Job summary
The Mental Health Liaison team (MHLT) service is a mentalhealth service based within Ipswich Hospital. The teamconsists of psychiatrists, mental health nurses, social workers,assistant practitioners and nurse prescribers.
We are an age-inclusive assessment service who see patientsonly within Ipswich Hospital in the Emergency Departmentand the inpatients areas. The MHLT work across twoorganisations, the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust(NSFT) and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS FoundationTrust (ESNEFT). In the Emergency Department, the MHLTworks closely with emergency medicine and other cliniciansto assess and signpost patients who have presented withmental health difficulties. These range from acute psychosisto self-harm, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety and drugand alcohol related problems.
Within the hospital inpatient wards, the MHLT see patientswith a wide range of mental health difficulties. The MHLTmay provide individual assessment and treatment or mayadvise medical and nursing staff on the management of riskand individual mental health plans.
Our aim is to improve patient and carer experience forpatients with mental health difficulties within the hospitaland aid safe discharge, along with multidisciplinary workingwith other services involved in health and social care.
We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic mental health practitioners, who are looking to expand their skills and knowledge base, within the acute hospital setting.
Main duties of the job
The Mental Health Liaison Service offers a single point of access for referrals from Ipswich Hospital and provides a range of mental health specialities within one multidisciplinary team.
Our team responds to a diverse range of referrals, covering both liaison psychiatry and emergency assessment functions for all ages.
You will be an excellent communicator, self-motivating and committed to delivering high quality standards of care. You will be a confident and experienced practitioner with excellent assessment skills and the ability to formulate clinical decisions and management plans and act on them quickly whilst working in a demanding and challenging environment.
A flexible 'can do' attitude, with a willingness to build links with general hospital colleagues is essential to ensure that a proactive interface is created between mental health and medicine. You will have the relevant post qualification experience, including acute mental health and crisis management and be able to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the differing needs of people within the general hospital.
About us
Benefits included with this role are:-
1. NHS pension
2. a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
3. career progression
4. starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
5. staff physio service
6. NHS discounts and many more.
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Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be key in the efficient delivery of the liaison service; in improving response and management of referrals; in improving knowledge and understanding of mental health issues within the Ipswich Hospital; in helping the team meet their key performance indicators and be proactive in helping explore and develop partnerships and pathways to improve patient prognosis and outcome.
The team is a 24/7 service. Therefore you will be required to work Long Days, including nights. We will provide a full induction. We have a genuine commitment to training and development with shared opportunities across the two Trusts. We are proud of our culture of honesty, team involvement and ownership to both patient care and job satisfaction.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
7. Nursing degree or equivalent, Dip OT, Clinical Psychology or equivalent
Desirable
8. Good to great management course, or equivalent
Experience
Essential
9. Able to demonstrate an appropriate level of knowledge of mental health practice from previous experience
10. Able to demonstrate effective risk assessment and risk management experience
11. Experience in the delivery of clinical interventions
Desirable
12. Experience in supporting service development
Skills
Essential
13. Competent assessment skills
14. Effective analytical and decision-making skills
15. Care planning skills
Knowledge
Essential
16. Knowledge of medication and the monitoring of its effects
17. Knowledge of psychosocial interventions
Other
Essential
18. Ability to travel independently