Mental Health Practitioner

Due to further investment received into children’s mental health services, we have an exciting opportunity available within our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Single Point of Access team (CAMHS SPA).

Our CAMHS SPA is a new development that provides a single point of access for children and families accessing our mental health services across our South Staffordshire localities. This service aims are to process, assess and determine the mental health needs of children and young people (CYP) to ensure their needs are met with the correct service provision through liaison and multi-agency working.

The SPA is first point of clinical contact for CYP, families and referrers and offers consultation and advice prior to referral and during the triage phase.

The SPA is a multi-disciplinary team with strong links to wider CYP Mental Health, Health and Social Care services.

Our service is developing to consult with our colleagues across Health, Education and Social Care, working with our partners across South Staffordshire and neighbouring areas, to promote preventative support and develop ease of access to all services within our areas.

The CAMHS SPA is phase 1 of this new service development, with plans for this to grow and merge with wider children’s services to create a ‘front door’ service that will ensure our children and families journeys begin in the right place and allow for smoother transition around services.

Working for our organisation

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is an award-winning organisation with over 9000 employees. We are one of the largest integrated Health and Social Care providers, covering services across North & South Staffordshire, Shropshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Isle of Wight, and Essex.

We pride ourselves on the services provided to support with the well-being of all our employees both physically and mentally and offer counselling support and lifestyle information. Opportunities for flexible working are also available depending on the role.

We encourage career development provided by in house training programs and coaching support.

As part of our strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, we welcome applications from candidates who meet the specific criteria, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, physical and/or mental disability or offending background.

We are embedding values based and inclusive recruitment practices to ensure that all applicants, from any backgrounds, have an equal chance of success in achieving a role with us.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

What we’re looking for…

We are looking for a mental health practitioner who has a passion for working with CYP with mental health needs, and their families. The successful candidate will deliver a high standard of care to service users, have excellent risk assessment and management skills, be able to clearly formulate a plan of care and work well within a team and with wider services.

They will live our trust values and behaviours and be a key part of our service.

What you can expect from us…

- To be part of a dedicated, supportive team who work collaboratively to deliver excellent patient care
- To have the opportunity to help shape our service as we continue to grow
- To have access to in house training programmes and coaching support
- To have access to SOOTHE resources (physical, mental and financial support for staff)
- To have access to a number of newly developed in house leadership programmes (Leadership super series)
To be part of an award winning trust

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information about the role.

For informal enquiries about this role please contact Georgie Nash on: georgina.nash@mpft.nhs.uk

Essential criteria

- First level (Degree or higher diploma) professional Nursing / AHP / Social Work / Therapy qualification in mental health, Social Work, Nursing AHP or equivalent with demonstrable knowledge and continuous post qualified experience/professional development
- Conforms to Professional governing body requirements
- Professional registration with HCPC, NMC or equivalent
- Post-registration experience, evidence of formal courses and training at diploma/degree level.

Experience
Essential criteria

- Evidence of extensive post registration experience with working with children experiencing mental health related difficulties
- Experience of assessing, planning, co-ordinating and managing people with mental health problems in a community setting.
- Experience of integrating care delivery across multi-disciplinary /multi agency teams
- Experience of assessing and managing complex needs including risk within a structured framework such as CPA/Safeguarding Children frameworks
- Experience of effectively managing mental health related issues/referrals/need for advice face to face and virtually, including telephone, at times of high demand and in relation to highly stressful/emotive situations.

Desirable criteria

- Experience of working within CAMHS Setting