Mh Practitioner

**Service/Ward/Department Summary**:
As part of the wider Older Peoples Mental Health Services an opportunity has arisen for a Mental Health Practitioner to join the Care Home Liaison Team within the Older Peoples Community Mental Health Liaison Service.

This award winning team is based at The Meadows within the borough of Stockport. The service provides a resource into a variety of settings to support a range of disciplines from health, social care and the third sector in order to meet the mental health needs of our service users.

**Role Summary**:
To provide high quality support to residential and nursing home staff with the aim of retaining placements for service users with dementia, and other mental health needs, and avoiding unnecessary hospitalisation. The service aims to improve quality of life for nursing and care home residents.

This role is part time

The Mental Health Liaison Service for Older People provides a variety of community and hospital-based provision for residents of Stockport with either diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health problems that are not in receipt of existing mental health services.

The service provides mental health assessment, care planning support and signposting for people over the age of 65 in a variety of environments. The service is responsive to a variety of mental health needs and delivers evidence-based interventions to support vulnerable older people.

There are 4 arms to the service that come under the remit of Older People’s Mental Health Liaison.

The Mental Health Liaison Service for Older People sits in a tier between primary and secondary care and facilitates mental health assessments and the start of care and treatment planning that can either be:
1. Managed within the Mental Health Liaison Service for Older People as it is a short-term intervention, that is of varying intensity, but the mental health problem is accompanied by a broad range of physical and social problems.
2. Referred on to secondary care mental health services because of high levels of risk and/or a need for a care co-ordinator.
3. Assessed but discharged back to primary care.

**Key Responsibilities of the Post**:
Assessment of residents who are experiencing Behavioural &Psychological symptoms (BPSD) of dementia.

To be able to assess residents presenting with co-morbidities of physical and mental health needs including the impact of medication and infection.

Formulate plans of care and manage the work of support staff in delivering care which may involve modelling care techniques to care home staff.

Building and developing relationships with care providers in residential and nursing settings.

To identify the need for protection in line with the Safeguarding Adults policy and comply with local procedures and relevant training.

To have a thorough understanding of functional and organic illness in older people and management strategies to support residents in a care home setting.

To involve carers and relatives in care planning and decisions related to patient care.

**Key Requirements of the Person Specification**:
Registered Mental health Nurses or Occupational Therapist.

Evidence of continuing professional development to post graduate diploma level.

Experience of working within older peoples services.

Knowledge of medication used in this service user group.

Good working knowledge of physical health problems in the older person and assessment skills in this area.

This job description is not exhaustive, but is intended to give an overall picture of the role. Other duties within the general scope of the post may be required from time to time. The duties of the post and job description can be reviewed through the agreed process.