Advanced Practitioner - Approved Mental Health Professional

Join our forward-thinking approach. Strength in people. Strength in communities. Strength in diversity.

Greenwich 24 Hour Central AMHP Team

With excellent training and great benefits, Royal Greenwich is the ideal place to progress your career. Our extensive benefits include:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of up to 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays).
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Local government pension scheme which offers death in service benefits and ill health retirement provisions.
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks, employee recognition schemes and charitable giving schemes.
• Interest-free loans for season tickets and bikes, childcare vouchers, personal mobile, computer and leisure discounts, Greenwich One Card entitling you to discounts at local businesses.

At Royal Greenwich, we support our Social Workers to ensure they have the resources and environment they need to make a real difference. We are keen to appoint enthusiastic Social Workers/AMHPs who share our vision in the development of a centre of excellence.

The Central AMHP Team provides a single point of access to all requests for assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007). The team is comprised of Advanced Practitioners who are all qualified practicing AMHPs, an AMHP team manager and team administrator. The service delivery incorporates all age ranges as well as those who may already be receiving mental health input from specialist services, such as children and mental health services, learning disability services and others. The aim of the team is to provide a timely response to all requests for assessment and a clear management framework for the delivery of a service to people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and are assessed to need either additional support in the community or admission to hospital. In each individual situation the objective is to ensure that a less restrictive and appropriate intervention is pursued through a multi-disciplinary approach to risk assessment and risk management. In supporting a strength based, person centred approach all requests for assessments under the Mental Health Act will be approached in a planned and considered way, through early consultation and collaborative working with community teams, service user and carer networks and community services.

What we look for:

The applicant must be able to work flexible hours, which includes providing out of hours standby and call out cover on a rota basis. The ability to drive and to have your own transport is required due to the nature of the work. You must be able to provide professional support, supervision, expertise and leadership to social work colleagues and teams in situations of complexity and high risk. To be able to contribute to the development of knowledge and promotion of excellence within Greenwich mental health social care. Advanced Practitioner AMHPs are expected to undertake the role of an AMHP and must be able to act as an AMHP on behalf of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The applicant must be able to manage complex high risk referrals, work autonomously and have experience of working co-productively with service users, carers, and families, within a crisis intervention model of care. To be able to deliver a strength based, person centred approach to promote mental health wellbeing, independence, and personalised outcomes for all people. To undertake the statutory functions of the Advanced Practitioner/AMHP role (Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental Health Act 1983 (2007), Children Act 1989 (2004) and other related legislation), and respond to a range of complex assessment and care interventions for those who present with care and support needs:

• Social care assessments
• Carers assessments
• Court of protection
• Safeguarding concerns and enquiries
• Mental capacity assessments
• Mental health assessments
• Mental Health Act assessments

To support you in your AMHP role you will receive:

• Access to a manager who is AMHP qualified 24/7
• 1 to 1 reflective AMHP post assessment supervision
• Access to Social Work, AMHP and Reflective Practice Forums for peer group discussion reflection and supervision
• An AMHP mentor to provide additional support in your first year of employment
• 18 hours (3 days) of AMHP approval training in each year
• A structured induction to Greenwich AMHP service
• A welcome meeting with the Head of Social Care and Lead Social Worker to discuss and plan for your continued development pathway as an Advanced Practitioner and AMHP
• Regular access to our Mental Health Lead Social Worker/Lead AMHP to support and develop your Advanced social work practice
• Protected time each year to work on your professional portfolio (Social Work England registration)
• Up to 2 days in each 5 year period to complete your AMHP re-approval portfolio
• Opportunity to be involved in the practice education of all social workers, AMHPs, trainee AMHPs and student social workers undertaking professional training
• Access to the Royal Borough of Greenwich learning portal, training programmes, reflective workshops, professional forums, and events

For these roles you must hold:

• A registered professional social work qualification.
• Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) qualification.
• Registration with Social Work England or other/professional registering body.
• This role will require an Enhanced DBS check.

If you want to be part of this forward-thinking service and can help us to achieve our vision, please apply now.

Please note that if successfully appointed, you will be an employee of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, seconded to Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.

Diversity Statement: Royal Borough of Greenwich values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this. We therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community.

Salary: Salaries advertised are for a standard working week of 35 hours unless otherwise stated. Please use this to help you calculate a pro rata salary.

Our Staff Values: are important to us. Candidates will be continuously assessed against our staff values throughout the recruitment process. Where candidates demonstrate views and behaviours that do not meet the standards of our staff values, we reserve the right to reject their application.