Specialist Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the ongoing development of the Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service, in partnership with both statutory and third sector services. The post holder will be linked to a primary care network (PCN), whilst providing a peripatetic specialist mental health clinical role within defined GP practices to support people with a wide range of mental health issues.

We would actively encourage people of all backgrounds who meet the essential criteria to apply, as we are seeking to ensure the workforce is representative of the people of Leeds. Applicants from BAME backgrounds and/or who are able to speak a community language (eg Urdu, Farsi, Polish, Romanian) are welcome.

The primary aim of this team is to support General Practice in managing the mental health of those patients where an existing mental health service within Leeds has not been identified to meet their current needs. This may include offering advice to the practice or engaging directly with the patient.

The post holder will provide access to triage, specialist mental health assessment, risk assessment, and brief intervention to prevent deterioration in mental health requiring a referral to secondary mental health services. The post holder will also provide access to triage, assessment and decision support for primary care colleagues to ensure that service users with complex mental health needs access the correct pathway and intervention to meet their needs.

The post holder will be expected to have a broad understanding of community mental health services and the wider primary care landscape. An awareness of future community mental health transformation would be beneficial.

This post is suitable for social workers, mental health nurses and occupational therapists

This will build upon Leeds’ vision for the development of a new mental health framework for care in Leeds wrapping specialist mental health clinical knowledge and skills into primary and community settings.

The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country. As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.

There are many benefits of working for LYPFT including fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 - 33 days annual leave, flexible working and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme (LYPFT pays 20.6% into your scheme each year), coaching,support and opportunities for career development and trainingand education support alongside a range of exclusive discounts and payment schemes including for cars, extra leave days and more organisations such as Blue Light Card, Health Service Discounts and NHS Discount Offers.
- The team take a transdiagnostic approach to mental health care, with the aim of using a helpful conversation/biopsychosocial assessment approach to identify and formulate the patient’s difficulties. We work alongside the patient to explore their current experiences in relation to their mental health, identify their current goals and priorities, and consider what support may be helpful to best achieve these.

This can include identifying existing services which may be of benefit to the patient and supporting referrals to these or using psychoeducation and/or practical coping strategies and skills to support the patient with symptom management.

They will work closely at the interface with secondary care mental health services, and provide clinical leadership to the Primary Care Network.
- Ensure effective communication systems are in place and used appropriately
- Full participation in appropriate managerial and clinical meetings
- Take responsibility for positively engaging service users and carers in all aspects of care delivery and evaluation
- Support the development of networks with staff working in other agencies that provide services to service users with complex mental health needs, liaising with a range of staff and clinicians in primary and community health services, social care, independent and third sector
- The post holder will report directly to the Band 7 Senior Primary Care Mental Health Liaison Practitioner, and be accountable to the Locality Manager
- To provide supervision, support and training to colleagues including through the PDP/appraisal process
- Will be able to adapt to barriers in communication that Service Users may present with e.g. emotional, psychological and physical, utilising a high level of expertise in communication skills.
- Recognised professional qualification RMN, RN (Mental Health), OT, Social Worker
- Will maintain current specific professional and legal standards of practice in accordance with professional codes of conduct.
- Extensive experience of working in partnership with service users, carers and other