Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

Are you looking for a role which brings a real challenge every day?

My name is Katherine and I am looking for Urgent Care Practitioners to join the Mental Health Liaison team who can bring knowledge and expertise to this dynamic area of mental health service provision.

You will be working at the interface between physical and psychological health and bring your knowledge and expertise to your general hospital colleagues. You will undertake specialist and timely mental health assessments and treatment for patients attending the General Hospital.

We support patients with a wide range of problems, including self-harm, adjustment to illness and physical and psychological co-morbidities. As there is no entrance requirement for A&E and people's perceptions of what constitutes a mental health emergency or crisis can vary, our team are referred people with all sorts of problems, including those people presenting to mental health services for the very first time.

Main duties of the job

I am looking for practitioners who are confident in the management of common mental health problems and who can bring their knowledge to their general hospital colleagues both informally and by undertaking teaching sessions. You will need excellent communication skills and be able to foster excellent relationships with patients, carers, general hospital colleagues and other parts of the health and social care system.

This is a challenging but rewarding role, offering an exciting opportunity to nurses, occupational therapists or social workers who have strong assessment and therapeutic skills. You will need the ability to work autonomously whilst still contributing to the team as a whole. If you enjoy the challenge and stimulus of working under pressure and are able to remain calm in quickly changing circumstances, you will be well suited to this role.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID.

Working for our organisation

This is an exciting role, that welcomes registered mental health nurses, occupational therapists or social workers with relevant professional registration who possess strong mental health assessment and therapeutic skills. Previous experience of working in acute mental health services is desirable although not essential.

We offer a robust induction programme through clinical supervision, coaching and teamwork.

We are pleased to offer you flexible working opportunities.

This post attracts The Trusts Golden Hello for band 6 practitioners, or a Relocation package up to a maximum of £2,000 (pro rata applies and subject to terms and conditions which apply).

We encourage flexible working. We know that a positive work/ life balance brings about huge health-related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, home-working, part time hours, flexible start/ finish times or anything else. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As our Coastal Urgent Care Pathway moves towards CORE 24 standards, the post-holder will work flexible hours to support delivery of 24/7 services.

This role will support the work of and across Urgent Care Teams (Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team and The Haven) and as such the post holder will be expected to work across these teams as required. Our three services are integral to our Urgent Care Pathway and ensure people presenting to acute mental health services receive a compassionate, person- centred assessment and timely care plan whether this occurs in an acute setting such The Haven; the General Hospital or in their home.

This new flexible way of working provides the successful applicant the opportunity to gain experience and demonstrate good quality care across the range of urgent care services.

Previous experience of working in acute services, home treatment teams or Liaison Psychiatry is desirable, although not essential. We offer excellent staff support through clinical supervision and teamwork.

Person specification

Qualifications
Essential criteria

• Registered Mental Nurse, Social Worker or OT
• Mentorship, ENB 998 or level 3 module in teaching and assessing in clinical practice

Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria

• Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and DOL's
• Knowledge of the MHA (1983/2007)

Analytical & Judgement skill
Essential criteria

• Excellent clinical skills

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.