Main area: Mental Health
Grade: NHS AFC: Band 7
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (midday to Midnight across 7 days)
Job ref: 354-AE-21079-E
Site: Department of Psychiatry, Eastbourne District General Hospital
Town: Eastbourne
Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 17/04/2025 23:59
Come and join us
We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability, and optimism) to help us provide high-quality care to the patients, carers, families, and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.
So what can we offer you in return?
As an organisation that puts people first, we'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued, and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills, and gain further experience to support your career development. You will have the opportunity to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.
You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership, you'll have the chance to make a difference in the lives of the patients, carers, and families across our communities.
As a Trust, we are committed to making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during the interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.
If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.
Job overview
Rapid Response is a new service based on the success of the Blue Light Triage team, which successfully worked with emergency services to meet the needs of those in mental health crisis. This service aims to avoid conveyance to A&E and the use of S136 within its operational hours. Emergency services can obtain support and advice or request attendance at the scene, reducing the amount of time spent on scene supporting community members with mental health difficulties.
We are looking for experienced mental health professionals, Grade 7, to work across Sussex as responsive practitioners who can carry out person-centred interventions and assessments and develop an onward care plan that addresses a mental health crisis. This could be via telephone, virtually, or 'at scene'. Practitioners will be accompanied by a senior community support worker who can provide basic first aid and assistance to the mental health professional by supporting carers and handling administrative tasks.
The service operates over 24 hours, and Rapid Response practitioners will work from Midday to Midnight 7 days a week, in partnership with Blue Light Line, which provides a single point of access to Paramedics and Police, giving information and clinical advice to ensure that patients achieve the best outcomes and reduce the need for conveyance to A&E and alternatives to the use of S136.
Main duties of the job
1. To receive information from emergency service colleagues and provide advice and support based on the clinical presentation of a person in crisis, including a self-defined crisis.
2. To offer either a 'hear and treat intervention' by speaking directly to a person in crisis on the telephone or, if required, attend the scene to carry out a face-to-face person-centred holistic assessment and formulate a care plan that addresses the presenting mental health need, making any necessary referrals.
3. Complete written records outlining the presenting need for each referral, intervention offered, and the outcomes.
4. When required, using clinical skills and knowledge, advise police colleagues on alternative means of support available to avoid the use of S136, offering least restrictive practice to achieve the best outcomes for those in mental health crisis.
5. Advise paramedics on alternative pathways to mental health assessment without the need for conveyance to A&E when there is no medical need.
6. To have experience of and specialist knowledge of interventions to lead in the clinical area.
7. To demonstrate excellent communication skills and provide handovers of activity.
8. To work in partnership with other agencies to gain the best person-centred outcomes for the individual.
Working for our organisation
We provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people, and adults across Sussex and for children and young people in Hampshire.
Working in Sussex:
* Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns.
* Embrace city life with great access to visit Brighton and London.
* With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK, there is plenty of opportunity for adventure.
We’d love you to join our organisation, which is rated ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for caring by the CQC. Our staff agree; in our recent staff survey, 82% told us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In order to be a successful senior member of our team, you will be:
* Registered with the NMC, Social Work England, or HCPC.
* Experienced in working in mental health services.
* Knowledgeable of factors that can impact safety and service user experience.
* Knowledgeable of factors that can impact safety for emergency service colleagues.
Shifts are long days and evenings over 7 days, but we will consider flexible working. The shift requirements ensure this post has generous enhancements attached to it.
It is essential you have:
* Experience in an Urgent Care setting, ideally a CRHT or psychiatric liaison.
* Or experience of crisis assessment in any setting that provides a safety care plan.
See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Person specification
* Registered Nurse, Social Work England, or HCPC registered professional with current registration appropriate to the job role.
* Degree/diploma level supplemented by specialist qualification, training, experience, evidence of post-registration training in the relevant service area.
* Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB equivalent.
* Extensive post-qualifying experience in the relevant service area.
* Experience of supervising staff and students.
* Comprehensive knowledge of interventions specific to the service area.
* Awareness of Trust policies and service specifications.
* Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills with staff, patients, families, carers, and professionals.
* Ability to provide and receive highly complex and sensitive information from multiple stakeholders and formulate the appropriate intervention.
* Demonstrate empathy and reassurance skills to patients in crisis/intervention.
* Able to establish links with other services and professionals.
* Able to effectively manage risk.
* To have a good knowledge of service objectives.
* Able to lead clinical discussions in the team.
* Able to manage and delegate tasks.
* To offer leadership and lead the team in the absence of the service manager.
* Competent skills in the use of PC for daily administrative tasks and able to use Trust IT systems to enter patient information, case notes, risk, Care Notes.
* Physically fit to undertake duties related to the service area and have an awareness of PMVA interventions.
* Able to manage distressing or emotional situations involving staff and patients on a regular basis.
* Awareness of policies relevant to the workplace, i.e., lone working, and able to manage and deal with incidents as per Trust Policy.
* Ability to work in highly emotive and potentially hostile working environments on a regular basis.
* Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Trust and demonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role.
* To be a team player and be punctual and flexible across hours of work when required.
* Lived experience of mental illness.
Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority Ethnic and disabled communities, and we would welcome applications from these communities.
We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
In the event of an excessive number of applicants, the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children’s social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.
Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020, and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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