Clinical Practice Specialist - Extended Hours

Job overview

As part of our on-going commitment to make it easier for Islington residents to access mental health care and treatment an in line with NHS England expectations, we’re extending the provision of our Core services outside of the traditional 9-5 offer. We know that that service users in employment, studying or with caring responsibilities find it hard to attend appointments between 9-5. Service-Users requiring un-planned support and treatment outside of 9-5 are also currently unable to access this until the next working day.

After receiving new investment, we’re now able to extend our operating hours to 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, to allow us to offer additional appointments for both planned and un-planned care.​ We want to make Community Services more accessible and reduce the numbers of clients not attending their appointments​.

Main duties of the job

We propose to offer an extended hours Core service from the new site at Lowther Road. This combined extended provision will support service users open to any of the Core pathways and across services.

The role of Clinical Practice Specialist Extended Hour service is fundamental to the developing of these innovative new ways of working. The role will support the ongoing development and mobilisation of integrated mental health service offer. The role provides and promotes flexible and responsive access to assessment, treatment and/or onward bridging to community resources and support, in line with evidence based interventions for people with serious mental illness. The role will help people to focus on achievable goals and access local community resources.

The service offer will be for people over 18 years (including carers) who are experiencing mental health difficulties but with a specific focus on: inequality of access by ensuring availability of mixture of in-person face-to-face and remote (telephone, video or online) appointments Monday to Friday 8-8pm. This is especially for those who struggle to access/receive support via the traditional 9-5 operating hours,

The post holder will provide high quality care and a safe and therapeutic environment to patients experiencing mental health problems / physical health difficulties. To achieve this, strong relationships with stakeholders will need to be developed and maintained through collaborative working.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Provide follow up care for service users who are difficult to engage or struggling to access care and support through the traditional 9-5 operating hours as well as offer care and support to other service user who requires support within 8-8pm.
• Work closely with colleagues in specialist community mental health services and crisis services to ensure smooth transitions between teams and services and facilitate an ‘easy in, easy out’ approach to improve access to evidence-based interventions.
• Provide a responsive place-based care and support   for clients in immediate crisis where their needs/difficulties are best met or understood within a biopsychosocial model and away from physical health setting (A&E).

Offer professionals support which can be accessed by community partners such as the police, paramedics and GPs who are seeking clinical advice around mental health crisis or when use of s136 is being considered.

• Use evidence based practice to provide assessment and interventions that promotes the engagement of the client in treatment, to assist them into recovery.
• Share in the clinical management of a defined caseload and develop an interface with other services and agencies so that service users are offered focussed and co-ordinated packages of care which are appropriate to their needs.