Mental Health Liaison Nurse

An opportunity has arisen for a motivated and experienced mental health nurse to join the York Psychiatric Liaison Team service at York NHS Foundation Trust. This is an excellent and exciting opportunity for the right candidate to become involved in the continuous development of a proactive and forward-thinking team.

Mental health disorders are very common in general hospitals and research has shown that they are often not recognised or treated. Untreated mental health issues can lead to longer hospital admission and poorer physical health overall in hospital inpatients and increased health care costs.

The Acute Hospital liaison service is a team of mental health professionals who offer assessment and interventions for acute hospital inpatients and those presenting at the Emergency Department. The service operates 7 days a week over 24 hours, therefore unsocial hours, including night duty, is an expectation of this post.

Main duties of the job:

• Liaising with staff in the acute hospital, supporting them with the management of the mental health and well-being of patients who have been admitted for physical health care, but who require support with new or existing mental health needs.
• Responding to referrals asking for a mental state assessment for people presenting with an acute mental health problem in the Emergency Department or on the ward.
• Being professionally accountable and responsible for giving specialist advice and support to facilitate the mental health care given to patients in the acute hospital.
• Presenting the views of patients and carers to the clinical teams in the acute hospital to facilitate collaborative working between all parties.
• Liaising with other professionals and agencies in the facilitation of safe and effective plans of mental health care.
• Liaising with other professionals and agencies in the development and facilitation of safe and effective discharge plans - reducing hospital lengths of stay and readmission.
• Promoting the principles of the Recovery Model and Trauma Informed Care.
• Enhancing knowledge and skills in the field of mental ill health for staff employed in acute hospitals through the provision of specialist advice and training.

About us:

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby. From education and prevention to crisis and specialist care, our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for. We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help.

In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health. We are committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it. We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job responsibilities:

The York Psychiatric Liaison Team (YPLT) is a multi-disciplinary team of skilled mental health professionals who work in partnership with the Departments, wards, and Multidisciplinary teams of the York NHS Foundation Trust (YH). The York Psychiatric Liaison team is the single point of access for all referrals from York NHS Foundation Trust for persons above the age of 18 years attending Emergency and Urgent Care Departments and/or admitted to Acute trust inpatient wards.

The York Psychiatric Liaison Team provides mental health assessment, advice, signposting, and intervention to any person over the age of 18 years who are felt to be presenting with:

• Suspected symptoms of mental health illness/disorder or distress.
• Actual diagnosed mental health illness either as a stand-alone presentation or in conjunction with a medical need.
• Complex and multiple comorbid conditions involving physical, mental, emotional, social, or psychological needs.

The service provides an all-age pathway for psychiatric care in urgent care settings and acute hospital wards. The liaison team acts to facilitate prompt access to mental health assessment and intervention for those individuals who have an identified mental illness, working closely with the acute care pathway to access inpatient psychiatric admission or intensive home treatment and community response.

The team will also facilitate, where required, prompt medical assessment and intervention for physical needs of a person that have arisen because of an ongoing mental health disorder or behaviours in the context of such that has led to a compromise of that person's health. Staff will liaise with other community services in the primary, secondary, and tertiary setting as well as with addiction services and third sector partners.

The team provides a resource to Acute hospital colleagues for information, advice and education on mental health issues and collaborates with the Acute hospital staff to support adherence to the Emergency care standards and auditing outcomes against targets. The York Psychiatric Liaison Team operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The team is located on site at The Old Chapel which is next to the main hospital.

Team Objectives:

• To identify early the emergence of, or existence of mental health symptoms, that may require timely treatment and management to improve patient outcomes and recovery - reducing risks associated with prolonged hospital stays.
• To identify persons presenting with multiple medical needs in which a medical causation cannot be found, and psychological formulation is required to assess and promote recovery in persons presenting with medically unexplained symptoms or significant health adjustment.
• Patients and carers' mental health needs will be advocated by the liaison team to promote patient experience and care outcomes.
• The Acute hospital liaison team strives to promote a good understanding and positive attitude of mental health across the Acute Hospital trust.
• Our success depends upon working in partnership with patients and the people who support them, and in collaboration with staff of the acute services, other mental health, and mainstream health teams, and voluntary, private, and not-for-profit health and social care providers.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Current professional registration with Nursing & Midwifery Council - RNMH or RNLD.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• Recognised Practice Supervisor and/or Practice Assessor, clinical educator or equivalent. Must be achieved within 6 months.
• Trained in Clinical Supervision and providing clinical supervision OR willingness to work towards within 6 months.

Experience:

• 18 months post qualifying experience including sign off of appropriate preceptorship or competency framework.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers.
• Providing clinical supervision to individuals or groups as professionally appropriate.
• Supervising or assessing students on practice placement.
• Working in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Quality improvement activities.
• Recent experience nursing across a range of settings e.g. acute hospitals, mental health units, care homes etc., including adults and older people.
• Recent experience in assessing and caring for older people with dementia.
• Experience of working with people with substance misuse.

Knowledge:

• Demonstrable knowledge to post-graduate level of evidence.
• Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).
• Detailed understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice.
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.
• Clinical Governance and its application in practice.
• Research and development methodology.
• Understanding of psychological models of care and treatment.
• Working knowledge of clinical medicines management, including administration of injections.

Personal attributes:

• Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team.
• Self-aware and committed to professional and personal development.
• Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of people with mental health conditions.
• Committed to promoting a positive image of the Liaison Service.
• Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check:

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.