Mental Health Practitioner

1a To improve children and young peoples mental health through the delivery of an integrated and coordinated system of community based mental health care to children, young people, and their families, providing safe, culturally competent, effective, cost efficient, timely and accessible services that are in accordance with national and local priorities and are responsive to the needs and views of local children, young people, and their families. 2a To support the delivery of consultation, liaison, and training to staff in Universal/targeted/specialist Services. To also provide clinical input to the team, delivering practice within best evidence and to the highest possible standard. The post sits within a multi-agency locality-based team within the city offering mental health assessment and treatment interventions in line with NICE Guidelines.

3a To contribute to a positive working environment and open learning culture, which supports high morale and commitment within the Community Mental Health Team promoting wellbeing, personal development, and continuous improvement in the standards of business activities and professional practice. 4a. To work with children/young people/families and professionals working with them, to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and contribute to the embedding of a positive message about maintaining good mental health. 5a The Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) will be supported to develop the ability to provide specialist and autonomous, culturally competent mental health assessment, formulation of and implementation of specific care plans and review for children and young people and their families/carers following a request for involvement.

The MHP will have skills that enable them to communicate that assessment in writing to the referrer and the General Practitioner. This information may also be required to be copied to any other relevant parties involved in the young persons care, with the young persons permission where appropriate. 6a All Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) must use an evidence-based approach to develop and implement a specialist program of intervention to a defined caseload of children and young people. These interventions will be based on a clear theoretical framework and will take full account of the child or young persons developmental needs, gender, ethnicity, religion, race, ability, and sexual orientation.

The MHP will need to develop their skills and knowledge enabling them to draw on a range of therapeutic interventions, for example different psychotherapeutic models, non
- verbal therapeutic approaches and other techniques adapted for use with children and young people. They will also need to develop an extensive knowledge of the full range of children and family services across all agencies. 7a Direct intervention by the MHP is undertaken according to the competencies of individuals. As a Band 6 clinician the expectation will be that the clinician takes a lead role in the delivery of the service and supervise the junior members of the team.

It will be evidence based and informed by a clear theoretical framework. The MHP will describe the planned care within a written care plan, review, and update, which has been signed by the child/young person and/or parent/carer. 8a The MHP will develop the skills and knowledge enabling to choose an intervention and deliver that from a range of therapeutic modalities including systemic practice, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy. 9a The post holder will be expected to draw upon experience and knowledge gained through training and practice relating to child development, child and adolescent mental health and adult mental health.

10a The MHP will demonstrate effective skills in the assessment and reassessment of risk and communicate concerns accurately in a timely fashion. This is inclusive of priority assessments and requires multi-agency responses to risk assessment and risk management plans. 11a The MHP will develop skills and knowledge enabling them to make an autonomous decision about the time of discharge, and agree with the child, young person, and family/carers as well as multi-agency key partners. Communicate a summary of the work undertaken and how to sustain improvements made and include correspondence to General Practitioner.

12a The MHP is required to maintain high effective standards in the recording of clinical observations and actions, risk and risk management including child protection in health records. 13a The MHP will provide schools, and/or other community venues, with access to individual and small group therapeutic interventions for those pupils who require it, including working with families. 14a All MHPs work with families at their homes, education, and community settings and at base as appropriate/required by children/young people and their families. 15a The MHP will strongly adhere to culturally competent and anti-discriminatory practice, promote equity