Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Mental Health Practitioner
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Job Overview
To play a key role in the important ‘Early Days in Custody’ of prisoners, working closely with other departments to ensure that all risks are assessed and managed, providing a presence, with other team members.
To function fully within the Integrated Mental Health Team, assessing and treating patients through their journey in prison. To accept referrals and triage patients with the team. To undertake comprehensive assessments alone or with colleagues and provide feedback to the Multi-disciplinary Team, ensuring that planned care is individual and appropriate to the needs of the patient.
To provide effective case management to a defined caseload in accordance with the Care Programme Approach, in conjunction with the team, appropriate prison departments and external health, social care and probation services. To ensure effective pre-release care planning.
Main duties of the job
- Promote the health and well-being of patients and maintain a safe, caring and therapeutic environment based on an individualised approach. Working with the Mental Health Nurse Lead to provide an environment that promotes training and development among the workforce.
- Work under the direction of the Deputy Head of Healthcare (Mental Health Lead) and Mental Health Nurse Lead to ensure that clinical priorities are clearly understood and met to an agreed standard.
- Assess health and social care needs and negotiate care plans with Patients and staff teams.
- Undertake risk assessments including the formulation of comprehensive plans developed jointly with the Patients and staff teams.
- Work within the Prison Service safer custody framework for managing Suicide and self-harm (SASH procedures) to support Patients requiring this.
- Provide a service sensitive to age, culture, ethnicity and gender, sexuality and disability.
- Contribute to the effective multi-disciplinary team working within the team and the rest of the Prison.
- Participate in the reception/induction process, and any other model that the local team adopts, in order to identify individuals with mental health problems at the earliest opportunity.
Working for our organisation
We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic, in the patient’s own home or in a Prison. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.
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Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.
We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.
With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities, Health & Justice and more – whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
- To have an active presence and act as a resource for all staff and prisoners, in addition to those patients under your care, in the Segregation unit and Clinical Assessment Unit.
- Work with the agreed Core Assessment Tool within all relevant Prison Departments.
- Carry out duties in accordance with Prison / NOMS policies.
- Undertake comprehensive assessment of individuals: to include all areas of need and information gathering from all relevant Prison Departments and external agencies.
- Case manage an identified caseload of clients, in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team and relevant agencies and carers. To include the planning and implementation of effective care plans, regular review meetings, timely referral to external agencies, within the framework of the CPA, to ensure effective pre-release planning.
- Communicate effectively with all relevant internal departments and external agencies regarding clients, within the restrictions of a prison environment.
- Work closely with the MDT and identify and facilitate an effective range of therapeutic interventions for this particular client group.
- Respond to urgent referrals and to assess whether input from the team is indicated/appropriate.
- Offer a range of evidence based interventions and proactive risk management approaches to help the patient reduce and manage symptoms, high risk behaviour and other disabling effects of their conditions and enable, as far as possible, full and sustained recovery.
- Ensure that both CNWL Safeguarding Adults and Children Guidelines and procedures are fully understood and to ensure the safety needs of adults and children involved are met at all times and take appropriate action when either the adult or/and child is felt to be at risk or in need.
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Person specification
Education And Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse (RMN)
- Mentorship or supervisor qualification
- Evidence of professional development since registration
Desirable criteria
- Post registration qualification that enhances clinical work: CBT, DBT, Dual Diagnosis, etc.
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Substantial post registration experience
- Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Experience of care co-ordinating within CPA framework
- Experience of working in community setting
- Experience of mentoring or supervising students
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a Prison or forensic environment
Skills and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Risk assessment and management skills
- Ability to engage in evidence based practice, with an understanding of care quality (clinical governance).
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team and independently as appropriate
- Expert in engaging with people with mental health problems, assessing their needs, designing and delivering appropriate interventions and evaluating the effectiveness of the process.
- Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
- Proven ability to work patients to increase their level of self-determination and resilience.
- Knowledge of CPA, Mental Health Act, MAPPA, legislation and policies relevant to prison mental health.
- Knowledge of current challenges / developments in Prison health.
- Knowledge of safeguarding frameworks
Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics
Essential criteria
- Motivated to maintain the highest standards possible in the service
- Able to ask for support where required.
- Compassionate & non-judgmental approach.
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