Reconnect Practitioner

**A rare opportunity has arisen in our new service RECONNECT**: West Mercia for a Band 6 Practitioner (RMN, RGN, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or Speech and Language Therapist). The RECONNECT Service operates across West Mercia. The vacancy is within the Worcestershire area.

A RECONNECT Practitioner will be embedded within HMPP service at HMP Hewell and on occasion Stoke Heath receiving referrals from a variety of sources, screening and offering up to two points of contact with offenders pre-release.

They will manage a team of support staff including lived experience workers who will offer support post release for up to 6 months. Reconnect is not a treatment service, but will support clients and signpost them to appropriate support.

You will recognise that a person's past experiences and needs can be a contributing factor to contact with the Criminal Justice System. You will also recognise that individuals can be motivated and empowered to make positive changes and, in doing so, reduce the risk of reoffending. We are looking for proactive, forward thinking professionals who enjoy working in a variety of settings (Prison, home, police stations, Court and community). People like you

Make a change for your own career and support real change in others’ lives.

Please click to view this video for an insight into RECONNECT as a service, and hear how service users have managed their mental health with our support: Managing My Health with NHS Reconnect | Getting Out - YouTube

Working primarily from HMP Hewell. The role demands good working relationship with the police and healthcare in custody, alongside other Criminal Justice Partners and wider agencies services. The team is looking for a dynamic, proactive, enthusiastic, and highly skilled professional who is confident to make sound decisions and give appropriate recommendation.

You will be Triaging referrals from many sources as part of the multidisciplinary team. Assessing the referred clients for suitability for the service and assisting them to develop high impact action plans to address their unmet needs. You will then refer the clients on to relevant support services and allocate their work to Reconnects Community support side.

Due to the working patterns, there is a high proportion of autonomous working within Prison, custody suites and courts across the area.

The post holder will be expected to be available for consultation, support and clinical supervision to other health and social care professionals and working within Health and Justice Teams and other areas of the Trust where identified appropriate.

We are embedding values based and inclusive recruitment practices to ensure that all applicants, from any backgrounds, have an equal chance of success in achieving a role with us.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for the role in the additional documents.

**In summary**:

- Take responsibility for specialist assessment (within service specification) in Reconnect in conjunction with service user and carer, helping to promote self-determination, choice and autonomy.
- Responsible for participating in the setting of quality standards, including the auditing, monitoring and reviewing of practice in line with current clinical guidance practice and policy.
- Assess patient's individual care needs, agree and refer on to appropriate agency.
- Complete and contribute, where appropriate to robust risk assessments and risk management plans. Deliver and promote positive risk taking, where appropriate, to improve quality of life and maximise occupational performance/independence.
- Maintain an effective reporting system by observing and reporting verbally and in writing on patient conditions.
- Utilise agreed outcome measures to review the effectiveness of process, as part of the Health and Justice Service.
- Participate in the development of the service to ensure clinical governance processes are actively implemented at team level.
- Assist in ensuring that the aims and objectives of the service (as set by the Team Leader) are fulfilled and to identify factors which may inhibit these from being achieved.
- The post holder will be required to work within the NMC Code of Practice and professional guidelines.
- Maintain an up-to-date level of professional competence within the specific environment.
- Assist in the implementation of evidence-based nursing practice and participate in research and other projects as required.