Job overview
Are you a nurse interested in supporting children, young people and their families who are experiencing mental health difficulties or neurodivergence? Would you like to further your career within CAMHS?
The Single Point of Access serves as the "front door" to Buckinghamshire CAMHS. We are a team of nurturing, experienced clinicians and support staff who are passionate about providing equitable access to mental health care, early intervention and staff development.
The team works to screen and triage new referrals into Buckinghamshire CAMHS, and make decisions on care for these children. We also provide advice, guidance and consultation to young people and their families, healthcare professionals and schools, as well as deliver training on mental health care.
The role is based at the Sue Nichols Centre.
Main duties of the job
As a Senior Mental Health Practitioner in SPA, you will:
1. Screen and triage referrals and other contacts into SPA, and provide expert advice and guidance, onward referrals and signposting.
2. Act as shift lead, coordinating SPA staff on a shift to ensure that risk is managed and cases are triaged effectively. You will gain valuable skills in clinical leadership.
3. Have the chance to be involved in the delivery of accredited training to external professionals in schools and from the local authority, by attending a 3 day train-the-trainer programme delivered by the University of Reading.
4. Receive individualised support as a clinician and professional to enable you to grow as a valued member of our team. All staff receive management, clinical (where appropriate) and safeguarding supervision as standard.
5. Within SPA, we have regular reflective practice and opportunities to share learning. We also have a Bucks CAMHS Nurse's forum, and SPA Peer Supervision, for you to share knowledge and discuss current topics.
The ability to travel independently between sites within the Trust is essential for this role.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible
Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
6. Excellent opportunities for career progression
7. Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
8. 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
9. NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
10. Competitive pension scheme
11. Lease car scheme
12. Cycle to work scheme
13. Employee Assistance Programme
14. Mental Health First Aiders
15. Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
16. Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application. The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
Person specification
Education and Training
Essential criteria
17. Registered Nurse
18. Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio
Desirable criteria
19. Qualification in Mental Health or Neurodiversity
Experience
Essential criteria
20. Previous mental health experience
Desirable criteria
21. Previous CAMHS experience
22. Previous leadership experience
Skills
Essential criteria
23. Ability to assess client need; mental health, social, health
24. Understanding of evidence based practice
Desirable criteria
25. Understanding of principles and methods of clinical audit, research and service evaluation
26. All new starters have a thorough induction process, both local and Trust wide, which aims to create a positive supportive working environment allowing new employees to learn key elements of their role over a reasonable timescale.
27. Appointment to this post is subject to the trust receiving satisfactory references covering 3 years of employment or study. Please ask your referees to respond promptly to reference requests.
28. We’re advocates of flexible working and many of our roles offer a range of employment options to help you balance your work and personal life.
29. Employees are expected to undertake mandatory and statutory training related to their role.
30. We are ambitious in our pursuit of excellence, driven by the belief that a fair, just and fully inclusive organisational culture enables our teams to deliver the best quality of care and services possible and we work hard to ensure that our diverse workforce reflects the communities that we serve.
31. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, are an Equal Opportunities employer with a number of internal networking groups to support our employees and where possible will always look to make reasonable adjustments in order that you can fulfil the role to recognise your full potential. All our employees are committed to demonstrating through their behaviour our core values – safe, caring and excellent.
32. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
33. Oxford is a world-renowned centre of excellence for research. Oxford Health works closely with the University of Oxford department of Psychiatry and the Department of Primary care, has a Biomedical Research Centre dedicated to improving mental health and the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at the Warneford site. The Trust also hosts the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) which carries out applied research that directly impacts patient health and wellbeing