Full Job Description
Primary Mental Health Practitioner
Band 6
Thank you for your interest in joining us at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
We pride ourselves in striving to be an employer of choice.
Strategic Themes
Great Care
We will deliver safe, high quality, consistent and personalised care based on best practice. We are working to be a responsive organisation that listens and learns.
Great Organisation
We work to be a green organisation, and our sustainability plan will deliver NHS net zero targets. We will support quality care, research and innovation. All our work will be underpinned by clear and transparent principles and systems.
Great People
We will work together with our staff to create an organisation that supports our collective health and wellbeing. We will attract, retain and develop great people, and embed a caring, open, inclusive and restorative just culture that supports us to deliver quality care.
Great Partner
With our partners we will deliver health care that improves people’s quality of life, prevents ill health and reduces inequalities. We will spend our money wisely to achieve high quality outcomes that matter to local people.
At the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
The successful applicant will be an NHS employee and may therefore have contact with vulnerable service users. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to take significant steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, service users and those attending our sites. Unless exempt, we encourage and support staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.
Job overview
Due to positive & transformative changes, we now have an exciting and unique opportunity for the right person to work within Watergate Primary Care Network (PCN) as a Primary Mental Health Practitioner. You will be working alongside an established team of mental health colleagues based within the PCN, along with traditional community mental health teams and community organisations you will work primarily with General Practice and primary mental health workers in the GP hub.
Watergate Primary Care Network (PCN) represents approximately 48,000 patients and encompasses 3 friendly GP practices in Mid Cornwall. These 3 practices are Narrowcliff, Newquay Health Centre and Petroc Group Practice, and between us we have 6 GP surgeries, sited from Newquay all the way up to Padstow. The PCN vision focuses on expanding its multidisciplinary team for the benefit of the patients. We already have a team of paramedics, pharmacists, social prescribers, and physiotherapists working across the PCN.
We are in a great part of the country covering an area along the coast from Newquay though to Padstow, venturing inland to the market towns of St Columb & Wadebridge. Cornwall, if you are not familiar with it, is a great place to come and work, with great beaches and beautiful countryside. It offers the seaside, small towns, and rural communities, and alongside that we offer a good life/work balance with flexible working arrangements.
The aims of this role are:
To provide rapid and responsive assessment, signposting and brief treatment to individuals referred to the service by several routes including self-referrals and General Practitioners.
To provide support to Primary Care staff in the local management of patients with common mental health problems.
To offer short term mental health interventions to support this client group within primary care settings, working at the primary secondary care interface to facilitate movement of clients between primary and secondary care services.
It is anticipated that you will be an experienced mental health nurse/practitioner. You need to have a proactive approach and be passionate about providing a high-quality holistic approach to care. You can influence the future pathway model development with your skills and knowledge. You need to have a can-do attitude and feel confident to work with autonomy, assessing and managing the care of those in Primary Care.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be based and embedded within a Primary Care Network (PCN) working with GPs, practice nurses and other Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) workers e.g., social prescribers, health and wellbeing coaches, care co-ordinators, as part of the primary care Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). They will work with primary care GPs to manage the mental health needs of their population at the point
of contact. This includes those with lower-level support requirements that can be met within primary care, working with the Primary Care.
The role will act as interface between primary care and wider mental health services and: –
- To provide rapid and responsive assessment, signposting and brief treatment to individuals referred to the service by several routes including self-referrals and General Practitioners.
- To provide support to Primary Care staff in the local management of patients with common mental health problems.
- To ensure that people are quickly and efficiently supported to access the most appropriate treatment for their mental health difficulty.
- This post has the responsibility for providing effective day to day mental health care and management to clients with mental health problems presenting in Primary Care, developing new ways of working. They will work with service users and carers close to their home, delivery accessible and responsive interventions via flexible referral routes. They will work autonomously, flexibly, and creatively to meet the needs of the PCN population, operating as a part of the wider PCN with an agreed workplan.
- To offer short term mental health interventions to support this client group within primary care settings, working at the primary secondary care interface to facilitate movement of clients between primary and secondary care services.
- The role can also provide a dedicated service package to support those newly discharged from secondary care and their GP practice.
Working for our organisation
We’re an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people’s physical and mental health. We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.
We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you’ll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.
Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.
We work in people’s homes, in community clinics and bases. Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.
Just over 532,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon. As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increases the numbers of people who use our services.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To view a detailed job description and person specification including the main responsibilities of this role please see ‘supporting documents’.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Relevant professional qualification e.g. Dip OT, Dip SW, RMN, Clinical Psychology Grade A, or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in a mental health care setting and of liaising and working with GPs
- Suitably trained and experienced in the delivery of short term, focussed evidence-based interventions
- Experience of working with service users who experience a wide range of mental health problems in a statuary or voluntary capacity
- Experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of mental health profession with evidence of continued professional development, as defined by organisational body
- Knowledge around suicide awareness
- Sound working knowledge of the Mental Health Act of 1983 and other mental health legislation
Skills & Aptitude
Essential criteria
- Be able to manage a caseload
- Effective risk management skills
- Knowledge around suicide awareness
- Interpret complex patient’s/client needs
Desirable criteria
- Excellent teaching, training and preceptorship skills
At Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust we are proud to prioritise the development of our people. To support this, the following opportunities are available:
- Career conversations and individual development plans for succession planning and talent management
- Protected CPD time for registered staff
- Access to a dedicated central development fund supporting CPD for all staff
- Leadership and Management development programmes
- Coaching and mentoring opportunities
- A full clinical induction programme for operational skills
- Access to a care certificate programme for our band 1-4 clinical staff
- A bespoke and robust preceptorship programme to support newly qualified staff
- Individual professional development programmes
Being part of a successful NHS Foundation Trust brings a portfolio of rewards and benefits for our staff. These include:
- Suite of health and wellbeing initiatives to support our colleagues physical and mental health
- Free access to individual HARP portfolios to support revalidation for nursing staff
- Free DBS checks where required
- Discounts available from retailers, UK hotels and main attractions
- NHS Pension Scheme
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- The Trust reimburses all application costs for staff eligible to apply for EU settlement status.
The Trust reserves the right to close this advert once a sufficient number of applications have been submitted. It is encouraged that you complete the application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage of the recruitment process you will be contacted via TRAC.jobs email regarding interview details.
We are committed to diversity and equality of employment including the employment of current and former service users.
If you are successful, you agree to Occupational Health accessing your health records from your current or previous employer to check the status of your inoculations and screening tests. Appointments are subject to full three year satisfactory references therefore please ensure you include correct contact details for your nominated referees including email addresses.
Any general recruitment queries, please contact our recruitment team on 01208 834644
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
For more information: Wellbeing Jobs – 2022 | Indeed.com
