Band 6 Specialist Practitioner - Victoria Centre, Swindon

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Registered Practitioner to join the Complex Intervention and Treatment Team (CITT) this is an established and dynamic team based at the Victoria Centre in Swindon. We provide specialist mental health services to older people with organic and functional illness across Swindon and we are currently looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and forward thinking Practitioner to join our team.

Swindon CIT comprises of a multi-disciplinary team. We work closely with other disciplines and ward staff, all based at The Victoria Centre, to ensure a seamless service to our client group and their support network.

Applicants will need to demonstrate experience and knowledge in  areas  of mental health care in the community, with particular needs of Older People, together with an understanding of both the CPA and Care Coordination processes.

You will be required to provide care co-ordination for an allocated caseload of service users with substantial and critical mental health needs. This will include key tasks of undertaking high quality assessments, developing care plans, delivering and reviewing therapeutic interventions.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate a high level of decision making skills and to work independently. Applicants will also need to be proficient with the use of IT systems for both data and documentation purposes. Car driver is essential.

Main duties of the job

The later life Complex Intervention and Treatment Team (CITT) based in the Victoria Centre, Swindon provides a range of key interventions which can include:

• The CIT provide assessment, formulation, treatment & therapeutic support for older people with severe & enduring mental health problems, either with a functional illness or with a dementia.
• Pharmacological interventions - medication management, prescribing and monitoring.
• Psychosocial and psychological interventions.
• Working in collaboration with AWP MDT and non AWP services.
• Complex organic and dementia presentations, including behavioural and psychological symptoms associated with dementia (BPSD).
• Statutory work under the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.
• Working in partnership to promote safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and public protection.
• Recognition of carer’s needs, signposting and help in accessing other services
• As per job description.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To undertake the full range of activities required to deliver ongoing comprehensive mental health assessment for service users with severe and enduring mental health needs living in the community and in a range of settings. This will include:
• The use of standardised assessment tools, i.e. the Cluster Allocation Support Tool (CAST).
• History, strengths and aspirations.
• Mental state.
• Impact of culture and diversity.
• Functional needs.
• The needs of family and carer.
• Evaluation of risk.
• Physical health.
• Complicating factors.
• The interventions and treatments required to enable positive change.
• Safeguarding and public protection.
• Capacity under the Mental Capacity Act.

• To be responsible for developing delivering and reviewing comprehensive and complex treatment programmes using appropriate frameworks in line with evidence-based practice, including strategies to manage risk for service users with complex needs and carers, bringing in other resources as required.
• To act as care coordinator for service users with the most complex needs, also providing defined interventions to individuals on other workers caseloads.
• To plan, deliver and evaluate defined, specialist therapeutic interventions as indicated in the assessment process ,in line with personal recovery plans, including to service users who maybe on other caseloads. This might include:
• Individual or group therapeutic intervention.
• Psychosocial interventions.
• Motivational and coping enhancement strategies.
• Medication management.
• Interventions under the Mental Health Act.
• To deliver a range of defined activities/interventions to improve the carers‘ ability to support the service user and to enable them in their relationship with the service user.
• To develop and maintain good partnership working with other services throughout all treatment episodes, including regular liaison within Primary Health Care Team, inpatient and intensive services, day services, Local Authority Swindon Borough Council, voluntary sector and with nominated carers/advocates.
• In collaboration with service users and carers, to be responsible for facilitating the development of complex comprehensive crisis plans, rapid access plans, advance statements etc, involving other agencies such as primary care etc where appropriate.
• To personally build and lead others to build, hope inspiring relationships with service users, which acknowledge the personal journey of each person, and focus on strengths and aspirations to allow the creation of meaningful personal recovery plans.
• To be responsible for maintaining own workload, as well as planning the workload of others, on a day to day basis, ensuring that time is prioritised effectively, utilising of electronic resources such as diaries/scheduling.
• To be responsible for the protection of individuals from abuse and harm in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures, including working with others in the planning development and review of protection plans, ensuring the appropriate sharing of information.
• Coordinating and undertaking protective interventions which maybe required in the protection of others, as outlined in the protection plan, taking individual action where indicated.
• Personally and leading others to collaboratively and sensitively work with individuals, with a range of mental health needs to develop skills to manage their own health, in accordance with their personal recovery plan, by actively promoting and using approaches which are affirming, build on strengths, identify past positive experiences and success, and use small steps to move towards the persons goal.
• Undertake active clinical leadership and supervision within the team, covering for the colleagues as required.
• To maintain the health and clinical records, ensuring both paper and electronic records are kept up to date in accordance with professional and organisational standards.
• Report and record within agreed timeframes, all activity relating to information reporting and performance requirements.
• To participate in management, caseload and clinical supervision in accordance with trust policy.
• To provide mentoring/training for others in relevant practice areas, according to professional requirements, taking a collaborative approach to practice development and evidence-based care. Specifically this means providing a safe and effective learning environment for the mentoring and supervising of students , participating in their learning objectives and assessments.
• Demonstrate responsibility for developing own practice in line with professional qualifications and for contributing to the development of others, by making use of and providing, effective feedback, supervision, coaching and appraisal.
• Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others, undertaking assessments and taking appropriate action where required.
• Develop own knowledge and practice, and contribute to the development of others, making use of available feedback, supervision and appraisal to identify appropriate areas of development for this work role, taking responsibility for accessing identified learning and training opportunities.
• Lead, maintain and participate in practices which enable effective team working.
• To participate in on call rotas as required.
• To participate in local arrangements in order to ensure consistent care to service users across the local geography.

Other Duties

The post holder may be required to perform duties other than those given in the job description for the post. The particular duties and responsibilities attached to posts may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibilities entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and would not of themselves justify the re-evaluation of a post. In cases, however, where a permanent and substantial change in the duties and responsibilities of a post occurs, consistent with a higher level of responsibility, then the post would be eligible for re-evaluation.

Person Specification

Essential knowledge, skills and experience

• Diploma level/Degree in relevant health/social care profession, eg RMN, RGN.
• Current relevant registration with the NMC and commitment to CPD, registration with Social Work England, registration with Health and Care professions Council (OT).
• Demonstrates substantial post-registration experience gained working in front-line mental health services, undertaking assessment and delivering interventions.
• Is able to deliver from a range of possible key therapeutic interventions.
• Demonstrates a developed understanding of the recovery principles, and the role of secondary mental health services in the delivery of care.
• Demonstrates substantial experience of, and relevant professional practice, qualification in mentoring/assessing students and learners.
• Demonstrates substantial experience of assessing risk and developing risk management strategies.
• Demonstrates substantial experience of supervising others, monitoring their performance appraisal and ensuring delivery of activity.
• Able to articulate a detailed understanding of the relevant legal Frameworks/legislation including CPA process, Mental Health Act , Mental Capacity Act, and Safeguarding.
• Highly developed verbal communication skills, able to engage effectively with people at all levels even when a more assertive approach is needed.
• Highly developed active listening skills, which allow for reframing and testing of understanding.
• Highly developed written communication skills, with experience of compiling and sorting notes and reports, establishing statistical data and analysing information.
• Substantially developed IT skills including competent use of Microsoft Office, and the use of electronic record keeping systems.
• Demonstrates a willingness to embrace new technology and processes.
• Mobile with the facility to move quickly across a geographically dispersed area with limited access to public transport.

Desirable knowledge, skills and experience

• Relevant post-registration qualifications, such as Thorn, Non Medical Prescribing, CBT, AMHP, Brief Interventions etc.
• Experience gained in a wide variety of settings.