Band 6 Specialist Practitioner - Integrated Access Partnership (IAP)

Job overview

Please see our additional info sheet for full details of our service

Are you passionate about transforming urgent mental health care? Join our award-winning Integrated Access Partnership (IAP) as a Specialist Practitioner and be part of an innovative service that's revolutionising crisis care.

As a Specialist Practitioner in the IAP, you'll primarily work provide expert mental health assessments and interventions over the phone but also with occasional face to face assessments. IAP settings, including:

• 999 Emergency Operations Centre.
• NHS 111 Mental Health Clinical Assessment Service.
• Mental Health Response Vehicle for community assessments.

You'll work on a rotation basis across these services, delivering timely and compassionate care to those experiencing mental health crises. Your clinical expertise will be vital in triaging calls, conducting face-to-face assessments, and supporting both patients and emergency service colleagues.

This is a 24/7 service and specialist practitioners will be required to work a variety of shifts including weekends and bank holidays, rotating across the model.

We offer:

• Competitive NHS Band 6 salary.
• Generous annual leave and pension scheme.
• Ongoing professional development and training opportunities.
• Chance to be part of an award-winning, innovative service.
• Supportive team environment focused on staff wellbeing.

Main duties of the job

As a Mental Health Specialist Practitioner you will be demonstrating specialist practice and leading by example. You will also help supervise staff, supporting senior practitioners and team managers in working towards shared objectives.

You will work collaboratively with colleagues from Police, Ambulance and Fire services, and will be triaging and supporting people of all ages.

Through our collaborative approach, we aim to achieve:

• Reductions in inappropriate detention for S136 MHA.
• Reductions in demand for ambulance resources in relation to mental health.
• Improved communication as a result of partnership working.
• Improved emergency service confidence in dealing with people suffering mental health issues.
• Faster responses to deal with those suffering from mental health problems.
• Reductions in numbers of people accessing A&E when this is not the most suitable service for their needs.
• Improved information sharing between agencies.
• Improved patient outcomes and experience.
• Improved working relationships between police and health services.
• Reductions in police dispatch to mental health incidents.
• Direct access to mental health services.

Find out more about the IAP in the information document below and through watching our service video:

About the Mental Health Integrated Access Partnership - YouTube

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Conduct comprehensive mental health triage and assessments for people in crisis.
• Provide clinical leadership and supervision to unregistered staff.
• Deliver brief therapeutic interventions and develop care plans.
• Work autonomously while collaborating closely with multi-agency partners.
• Contribute to service development and quality improvement initiatives.

This post is open to newly qualified social workers. In line with AWP trust policy all newly qualified social workers (NQSW) will be recruited initially at Band 5 level, regardless of advertised role banding.  All NQSW’s are expected to successfully complete their ASYE within 2 years of employment, unless there are exceptional circumstances in which case it may be extended for a further 2 years.

If you have been appointed to an advertised Band 6 role this will be an automatic progression, following confirmation of your successful ASYE completion. If you have been appointed to a Band 5 post you will then be eligible to apply for a subsequent Band 6 vacancy upon successful ASYE completion.