Mental Health Liaison Nurse Sandwell, fixed term 4 months

Job overview

Band 6 Mental Health Liaison Nurse

We have moved!!! Do you want to join a Psychiatric Liaison Team, in a newly opened acute medical hospital? If you’re a skilled RMN, experienced in urgent care, and willing to work in a challenging and rewarding role, at an exciting time, then we want to hear from you

We are looking for an experienced and skilled band 6 RMN to join our psychiatric Liaison Team, based at the recently opened Midland Metropolitan University hospital, in Cape Hill, West Birmingham.  The hospital opened on 6th October 2024, and provides urgent care and treatment to the Sandwell and West Birmingham locality.

This is an exciting time for us, as the psychiatric Liaison Team will being delivered by both Black Country Health Care Foundation trust, and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust.  Both providers will be delivering a service collaboratively, as one team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide a direct line of contact for referrals from the Emergency Department and in patient wards for all patients over 18 attending the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. The role of the mental health liaison nurse will be to complete biopsychosocial assessments of adults aged 18 and above, requiring acute mental health care in the , formulating robust and holistic risk management and care plans to support discharge to appropriate community or inpatient services.

To work various shift patterns participating in a flexible, 7 days per week rota on a shift rotational basis. The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. .Applicants  who would be interested in working predominantly nights, will be considered.

To ensure the service operates in line with national guidance for core 24 model and follows guidance from NICE for the assessment of individuals presenting at acute hospital and the policy implementation guide for Liaison Psychiatry and psychological medicine. The guidance recommends that every patient presenting with self-harm should be offered a comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessment, risk assessment and packages of care to expedite discharge from hospital and access to more appropriate services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To undertake comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of patients referred into the service

• Following assessment the post holder will devise and deliver interim risk management and clinical intervention plans and for patients requiring mental health input, in collaboration with the medical teams and patient and where appropriate their carer.

• Demonstrate the ability to arrive at a formulation of risk following assessment which incorporates the principles of positive risk taking

• Formulate a comprehensive risk management plan to address areas of identified risk and oversee this until clinical responsibility is passed to another clinician or clinical team

• Demonstrate the necessary clinical skills to contain and manage patients exhibiting challenging behaviours

• Accurately and comprehensively document the assessment, formulation, risk assessment and agreed management plan based on the assessed needs of the patient. Documentation should take various forms to accommodate the communication needs of the patient, carers and the wider clinical team. This includes inputting the assessment on the Common Assessment Tool, and hand written, relevant documentation in the medical notes.

• Responsible for evaluating the outcomes of prescribed care

• Accurately record all referrals and contacts on the trusts IT system within 24 hours.

• Complete a Care Cluster Allocation tool for each patient.

• Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the legislation and guidance involved in determining a person’s capacity

• Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the psychosocial risk factors for mental health issues in older adults

• Demonstrate a knowledge of dementia, delirium and depression/anxiety in older adults.

• Demonstrate up to date knowledge of mental health issues

• Demonstrate up to date knowledge of the impact of aging on risk and its assessment &management, e.g. suicide and falls

• Communicate effectively with patients with physical psychological co

morbidities, including cognitive and sensory impairment, their carers and members of the care team.

• liaise effectively with, other services involved in the patient’s care including MHCOP, physical care team, social services and primary care services and to discuss and assist in the implementation of effective care programmes for older adults

• Act upon concerns about safeguarding issues.

• Demonstrate up to date knowledge of The Mental Health Act and The Mental Capacity Act as they apply to patient care in the acute hospital.

• Request Mental Health Acts when clinically indicted,

• Support patients in participating in all aspects of their health care.

• To be aware of the need to avoid inappropriate admission to hospital, reduce the length of stay in hospital and support appropriate, timely discharge from acute hospital wards.

• Responsible for working with SWBT and BCHFT teams, other mental health trusts, Primary care teams, social services and other agencies to identify and introduce appropriate care pathways.

• Required to work closely with the Crisis Recovery and Home treatment teams. This includes supporting referral and assessment of patients to the Adult and Older Adult home treatment teams as required.

• To effectively and efficiently provide psychological support to patients with mental health needs who are temporarily in crisis, or who have mental health needs as a result of their physical illness or as a result of being hospitalised.

• To provide time limited liaison reviews when needed for those patients with more complex and enduring mental health needs whilst inpatient in Sandwell General Hospital

• Contribute to the development and quality of clinical practice of liaison work with this client group at local and national levels.

• Undertake relevant data collection, analysis and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the post.

• Develop knowledge and networks with local community resources and cascade this into the team.

• Promote effective communication between the Acute Trust and Mental Health Service, identifying and reporting difficulties to appropriate service managers

• To work alongside acute staff and raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and how to deal with patients who suffer with mental health illness, who also have comorbid medical conditions on order to enhance the current level of care offered.

• To reduce the number of re-attenders into Emergency Departments by signposting to more appropriate service.

• To contribute to student training programmes