Specialist Mental Health Practitioner

We are looking forqualified and experienced Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Therapists, or Social Workersto join us in Mental Health Practitioner roles, Monday to Friday across the Primary Care Network, supporting GPs with on the day Mental Health support for patients. These new roles will provide an opportunity for better joint working across primary care and adult secondary care mental health systems and will make it easier for patients to obtain the help they need.

If you are proactive and passionate about innovation and providing a high-quality holistic approach to the care of people who have been identified as in need of mental health support in a primary care setting, we want to hear from you.

We are excited to be developing these community services and look forward to welcoming you to a hardworking and dedicated team. As this service is part of the BOB (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West) Integrated Care System (ICS), you will also have access to a wider BOB peer support network group designed for sharing experience and best practice with colleagues and providing peer to peer support.

**Work base**:
**In Berkshire West, we have 15 PCNs in the following areas**:

- Reading
- Wokingham
- Newbury

To provide a lead in supporting the PCN in triaging mental health concerns raised by on the day patient requests, providing specialist advice and support within GP surgeries.

To review patients presenting with mental health issues, consider a range of support and treatment interventions, providing them with highly specialised advice and signposting when appropriate and liaising with GPs and MH teams

To offer brief interventions as needed e.g. problem solving, decision making, building resilience, building on personal strengths, risk de-escalation, medication advice and prescribing if a registered NMP

Working as a member of the primary Care MDT and taking responsibility for the development and implementation of specialist mental health training to the PCN

To provide a navigation role to help GP’s make appropriate referrals to the relevant community and secondary care services - bridging the gap between primary care services such as IAPT and secondary care, working in partnership across the system.

Working pattern + Service operating hours

Service operates Monday to Friday. Hours worked will match the GP surgeries you are assigned to and will be worked within 8am-8pm. Typical shifts are 11.30am-8.00pm, 8.00am-4.00pm and 9.00am - 5.30pm. You may be asked to do a combination of these shifts each week depending on the G.P. surgery hours. You will usually be assigned to 3 surgeries within your area.

We value our employees and put people first. We achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating overall in our latest CQC inspection, which found that: ‘Managers across Berkshire Healthcare promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on shared values.’ In the latest National Staff Survey, our Trust achieved top place from of all Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Trusts across the country for staff recommending it as a place to work.

**Some of the benefits of joining our team**:

- Salary ranging from £40057.00 to £45839.00 per annum
- Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance
- Generous Annual leave - 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part time staff
- Option to buy/sell annual leave
- Excellent learning and development opportunities
- Sick Pay
- Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
- Advanced IT enablement and support 
- Employee Assistance Program
- Enhanced well-being offer for our staff including access to counselling to support staff
- Employee Awards
- And so much more 

Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

**The 3 “must haves” for you to be considered for this role**:
**1. Current professional registration**: Registered Mental Health Nurse, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist.
2. Community experience in mental health services for adults and older age adults with severe / significant mental illness
3. Experience of providing a range of evidence-based interventions to people with a variety of mental health problems and serious mental illness