Assistant Practitioner - Physical Health Team
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Community Physical Health Team as we move into a new model working with our Primary Care colleagues to deliver health assessments for people with a severe mental illness.
The post is open to qualified Assistant Practitioners covering either South Sefton Liverpool and Mid Mersey.
The post holder will demonstrate excellent clinical and communication skills and be a team player working closely with the Community Physical Health team and Primary Care.
You will have a clear commitment to person-centred care and will be able to demonstrate this in your work with individuals, families and teams. You will be expected to work under the supervision of the band 7.
The post holder will provide physical health assessments, health promotion advice in line with national guidance and sign post / refer people on to appropriate services/organisations to meet the needs identified through their health assessment. There will also be a requirement of the successful candidate to work with the team in developing and delivering enhanced support to the identified patient group and monitoring the impact of their interventions on patient outcomes.
Main duties of the job
1. To provide clinical assessment, screening and intervention for the physical health needs for individuals on the SMI register.
2. To work with the qualified nurses in meeting the health outcomes of our clients and provide person-centred intervention and holistic care.
3. To liaise and link in with identified GP practices ensuring the patients needs are appropriately identified and met.
About us
Merseycare is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job responsibilities
1. To contribute to the delivery of Physical Health assessment, care Plans under the direct supervision of the practitioner.
2. To be proactive in maximizing health, well being and social inclusion of service users.
3. To report any concerns or identified physical health issues to the MDT, nurse practitioner and or GP. This should include any concerns arising from the service-users environment, physical or mental health.
4. To maintain effective communication between the community physical health team, individuals, relatives, carers, community mental health teams and primary care services.
5. To use a variety of verbal and non-verbal skills to overcome communication barriers presented by service users due to their learning disability and mental health needs.
6. As directed by the qualified practitioners, play a specific role in maintaining a safe environment for service users, staff and visitors.
7. To carry out specific duties that contribute to the assessment of service users physical health assessment, health interventions and sign posting.
8. To carry out, under supervision or direction, activities, which optimize service users level of functioning and develop meaningful activities for individuals and groups.
9. To use skills and techniques, gained during mandatory training, to deescalate situations where service users become physically and verbally aggressive.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
* ECG
* Venepuncture
* Health Promotion
Values
* Accountability
* Support
* High professional standards
* Engaging leadership style
* Transparency and honesty
* Discreet
* Responsive to service users
* Change oriented
KNOWLEDGE/ EXPERIENCE
* Experience of working in a LD/mental health setting and supporting individuals who display complex behaviours of concern.
* Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
* Experience of completing physical health checks and escalation for physical health concerns.
* Sound knowledge of the physical health inequalities experienced by the mental health population.
SKILLS
* Ability to maintain confidentiality.
* Ability to supervise support workers.
* Ability to work on own initiative and assist qualified practitioners.
* Ability to work as a member of the team.
* Flexibility.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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