Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
SPA/Out of Hours Crisis Response (OOHCR) Practitioner
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Job Overview
We’re offering a unique opportunity to join our Single Point of Access (SPA) team — a service at the forefront of digital innovation and urgent mental health care within the Jameson Urgent Care pathway. As our service continues to evolve, SPA now provides Out of Hours face-to-face crisis assessments overnight (8pm–8:30am), supporting people across London when they need us most.
We’re looking for motivated Band 6 clinicians (nurses, social workers, occupational therapists) or Band 5 practitioners seeking a supported development pathway — who want to build confidence, autonomy and specialist skills in crisis assessment and community-based urgent care. You’ll be part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary team based at the Gordon Hospital in Victoria, working with London’s richly diverse population and gaining experience with both first-time mental health presentations and complex, severe mental illness.
SPA operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We provide telephone triage, advice, signposting and support for patients, carers, GPs and referrers, alongside our overnight crisis response function. As part of the Out of Hours team, you’ll travel across Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster to carry out timely crisis assessments, arrange appropriate support, and help reduce avoidable Emergency Department attendance by keeping people safely supported in their communities.
Main Duties of the Job
As a SPA/OOH Practitioner you will work as part of a dynamic team, managing crisis calls into the service, undertaking a clinical triage and deciding on the correct care pathway for that caller, referring callers into secondary adult MH services where appropriate, or signposting callers into non-statutory, third sector services. You will also undertake initial triage and assessments for people referred into the service, signposting and referring on as appropriate. You will be expected to co-ordinate shifts and manage and supervise more junior staff within the team.
You will also work nights and undertake visits to assess patients in their homes, always working in pairs. The role will require skilled assessment, onward referrals to CNWL services indicated and signposting similar to the telephony work. Strong clinical risk assessment and formulation skills are essential for this role as well as an excellent understanding of the range of both statutory and non-statutory mental health services available.
This role offers a rare chance to develop high-value clinical skills in crisis work, risk assessment, autonomous decision-making and culturally competent practice — all within a supportive team committed to learning, reflection and continuous improvement. Postholders will work a flexible pattern across day and night shifts and preferably hold a valid UK driving license.
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Working for our Organisation
The Single Point of Access service sits within the Urgent Care directorate and is uniquely situated as an access point into crisis support and mental health services across the whole trust.
Those in post will have the unique opportunity to expand and grow their knowledge of the organisation and the support it offers, and play a pivotal part in service users first contact with mental health services, or at the point of crisis and in need of urgent support. You will also be their lifeline in a time of crisis when they need professional support the most.
The service is committed, along with the Trust, to developing its workforce by delivering a robust package of education and training and ensuring the service delivers a trauma informed-based interventions at all times.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Central and North West London NHS Trust is committed to providing safe, effective services and providing patients and families with a positive experience. The SPA/OOHCR Practitioner will:
- Answer all calls to the SPA in a patient and courteous manner, and to screen and prioritise these appropriately.
- Undertake clinical triaging of all calls to the SPA, deciding on the correct care pathway for that call.
- Handle calls from 111 option 2 where people use this function to call and report a mental health concern.
- Refer callers onto secondary adult MH services where appropriate liaising with teams to ensure timely follow up support.
- Signpost callers on as necessary into non-statutory, third sector services.
- Identify social care and safeguarding concerns through the clinical triage process and make referrals to statutory services where needed to support the patient.
- Respond to calls within time limits set out in the SPA Operational Protocols, ensuring that where they cannot speak to a caller immediately, they are called back in timely manner.
- Take details of all callers, and to record details of all calls onto the relevant patient information system (i.e. SystmOne).
- Undertake face to face assessments with patients in their own home to establish their mental health needs and ensure timely treatment and support.
- Maintain staff and patient safety through comprehensive risk assessment and adhering to trust policy on home visiting and lone working (all visits will be with 2 staff).
- Ensure strong working relationship with local HTT’s at the beginning and the end of each night taking referrals and making referrals to HTT’s as needed.
- Be fully conversant with statutory and non-statutory services across Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, and the provision of CNWL services in each borough.
- Leading clinical handovers and coordinating shift to ensure safe allocation of all work and smooth running of service. With support from Team managers.
- Ensure safe and effective delivery of care / advice to patients and their carers, utilising own knowledge and skills.
- Provide support, information and education to family members, carers and other professionals who may access the SPA.
- Build and maintain excellent working relationships with key stakeholders, such as GPs, the Police and LAS, taking and triaging referrals as appropriate.
- Maintain a good public image of the SPA by dealing with all calls and face to face interactions in a professional manner.
- Be aware of appropriate escalation procedures in relation to difficult calls, i.e. a suicidal patient, etc.
- Demonstrate good risk assessment and management skills, ensuring that decisions made are in the interests of the individual patient’s needs and their safety.
- Participate in both clinical and managerial supervision in relation to role.
- Participate in ongoing training / teaching / reflective practice sessions as required.
- Ensure that all professional and Trust-wide clinical policies and procedures are adhered to.
- Be responsible for the maintenance of accurate patient records on relevant patient information system (i.e. SystmOne).
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Person Specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience as a clinician in an acute or community mental health setting
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to communicate effectively in person, via telephone and in writing.
- Assessing patients via telephone and in person, identify needs and implement treatment/support plans in a timely fashion.
- Strength in brief interventions and empowering service users to achieve their goals.
- Have strong understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and able to raise concerns with the appropriate statutory bodies where needed.
- Understanding how the Mental Health Act impacts on your work and the people you are working with.
- Demonstrate sound knowledge of commonly prescribed psychiatric medications, side effects and contraindications.
Education
Essential criteria
- Current NMC/HCPC Registered as RMN, OT or SW - Professional Registration.
- Evidence of relevant Continuous Professional Development.
Desirable criteria
- Practice Assessor/Supervisor qualification.
Other
Desirable criteria
- Holds a valid UK Driving License.
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