Mental Health Advisors

Are you looking for a new challenge? Single Point of Access (SPA) is looking to recruit a band 4 mental health advisor to join our busy and exciting multi-disciplinary team.

The SPA team is highly motivated, diverse, energetic and has a ready to help attitude. Our professional and multi-disciplinary staff group whose ability to intercede on behalf of patients across all levels of healthcare is nurtured and respected. We believe in embracing the expertise of our nurses, allied health professionals and mental health advisors, and making a difference to the lives of our service users. Working in this service places you on the frontline of community mental health care and will equip you with the skills you need to respond to a variety of clinical needs at short notice and provide you with potential future career development.

This post will demand that you are highly motivated, can be flexible in an ever changing environment and can communicate effectively across a multi-professional team.

The post holder will work within a 24-hour rota system (including night shifts) - ensuring that a comprehensive service is provided to patients 365 days a year.

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK.

Our 3,982 staff care for people in hospital and in the community, helping them to recover and go on to lead full and productive lives. We aim to be the best organisation of our kind in the country.

We provide care and treatment for more than 800,000 people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow, delivering services in the community (at home, in GP surgeries and care homes), hospital, specialist clinics and forensic (secure) units.

We are rated good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Together, we’re committed to promoting hope and wellbeing, working with patients, service users, carers, families and partners across the communities we serve.

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of physical health, community, social care, and mental health care in the UK.

We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.

Covid-19 vaccination is a condition of employment for this role, unless an exemption applies. The successful applicant may have contact with vulnerable service users and we will therefore seek proof of being fully vaccinated during the recruitment process.

The section below provides details of the key tasks / responsibilities to be undertaken by this role.

1. To develop and maintain communication with individuals or groups of patients, carers, and staff about difficult or complex matters, overcoming any problems in communication in a difficult situation.
- To communicate with people in a manner which:

- is consistent with their level of understanding, culture, background and preferred ways of communicating
- acknowledges the purpose of the communication
- is appropriate to the context
- encourages their participation
- responds to communication of any kind from them.
- To improve communication through:

- changing the methods of communicating
- modifying the content and structure of communication
- reflection on the barriers to effective communication. To confirm that you have accurately interpreted communications.
- To provide feedback to other staff on their communication at appropriate times.
- To maintain accurate patient records consistent with legislation and, policies and procedures.
- To maintain confidentiality during communication consistent with Trust policy and legislation; gaining any necessary authorisation for releasing information prior to doing so.
- To identify the range of people likely to be involved in the communication, any potential communication difference and relevant contextual factors.
- To actively seek support and supervision when having dealt with highly distressing situations.

1. To develop own knowledge and skills and contribute to the development of others.
- To take responsibility for one’s own continuing development and performance and maintain a record of training accomplished.
- To identify one’s own development needs in relation to current practice and future plans; setting personal development objectives in the context of the Trusts personal development review process.
- To attend relevant courses and in-house learning opportunities.
- Clinical Supervision
- Reflective practice groups. To contribute to developing the workplace as a learning environment.