Band 6 Mental Health Liaison Nurse

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for substantive positions within the Mental Health Liaison Team in BANES. We are looking to recruit registered practitioners (RMN, OT or Social Worker) who has an interest in working with individuals who have presented to the Royal United Hospital (RUH).

We are looking for individuals, who are interested in working with adults (18+) who may present following an episode of self-injury to the Emergency Department or on a general medical ward and for Older Adults who may have a cognitive impairment, delirium who may have complex physical health needs. However, the team offer learning opportunities to work alongside service users experiencing medically unexplained symptoms, functional disorders and severe and enduring mental illnesses while admitted for physical health treatment at the Royal United Hospital.

The team covers a 7 day working week, 365 days a year - with a pattern of shifts 8 am to 4pm, 9-5pm, 10am to 6pm, 12 to 8pm and 4pm to midnight. However flexible would be considered to ensure promotion of your own work/life balance.

You will be joining an established and experienced band 6 nurse team, who we invite and encourage you to spend time with to see how exciting this job can be as no two days are ever the same

The team are looking for a like-minded individuals, who is enthusiastic and self-motivated, with an eagerness to learn, or those who already have excellent biopsychosocial assessment and risk management skills.

Main duties of the job

Mental Health Liaison practitioners are accountable for the provision of a responsive, needs-led mental health assessment and short-term intervention service to adults presenting to the RUH with mental health problems. Promotion of a positive attitude and a supportive culture is key in relation to psychiatric illness across the general hospital.

You will be integral to improved patient journey and outcomes for those individuals referred to the team, and should be willing to work in a flexible, but exciting way to provide exemplary care to patients, as well as support for the acute hospital. Continued awareness of the effect and impact physical health conditions have upon the mental health of service users is crucial, and development of good working relationships with both the RUH and community teams is necessary. This may include ad-hoc & structured training to general colleagues, if this is of interest, however the team also provide teaching and develop learning opportunities for nursing and medical students.

Demonstration of a high level of clinical decision-making, risk management & documentation is required, and the successful applicant will have the team's continued support to develop their skills and learning to provide this, however this role does require assessment, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, without direct supervision.

About us

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Liaison and consultation

Be responsible for the full assessment of care needs of patientspresenting with a range of undifferentiated mental health andpsychological problems. As a result of this assessment, you will beresponsible for the development, implementation and evaluation ofprogrammes of care, without supervision.

Provide a comprehensive consultation-liaison service to clinical teams,assisting them to formulate appropriate plans of care and make decisionsin cases where patients may be exhibiting complex needs and/orchallenging behaviours.

Initiate and participate in the teaching and educational programmes of allgrades of nursing and non-nursing staff. You will also provide teachingand develop learning opportunities for pre and post-registration nursingstudents.

When appropriate, maintain a caseload of patients, providing a broadrange of treatments and clinical interventions, as appropriate to theindividuals needs.

Be responsible for participating in specific clinical projects and undertakeall the necessary work to complete these, including facilitating meetings,liaising and/or negotiating with other staff.

Participate fully in appropriate quality assurance initiatives, with theemphasis on developing patient/service user-focused services.

Promote a positive attitude and encourage a supportive culture in relationto mental health and psychiatric illness across the general hospital.

Clinical practice

Utilise a range of clinical skills appropriate to the individual patient's needsand the clinical setting in which they are being cared for.

Undertake specialist psychosocial assessments with patients presentingfollowing an episode of self-harm. Highly developed risk assessment andmanagement skills are required in order to undertake this function effectively.

Prompt referral on to secondary mental health services, social servicesand voluntary groups, as appropriate.

Flexible, needs-based follow-up of individual who require assessmentfollowing an earlier attendance after an episode of self-harm.

Concise, effective liaison and feedback to clinical staff within the generalhospital regarding advice on appropriate management strategies forindividuals referred.

Utilise a range of follow-up options and sources of help and support forpatients, as appropriate.

Effective liaison and communication with patients, relatives, carers,primary health care and secondary mental health services.

Role model clinical excellence and high standards of nursing practice toother staff.

Demonstrate and apply a sound understanding of the legal and ethicalissues in caring for people with mental health problems. In particular,demonstrate a sound understanding of the application of the Mental Health Act (1983) and The Mental Capacity Act, and their use within the non-mental health (acute hospital) setting.

Communication

Demonstrate the ability to receive and give complex clinical details clearlyand effectively.

Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly and sensitively insituations that may be hostile and/or contentious.

Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self-awareness andempathy in all communications.

Demonstrate the ability to negotiate and problem-solve in contentiousand/or potentially antagonistic situations.

Management

Following negotiation, take responsibility for agreed clinical andmanagerial projects associated with the provision of the mental health liaison service.

In the absence of the clinical team leader, take responsibility for theoverall management of the service, to the agreed local and professionalstandards.

Ensure the promotion of the health and safety, well-being and interests ofpatients, staff and visitors that come into contact with the service and itsenvirons.

At all times practice within the boundaries of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

Supervise, monitor and appraise the performance of registered andunregistered staff within sphere of responsibility.

The post-holder will be designated to regularly take charge of the clinicalservice in the absence of the person who has continuing responsibility.

You may also be required to undertake a range of management duties inthe absence of, or at the request of, the designated team leader.

Audit and evaluation

Demonstrate a commitment to developing audit and evaluations skills.

Participate in appropriate audit projects, including data collection, as ameans of contributing to the ongoing evaluation and audit of the mental health liaison service.

Education

Actively participate in the identification of own learning and educationneeds and demonstrate achievement against personal development plans(PDPs).

Participate in the mentoring and education of a range of students placedwith the team.

Act as a mentor and preceptor, when appropriate.

Participate in the planning, development and delivery of multi-professionaleducation programmes and training sessions for a range of clinical andmanagerial staff.

Provide clinical supervision to colleagues and students, as required.

Clinical governance

Promote and encourage user and carer feedback regarding the service.

Participate in and undertake appraisal and clinical supervision.

Adhere to relevant trust health and safety and clinical policies asappropriate.

Person Specification

Skills, Knowledge, Experience, Qualifications

Essential

Effective communication and empathy, forming rapport, when interacting with service users, families and other healthcare professionals and when undertaking assessments with distressed individuals in crisis. The ability to evaluate the severity of a persons mental health condition, assess potential harm to themselves or others, identify protective factors and make informed decisions and interventions risk assessment and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to plan a safe discharge. Knowledge of key areas of liaison, psychosocial assessment and the psychological effects of physical illness. Have experience of working therapeutically with individuals following self-harm Diploma level/degree in relevant health/social care profession, eg RMN, OT, Social worker

Desirable

Knowledge of various therapeutic approaches in the care and treatment of individuals with drug and alcohol problems Of working in a mental health liaison setting/general hospital Teaching & assessing qualification Knowledge/experience of those experiencing social factors eg homelessness, financial difficulties and adverse life events Knowledge/experience working with Police, probation or safeguarding

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