37.5 hours per week.
Livewell Southwest is excited to be in a position to further develop the Liaison Psychiatry Service based within University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust at Derriford Hospital in line with the NHS England plan for all general hospitals to have mental health liaison services embedded. Liaison Psychiatry at University Hospital Plymouth (UHP) is a fully commissioned Core 24 service.
Now is an exciting time to join the team. We continue to develop the service into a team striving to provide the best possible support to people. Successful candidates joining now will be part of further developing our service.
Following investment in the Derriford Liaison Psychiatry team, we are looking for suitably qualified practitioners with excellent interpersonal and organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure. Experience of working with adults of working age and older people is desirable but not essential. Liaison Psychiatry in Derriford provides a 24hr, 7 days a week provision and successful applicants will be expected to work various shift patterns on a rotational basis.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline if a high number of applications are submitted. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application at the earliest opportunity.
Main duties of the job
The specialist function of the team is to provide bio-psychosocial assessments for individuals aged 18 years and above within the Derriford Hospital footprint, either attending via the Emergency Department or being an in-patient within the hospital. Patients seen may present with mental health difficulties e.g. psychiatric crisis or an organic presentation such as a dementia /delirium.
Following assessment, patients may be signposted to services in their local area (be that Plymouth, Cornwall, Devon or further afield). The Team works with hospital staff to develop plans of care for those who may be staying in hospital for a little longer. The Team also has developed a triage function within the Emergency Department.
It's a challenging and rewarding service to work in, and we need the best quality of candidates to help us grow our service further.
We welcome applications from Registered Nurses (RMN and RGN), Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and Social Workers who have relevant experience (NMC/HCPC registrations required). Please demonstrate in your application how you meet the essential criteria in order to be considered. This is a permanent position.
All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7-day service.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values: kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability while empowering staff and those we serve.
We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.
We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions, and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a member of the Liaison Psychiatry Team, you will be assessing patients who are referred from the Emergency Department and ward areas within the acute general hospital.
The specialist function of the team is to provide bio-psychosocial assessments for individuals aged 18 years and above within the Derriford Hospital footprint, either attending via the Emergency Department or being an in-patient within the hospital. Patients seen may present with mental health difficulties e.g. psychiatric crisis or an organic presentation such as a dementia /delirium.
You will be able to make clear clinical decisions based on the analysis of, often complex, presenting problems. This can include being the decision maker in terms of discharge of patients experiencing mental health needs. You will be required at times to make clear autonomous decisions, based on analysis of complex presenting problems and clinical judgement.
You will be able to demonstrate a high level of communication skills in terms of use of verbal, electronic and written formats.
You will have freedom to act as a lone worker. Some autonomous working is expected.
The operational hours of this service are currently 24hrs a day. Post holders will be expected to participate in the shift patterns over a 7-day period including weekends and bank holidays.
Professional /Clinical Responsibilities
* In conjunction with other team members, screen all referrals received by the team.
* Undertake holistic and comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments incorporating assessment of mental state of patients referred to the service.
* Utilise a range of highly specialised clinical skills appropriate to the needs of individual patients and the clinical setting in which they are seen.
* Conduct risk assessments on all patients presenting to the service in line with CPA policy. The post holder will have highly developed risk assessment skills to manage complex presentations and challenging behaviours.
* Advise ward nursing, medical and other professional staff on the management of patients and contribute to care planning to meet identified needs.
* Evaluate effectiveness of care interventions with all disciplines of staff, adjusting care plans where necessary.
* Provide a consultation-liaison service to clinicians and clinical teams within the general hospital. This will include giving specialist advice on care, treatment and patient management issues.
* Work in collaboration with colleagues in the promotion of care delivery and strategic objectives and taking responsibility/lead for specific areas of working e.g. liaison with police, drugs and alcohol, safeguarding.
* Refer and signpost people to appropriate mental health services as required both within and outside of the organisation's area.
* Work collaboratively with social care teams, discharge planning teams, onward care teams, community liaison teams and community mental health teams in devising appropriate discharge plans.
* Deliver care that is evidenced based and reflects current best practice.
* Be accountable for own practice in accordance with NMC Code of Professional practice or HCPC relevant codes of practice.
* Demonstrate sound understanding of the ethical and legal issues in caring for all older adults attending the hospital. This will include Mental Health Act (1983), Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding (2005) issues as required.
* Raise awareness of mental health needs of older people in acute general hospital settings through discussion and collaborative working with staff of all levels and disciplines. Raise awareness of the mental health needs of the general population within the acute general hospital.
* Provide support and advice for carers and families of people with mental health needs within the general hospital setting whenever possible. The Liaison Service is committed to the implementation of the Triangle of Care as fully as possible.
* Work collaboratively with colleagues in the development of the Liaison Psychiatry Service.
Communication
* Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, families and carers.
* Work positively and sensitively with challenging and hostile behaviours to enable therapeutic and productive outcomes.
* Have highly developed interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy to engage with others and provide an effective outcome.
* Demonstrate the ability to negotiate and problem solve in complex situations where agreement is required or communicate clear decision making and rationale when agreement cannot be reached.
* Provide comprehensive information based on assessment to inform the care, treatment, or discharge planning process of patients within the acute general hospital.
* Demonstrate the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues within the Liaison Psychiatry Team and across other statutory and non-statutory organisations.
* Maintain confidentiality of the patients as per policy whilst sharing information when appropriate to do so.
* Keep accurate and contemporaneous electronic/written patient records and comply with professional and Trust record keeping policies including CPA.
* Comply with Local and National policies in relation to confidentiality and information sharing protocols.
* Liaise with existing care coordinators regarding the status and progress of patients who are subject to CPA in the acute general hospital setting.
* Demonstrate the ability to adapt communication to take account of others' needs.
* Maintain high standards of integrity when communicating with patients and others.
* Demonstrate ability to use IT systems effectively including email, clinical systems used by the team.
* Represent the team by attendance at meetings as delegated by Team Manager.
* Act as a role model in providing a service for people with mental health problems for all staff within the acute general hospital.
Analytical and Judgmental skills
* Demonstrate the ability to analyse, often large amounts of complex information from a range of other specialists and assimilate these and their relevance to a person's mental health needs, formulate a clinical opinion including assessment of risk and advise on appropriate care plan.
* Possess a good working knowledge of mental health legislation including Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards and use this in relation to advising and planning care, independently or with other professionals.
* Assess the patient's risk/psychiatric/psychological and emotional fitness for discharge from the hospital setting.
* Formulate a care pathway following assessment, with an appropriate onward referral to other NHS professionals, statutory and non-statutory services if necessary.
Planning and Organisational skills
* Demonstrate the ability to manage conflicting demands on time and the ability to prioritise clinical work effectively.
* Demonstrate the ability to organise the work schedule and appropriate screening of referrals to the team each day in conjunction with colleagues, including medical staff. Where necessary there will be a focus on presentations to the ED. The post holder will need to be able to ensure that the needs of other referrals are not delayed due to ED work.
* Coordinate the appropriate follow-up of patients seen by the service.
* Deliver formal and informal training sessions on behalf of the team to other professionals within the acute general hospital setting.
Management
* Take responsibility for agreed clinical, managerial and strategic projects associated with the provision of the Liaison Psychiatry service.
* In the absence of a Band 7, take responsibility for the coordination of all activities within the clinical area or equivalent sphere.
* In the absence of a Band 7, take responsibility for the management of the Team and patient care provided.
* Undertake line management supervision and appraisal of other staff within the team where appropriate.
* As a band 6 practitioner, you will be viewed as a senior member of the team. You will need to demonstrate flexibility in your practice, support others and delegate where required.
* You will regularly be shift lead and likely also take the lead in the team on certain aspects.
Education/Training & Development
* Participate in the mentoring and education of a range of students on placement with the Team.
* Participate in the planning, development and delivery of educational programmes and training sessions for a range of clinical staff within the working and learning environments.
* Provide clinical supervision to colleagues and students as required.
* You will need to participate in CPD regularly and keep your mandatory training up to date.
Physical skills
* Be able to demonstrate good IT skills.
* Show the ability to concentrate for sustained periods of time in often noisy environments with frequent interruption.
* Be required to have the ability to travel to other clinical sites for attendance at meetings.
* Be involved with patients who at times present with physical and verbal aggression due to ill health, distress and/or non-concordance with care.
* Have the ability to work effectively in a busy and chaotic working environment of the ED.
* Have an awareness of the physical challenges presented by disturbed patients who attend the ED by their own free will or via the Police.
Person Specification
Disposition
Essential
* Autonomous practitioner with ability to work unsupervised. Facilitative and Influencing skills. Flexible and adaptable. Tact, diplomacy and self-confident. Ability to meet deadlines. Ability to prioritise and reprioritise work to meet clinical demand.
Qualifications
Essential
* Registered Mental Health Nurse/Registered General Nurse or Allied Health Professional such as Physiotherapist, Social Worker or Occupational Therapist (on relevant registration).
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