Community Mental Health Practitioner

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond. We are committed to providing high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for the care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission rates our services as ‘good’. We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience.

By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers. The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special. As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job Overview

Are you a qualified mental health nurse ready to make a real difference in people’s lives? As a Band 6 Care Coordinator within Southwark Community Mental Health Services, you’ll play a key role in supporting individuals on their journey to recovery. This is your opportunity to lead care plans, deliver targeted interventions, and help service users overcome barriers and build on their strengths. In this role, you’ll manage your own caseload, collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, and develop recovery-focused solutions tailored to each individual’s needs. You’ll empower service users to take ownership of their care while ensuring they have access to the resources and support they need to thrive. Your professional expertise and compassionate approach will create lasting positive impacts in a diverse and dynamic community.

We’re seeking professionals with clinical experience, strong communication skills, and a passion for working collaboratively to promote independence and wellbeing. If you’re ready to bring your expertise to a supportive team that values your development, we’d love for you to join us. Take the next step in your career today!

Main Duties of the Job

• Mental Health Practitioners will be based in the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT), we have an open planned office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Significant knowledge, awareness and understanding of Mental Health Law, including legislation of relevance to the community sector including the Community Care Act (2015) treatment legislation, the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Community Treatment Orders (CTO).
• To be personally responsible and professionally accountable for a caseload as part of the community team and lead and manage the work of others as required.
• This post will primarily be based at St Giles House, CMHT, it will also require visits in the wider community to other agencies and clients' homes as need arises.
• The Care-Coordinator will manage a caseload of clients (and provide support to their carers) with complex needs and varying diagnoses.
• The Care-Coordinator will support the client's journey during their time under CMHT care.
• This includes taking a lead in clinical discussions making and supporting the pathway out of the CMHT.
• To act as part of the interface between partner agencies to ensure timely and effective transition and discharge into the wider community.
• To work cohesively as part of the wider community team in managing the larger caseload by supporting on Duty and contributing positively in team meetings.
• To have good IT skills and be able to maintain up to date documentation and relevant assessments on patient electronic records.

Working for Our Organisation

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close-knit team at SLaM. It’s important to us that you are valued and appreciated and that is why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave.
• Work-life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options.
• Career development opportunities through mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes.
• Car lease benefits from competitive deals to lease cars.
• Accommodation benefits from keyworker housing available on selected sites.
• NHS discounts with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands through Health Service Discounts website.
• Other benefits include counselling services, long service awards, cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan, and staff restaurants.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

• Significant knowledge, awareness and understanding of Mental Health Law, including legislation of relevance to the community sector including the Community Care Act (2015) treatment legislation, the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Community Treatment Orders (CTO).
• To be personally responsible and professionally accountable for a caseload as part of the community team and lead and manage the work of others as required.
• Co-ordinating care, communicating with other professionals involved in the care and ensuring regular reviews are held as required.
• This will include communication with other teams for example in-patient services through attendance at ward meetings and with interface services e.g. Addictions service and CAMHS services where appropriate.
• Independently carrying out assessment, care planning and care coordination with excellent interpersonal skills, ability to listen to others’ views, respect and value individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• Leading meetings with community team members on a regular basis to discuss report and evaluate client care.
• Ensuring a flexible approach in care provision with focus on choice and social inclusion opportunities.
• Recognising and addressing concerns about the physical health needs of service users with long term conditions (e.g. diabetes, asthma etc.); escalating these concerns as necessary to senior members of the multi-disciplinary team.

Promoting Recovery

• Encouraging and empowering service users to have an optimum level of responsibility for their individual programme of care and with their consent, where appropriate, seeking the cooperation of friends, relatives and carers – following ‘recovery’ principles and approaches.
• Supporting service users to adopt recovery strategies that promote their wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, independence and self-care.

Risk Assessment and Risk Management

• Reporting any incident or Serious Untoward Incidents that may take place in a community setting and provide reports and accurate records relating to the incident.
• Working safely to ensure safe custody of medicines, sharps, and clinical equipment in a community setting; and reporting of all incidents following Trust Policy.
• Recognising and responding appropriately to “self-harm and suicide prevention” regarding the risks in community settings, in line with Trust policies and training guidelines.
• Understanding and working within the boundaries of the Lone Working Policy and awareness of Personal Safety in a community setting, including clear and updated communication with colleagues.
• Responding to urgent situations, emergencies or crises using protocols specific to the local community setting.

Safeguarding and Duty of Candour

• Understanding and implementing safeguarding procedures in a community setting; recognise, report and investigate safeguarding issues and raise safeguarding alerts if you suspect that a service user and/or carer has been exposed to harm or abuse.
• Understanding and implementing of Duty of Candour with regard to the particular issues in a community setting.

Infection Control

• Understanding and implementing infection control measures in a community setting.
• Administering and monitoring the side effects of medication according to NMC professional standards.
• Having significant knowledge of medication used in a community setting and side effects.
• Giving medication including IMI to the right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, and right time and giving the right education to patients.
• Ordering and appropriate storage of medication in a community setting.

Administration and Leadership

• Ensuring that electronic patient’s records are complete.
• Writing reports and letters in a community setting.
• Engaging in practice reflection through clinical supervision and reflective practice groups and contributing to the delivery of clinical supervision to junior staff.
• Demonstrate leadership skills within the clinical context of the community, showing awareness of the challenges facing staff working in a community setting and supporting junior staff as appropriate.
• To work cohesively as part of the wider community team in managing the larger caseload by supporting on Duty and contributing positively in team meetings.

Person Specification

• Recognised Professional Qualification in Mental Health Nursing (RMN).
• Mentorship qualification/practice placement educator or equivalent.
• Masters degree in relevant subject area.

Experience

• Relevant Community Mental Health clinical experience.
• Experience of documenting and record keeping of clinical information.
• Experience of working in a MDT setting.
• Experience of working with difficult and complex service users in the community.
• Experience of working with complex clients with varying health and social needs.
• Experience of managing a caseload.
• Experience of supporting practice development in clinical area.

Knowledge, Ability and Skill

• Knowledge of clinical governance and audit.
• Understanding of Care Coordination and the CPA process.
• Ability to communicate informally and develop supportive relationships with clients, carers and other professionals.
• Skills in clinical assessment/baseline mental health assessment.
• Skills in risk assessment and risk management and crisis management.
• Skilled in supervision of others, and in providing critical and constructive feedback.
• Problem solving, ability to identify problems, review options.
• Awareness/knowledge of the issues surrounding social inclusion for mental health service users.

Other

• Forms very effective working relationships with colleagues.
• Values diversity and responds constructively to discriminatory behaviour.
• Self-aware & self-confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and motivate others.
• Loyal and able to advocate for and show pride in the work area and organisation and demonstrates values of trust and NHS.

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights.

We aim to put this commitment into practice by embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice. Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment. We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity.

Please Note:

• All applications for this post will need to be made online.
• You must read and understand the Job Description and Person Specification attached to the role.
• Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria.
• The closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received.
• We advise that you submit your application as early as possible.
• Once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system.
• All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs.
• If you have not heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not been successful.
• Priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees.
• If you are successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process.
• We are a smoke-free Trust.
• SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion.