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the initial review of applications against the essential criteria for this role. Where AI is used, it will support rather than replace human decision-making, and applications will remain subject to appropriate human review.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

To ensure fairness and manageable shortlisting processes, some vacancies may have an application cap. This means the vacancy will close once a set number of applications have been received even if this happens before the advertised closing date. We recommend applying as early as possible to avoid missing out. All applications received before the cap is reached will be considered equally and assessed against the person specification.

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