Senior Mental Health Liaison Practitioner

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.

At any one time, around 23,000 people in Norfolk and Suffolk are receiving care and attention from the Trust. We believe in whole life care - seeing people in the context of their whole lives, understanding the importance of good physical health, friends, family, spirituality, culture, home, work, education and a sense of purpose and achievement to experience good mental health.

Nearly 3,200 full and part-time practitioners care for our service users in hospitals, in the community and in their own homes, whilst an additional 900+ staff provide non-clinical support, including cleaning, delivering supplies, ward administration, information technology, human resources and financial services.

We are committed to delivering quality driven mental health services. Every individual makes a valuable contribution. We are proud of our staff who have been commended for the care they provide. Do you value working positively, respectfully and together? If so, we’d love you to join us

***

JOB DESCRIPTION/PERSON SPECIFICATION

YOUR APPLICATION

**Job overview**:
The Core 24 Mental Health Liaison Service (MHLS) has a new and exciting opportunity for **x2 Band 6 Senior Mental Health Practitioners** to join our functional assessing team within the acute environment of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

In addition to the role of MHLS assessor you will also have the unique opportunity of being able to join our new Mental Health Joint Response Car (MHJRC) pilot project, working alongside our police and ambulance colleagues to support those in mental health crisis in the community to reduce A+E attendances and admission prevention whilst ensuring our services users get the right support / service for their needs.

**Main duties of the job**:
We are looking for highly motivated, solution focussed individuals who want to be part of creating excellence; and who thrive on working in a stimulating and varied environment. Participation in our pilot project also represents a rare opportunity to be a part of shaping the future of acute crisis care in the community, creating a mental health emergency service.

You will be part of an effective and mutually supportive clinical team which undertakes complex assessments and short-term interventions with patients in the NNUH. The post will have strong support from an established management team, mental health nurses, assistant practitioners, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, psychiatrists and our administrative team.The post holder will undertake the assessment, planning, and oversee delivery of direct patient mental health care, ensuring safety, continuity of practice and working within a multi-disciplinary and multiagency environment.

This role would require you to have core competencies across all mental health presentations. Within this role you will have the opportunity to expand your skills further; be part of innovation, teaching and research; visit other Liaison services, shadow other services within the university hospital, and would have the opportunity of attending conferences and training should you wish to expand your knowledge and skillset.

**Working for our organisation**:
The Core 24 Mental Health Liaison Service (MHLS) is the interface between physical and mental health working within the 1200 bed Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) and the wider NSFT. We are an evolving service receiving over 500 referrals a month. Our multidisciplinary team is made up of a wide range of professional expertise and skills with a vigorous culture of collaborative working. This provides robust support in decision making, internal education and training and assistance in your professional development.

Benefits included with this role are:

- NHS pension
- a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
- career progression
- starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
- staff physio service
- NHS discounts and many more.

**Detailed job description and main responsibilities**:
Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing their experiences and learning from each other.

**_ Testimonials_**

“I have worked within the Core24 MHLS at the NNUH for just over four years, having moved from a community setting. The team is very supportive with professionals from various backgrounds which has led to me furthering my knowledge and learning new skills. The job can be fast paced and challenging at time but very rewarding. It has provided me with an opportunity to gain enhanced knowledge and understanding of physical health presentations and the impact on mental health. Collaborative working with