Specialist Mental Health Practitioner in Plymouth

37.5 hours per week. Are you ready for a role that genuinely stretches your clinical expertise while giving you the space to shape how community mental health services evolve? We’re looking for an experienced, forward-thinking practitioner to join us. Working across three of our specialist teams: the Specialist Outreach Recovery Team (SORT), Insight (First Episode Psychosis), and Community Mental Health Services. You will work with people with complex mental health needs; you will need excellent clinical skills. Assertively supporting discharges, transition across teams, and working with a caseload. You will work closely with family and carers, providing both direct support and working with staff to ensure safe and effective care. You will have excellent clinical leadership skills, not only in terms of managing a caseload, but overseeing other caseloads and driving forward best practice within the services. This is an opportunity to step into a position where your clinical leadership, creativity and professional judgement will directly influence the quality of care we deliver across the city.

Responsibilities

• You will be part of a senior leadership team that drives high quality, recovery focused mental health care.
• Your work will span direct clinical practice, staff development, service improvement and the implementation of evidence based approaches.
• You will also play a key role in embedding the Community Mental Health Framework, supporting teams to meet CQC standards, and ensuring that our services remain safe, effective and responsive.

The role works across multi-disciplinary teams who proactively provide a range of evidence based interventions, including therapies and recovery orientated support for those with a diagnosis of a complex psychosis with the community. The role has been developed as part of the evolving provision of the Community Mental Health Framework. This role links directly into three services: Specialist Outreach Recovery Team, Insight (first presentation psychosis) and Community Mental Health Services. The three services are made up of various mental health professionals who work with people to support recovery, offering various therapeutic interventions to support individuals. This role exists to make sure people receive the right support at the right time by coordinating care, strengthening communication between teams, and keeping a clear focus on safety and continuity. The postholder will work closely with partner agencies, families, and other professionals to ensure plans are joined up and responsive to changing needs.

The Post Holder Is Responsible For:

• Supporting the teams to meet CQC standards, using the KLOE guidance to collate evidence and lead on the development and implementation of action plans to both maintain and improve standards of care.
• Supporting the pathway to achieve their performance targets.
• Contributing to the senior leadership meetings promoting positive inter-disciplinary relationships and supporting the culture of psychological safety and positive continuous learning/development opportunities across Livewell.
• Ensuring that clinicians work within Livewell Southwest policies, and ensure that practice standards are high and the team adhere to professional registration requirements.
• Providing clinical leadership and advice to staff ensuring the flow of service users through the system and promoting implementation of evidence based practice in line with NICE guidelines.
• The post holder will manage a complex clinical caseload and support other staff to manage their own caseload.
• The implementation of new assertive outreach initiatives across the service, leading the change management process, with consideration to the effective management and allocation of resources.
• Implementing the service audit plan: leading on audits and the development of action plans to ensure adherence to targets, to maintain effective safe practice and high quality care across the service.
• Leading on investigations including complaints, SIRIS after action learning reviews and HR investigations.
• Representing the teams and organisation in multi agency forums and meetings as required.
• Deputising for the Senior Clinical Lead & Operational Manager when required.

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential

• Registered Nurse, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist with significant relevant experience in secondary mental health.
• Post graduate diploma / degree level study related to health/social care or equivalent worked experience relevant to the role.
• Teaching/Assessing course such as mentorship module or equivalent.

Experience Essential

• Significant and relevant experience in a senior clinical role with experience of managing a team of staff.
• Multi-disciplinary team working.
• Evidence of transferable clinical, risk management and managerial skills at a senior level.
• Extensive Clinical experience in mental health care, crisis management and positive risk taking.
• Knowledge of recovery principles.
• Knowledge and experience of trauma informed practice.
• Leadership experience.
• Experience of managing a high level of risk.
• Experience of performance management.
• Experience of implementing competencies and essential training for a team.

Desirable

• To have experience at senior level of both acute and inpatient and community teams.
• To have worked within an acute inpatient setting.
• Previous deputy team manager experience.
• Budget management experience.

Knowledge

• Extensive professional knowledge acquired through clinical practice in a community mental health or other relevant mental health team.
• This needs to be underpinned by training at degree level/diploma level specialist training or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of the impact of crisis on mental health difficulties.
• Knowledge of the personalised models of care.
• Evidence based practice.
• Mental Health Act 1983.
• Good knowledge of current NHS and Social Care Policy.
• Evidence of CPD.
• Understanding of the Community Mental Health Framework.
• Understand the Principles of Governance, particularly in relation to their Service area.
• Understanding of CQC requirements for a community mental health service.
• To be fully aware of and cascade current changes relating to Government Legislation (i.e. Transforming Community Services).

Specific skills

• Leadership and Operational Management skills.
• Skills in Managing Teams including management of HR processes.
• Teaching, Coaching and supervision skills.
• Assessment, risk assessment & care planning of acutely psychiatrically ill patients.
• Crisis management skills.
• Change management skills.
• Motivation skills.
• Complex clinical decision making skills.
• Facilitation and influencing skills.
• Good time management.
• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must have self-confidence to challenge traditional practice and the persistence to address difficult enduring issues.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Excellent IT skills and knowledge of databases.
• Evidence of ability to manage complex clinical situations within a defined caseload.
• Accomplished chair person for meetings.
• Delivery of training sessions such as Turbo-teach.

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

Applicants must have current UK professional registration.