Mental Health Practitioner - Referral and Assessment Hub

Mental Health Practitioner - Referral and Assessment Hub

As part of Community Transformation, we are changing the way we manage referrals. We have developed a Referral and Assessment Hub in Bolton and are looking to appoint a Mental Health Practitioner on a fixed-term or secondment basis for a period of three months to support the screening of referrals and subsequent assessments within the Hub.

You will screen referrals to the Hub for people with mental health difficulties. Following your screening/assessment as a Trusted Assessor, you and your colleagues within the Team's MDT will determine the care pathway of the service user within mental health services, ensuring that the service user is allocated to the most appropriate service, including the VCFSE sector and Social Care.

You will provide duty assessments for the Referral and Assessment Hub at the designated base or at a venue agreed with the service user and carer. You will need to be able to travel across Bolton. There may also be times when that duty assessment will require you to in-reach into the inpatient wards if a service user is an inpatient at the time of referral.

This post is a full-time position and the working hours will be between 9am - 7pm Monday to Friday initially and over a flexible rota. Dependent on service need, the service may be extended in future to cover seven days per week, including Bank Holidays.

Main duties of the job

Key duties will include:

• Triage of referrals coming into the Referral and Assessment Hub as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing an onward journey if not appropriate for Community Services.
• Maintain a competent knowledge of community resources available outside of statutory services to support people in mental health recovery.
• Complete assessment for those inpatients who may require a mental health service upon discharge.
• Link in with the MDT and attend a daily meeting to discuss assessments.
• Promote awareness of the role of the Referral and Assessment Hub within the local service area/team, GP practices and the wider community.
• Support service user, carer and stakeholder involvement.
• Promote a culture of learning, education and professional development.
• Adhere to the principles of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in line with Trust Policy and local reporting procedure, ensuring junior staff compliance with this.

Please see the full job description and person specification for more details.

About us

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the North West of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go, you will experience a great Northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification

Band

Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8pm and before 6am

All time on Sundays and Public Holidays (midnight to midnight)

1

2

3

4 9

Benefits

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car scheme
• Blue Light Card Discounts

Person Specification Experience

• Post-registration experience of working in a multi-disciplinary Community Mental Health Team, Home Treatment Team or other statutory mental health community services
• Evidence of post-registration specialist training and development
• Knowledge of eligibility requirements to access statutory mental health services
• Good knowledge of community assets, including VCFSE
• Previous experience in a clinical supervisory role
• NMP

Qualifications

• Professional qualification and current registration (Qualified RMN, OT or Social Worker)
• Post registration training relevant to mental health/leadership/management

Other

• Able to travel around the Trust footprint
• Ability to work over a 7 day period, from 9am to 7pm

Skills and Abilities

• Understand all Trust Policies and Procedures in community settings
• Understand the need to safeguard children and vulnerable adults
• Carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with Equal Opportunities, equality and Diversity and dignity in care and work policies and principles
• Maintain high standards of quality in corporate and clinical record keeping ensuring information is always recorded accurately, appropriately and kept up to date
• Evidence of completing mental health assessments
• Contribute to the control of risk and to report any incident, accident or near miss
• Evidence of risk and safety planning skills
• Evidence of continued learning through CPD or development
• Take reasonable care of the health and safety of yourself and other persons
• Evidence of supporting a busy duty system
• Evidence of triaging referrals

Knowledge

• Offer advice and consultation to members of the multi-disciplinary team based on solid clinical experience of mental health assessment
• Participate in and ensure provision of Clinical Supervision, both as Supervisee and Supervisor and an understanding of the Knowledge, Skills Framework under Agenda for Change
• Ensure compliance with policy, procedure, and protocol, in consultation with the Team Managers, other Senior Practitioners and Professional Leads
• Participate in multi-agency meetings e.g., Protection of Vulnerable Adults, Child Protection
• Understand the Clinical Governance agenda and provide professional representation in local groups supporting consultation and implementation
• Full understanding of the Care Programme Approach including the needs and rights of Carers
• Understanding of current national policy and initiatives in relation to severe and enduring mental health issues
• Good knowledge of assessment and triage of referrals
• Support the Team Managers and other Senior Practitioners / Professional Leads in the daily operation of the Teams
• Promote a learning environment for students

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.