Mental Health Practitioner

Somerset Foundation Trust, with Somerset system partners, are leading the way on breaking down the barriers to access Mental Health services. This exciting project seeks to widen access to patients who are experiencing mental health and emotional difficulties to ensure that everyone receives the right treatment at the right time.

This post offers a new and exciting opportunity to work within Primary Care Networks, based in GP practices or to work in a blended role across what was traditionally seen as Primary Care and Secondary Care mental health services. Both areas of the service are transforming and learning to work closely together, and this post offers an opportunity to be a key part of those developments as the teams continue to come together as one larger service.

Part of the role will be directly involved in assessing patients referred from Primary Care (this will include adults of working age and older adults), followed by identifying and facilitating appropriate support/treatment for them. For most people this will mean remaining within Primary Care - supported either by the Primary Care Liaison for brief psychological interventions, the Open Mental Health Alliance or by Talking Therapies. For some, with more complex needs, it will involve facilitating a smooth transfer into Somerset Foundation Trust Secondary Mental Health services.

If your choice is to work in a blended role the other part of the role will involve delivering a high quality, comprehensive mental health service for patients with severe and enduring mental health difficulties. This will involve managing a defined caseload, with a focus on working with individuals who experience a complex range of needs and difficulties and supporting their significant others. Although this is traditionally understood as a care coordination role, and there will be some care coordination responsibilities, the roles within our team are changing and developing to better meet the needs of service users and may be more focused on achieving clearly identified goals and delivering evidence-based interventions.

The post holder must hold a full driving licence and have permanent access to own transport and have appropriate insurance.

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, fantastic pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone’s throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will to experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone

To guide assessment, formulation and treatment planning for people with mental health problems, this will include developing formulations for patients, and to assist other practitioners in primary and secondary care including voluntary sector workers to develop formulations as appropriate in relation to their caseload.
To act as lead professional for a caseload of people with mental health difficulties and developing their care plan, coordinating and reviewing their care and treatment outlined in the plan, at times offering direct individual and group interventions to these and other patients where appropriate.
To promote best practice in positive risk management amongst teams working with this patient group.
To provide liaison into Primary and Secondary Care services, building relationships with GPs and other health professionals.
To participate in wider multidisciplinary working across primary and secondary care services.
Ensure that carers’ needs are assessed, and appropriate intervention or onward referral is provided depending on need.
To work collaboratively and flexibly with the multi-professional teams within Neighbourhoods to co-ordinate a coherent approach towards a mild to severe mental illness, actively promoting continuity of care and approach between services and to co-ordinate working practices.
To participate actively in team meetings, PCN MDT’s and other forums as appropriate in order to secure best possible clinical outcomes.
To ensure that there is adherence to local policies and practice.

Please refer to the job description for full details on the role.