Senior Mental Health Practitioner

Job summary

3 x 37.5 & 1 x 20 Hours Per Week

Single Point of Access (SPA) is a diverse, supportive team of band 6 (or social work equivalent) nurses and occupational therapists. No two days are the same. Every call/conversation is different. Referrals are accepted from age 18 years upwards. SPA is a highly motivated experienced group of practitioners.

SPA completes triages and assessments for referrals into secondary mental health services. Referrals are from professionals and self-referrals. The team carry out telephone triage and telephone or face-to-face assessments. The team works closely with all trust teams across Calderdale, North, and South Kirklees.

We are a nurse lead team supported by various consultants. The team has psychology support for referrals and the psychologist carries out monthly reflective practice sessions for the team. The team works from either the team based at Beckside court, trust buildings in Calderdale and Kirklees and from home.

If you are highly motivated, flexible and enjoy new challenges, then this is the team for you.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

Main duties of the job

SPA works a 12hour shift pattern over 3 days working Monday Friday 07:45 20:15. You will be carrying out triage or assessments. We use the UK mental health triage tool and triage risk and appropriateness for secondary mental health services.

You would be responsible for making decisions on the urgency and risk of a referral being solutions focused and supporting decision with research-based evidence. Triage is completed over the telephone.

Assessments are face-to-face or over the telephone in a trust building or at their home. You should be competent in clinical assessment, and computer literate to complete necessary documentation. We cover the whole of Kirklees and Calderdale, so you need to be able to travel to cover all of this area.

You will need to be flexible as situations change on a day-to-day basis. You will need excellent communication skills both verbal and written as we take referrals from anyone aged 18 years and over and also with professionals making referrals.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect patients.

Job responsibilities

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.