Job Description

SLAM NHS Foundation Trust has been working closely with Primary Care Network Leads and the Integrated Care Board to develop new Primary Care Network Practitioner roles working to enhance mental health provision within primary care. Following a successful pilot, we are now looking recruit into PCN senior practitioner roles



The post holder must be an autonomous practitioner with excellent communication skills who can develop strong working relationships across the networks. You will use your own initiative and flexibility to adapt your practice to suit the needs of service users and the PCN that you will be working with. You will facilitate vertical integration between the PCN and SLAM, facilitating early step up and step down transitions when this is required.



As a senior PCN Practitioner, you will benefit from wrap-around supervision and support, with an allocated supervisor in both primary and secondary care, as well as peer supervision through the Health and Wellbeing hub. We encourage applications from candidates who are keen continuously develop their practice. You we have access to the PCN Peer Support Network and well the newly established SLAM mentoring scheme.



The post holder will work in a clinical role within a PCN and using the stepped care approach provide early intervention to service users.



1. To carry out assessments, care planning and interventions for patients with mental health needs.



2. To provide of advice, education and support to service users and their carers or family members.



3. To be an essential part of the interface between partner agencies including SLaM, primary care and voluntary sector.



4. To support effective transition to primary care and referral back into secondary care settings.



5. To be actively involved in the interventions provided by the primary care team and provide expert advice and support to enable them to provide an effective service for patients with mental health needs.



6. To provide peer support for the other Primary Care Mental Health Practitioners working across the Primary Care Networks.

Benefits :

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance.

Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.



Work life balance, flexible working and supporting a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.



Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes.



Car lease, our staff benefit from competitive deals to lease cars



Accommodation, our staff benefit from keyworker housing which is available on selected sites



NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands through Health Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

Counselling services



Wellbeing events



Long service awards



Cycle to work scheme



Season ticket loan



Childcare vouchers



Clinical



To provide medicine management education, adherence advice and lifestyle advice for patients and their families and/or carers, presenting with mental health needs



To assist in supporting early intervention and shared decision-making around self-management of symptoms and adherence to treatment



To work with patients and team members to support engagement with appropriate services and treatment which may include onward referral to secondary mental health services or signposting to other mental health services, social prescribers, third sector partners, voluntary services, wellbeing hubs and community-based support groups.



To support patients to transition from secondary care to primary care by providing appropriate number of step down sessions at the point of step down from secondary care services dependant on patient need.



To support patients in their referral from primary care to secondary care and ensure effective and safe transition.



To support patients to stay well within their local communities, including psychological support and the re-enforcement of psychology techniques.



To promote the safety and the wellbeing of patients and their families and/or carers.



To develop a close relationship with Primary Care practices with the PCN, attending practice meetings and having regular informal contact.



To work closely and in partnership with colleagues within primary care and their community partner organisations in a collaborative way, ensuring that decisions are made that ensure the best care for service users and that there is a seamless pathway.



To support GPs in assessing risk by providing expert advice and consultation.



To support primary care teams with the administration of long-acting depot injections for those patients with complex needs.



To support patients on the SMI register to access annual physical health checks and to work in collaboration with the Band 4 Associate Nurses in the PCN with delivery of physical health checks.



To work closely with the Mental Health Personal Independence Co-ordinators.



Quality Improvement



To contribute to the improvement of pathways between primary and secondary care and where practicable, to standardise processes across the PCN.



To improve quality and effectiveness of prescribing of mental health medications through clinical audit and education of prescribers to improve performance against NICE standards and clinical and prescribing guidance.



To support primary care initiatives which improve the physical health outcomes of those with a long-term mental health condition and the mental health outcomes of those with a long-term physical health condition.



Training Development and Education



To provide informal mental health specific learning for staff across the primary care network, including providing specialist advice relating to mental health.



To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy, identifying individual training needs.



To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.



To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).



Management



To facilitate and enable appropriate communication within Primary Care Networks within Croydon, between other teams and departments across Croydon including Local Authorities, service users, carers and other relevant agencies.

GENERAL:

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.



The postholder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust and PCN policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities and Confidentiality of Information.



The postholder is responsible for ensuring that the work that they undertake is conducted in a manner which is safe to themselves and others, and for adhering to the advice and instructions on Health and Safety matters given by Manager(s). If postholders consider that a hazard to Health and Safety exists, it is their responsibility to report this to their manager(s).



The postholder is expected to comply with the appropriate Code(s) of Conduct associated with this post and meet the required professional standards for on-going registration.



To make effective use of supervision and be able to acknowledge their own limitations, reflect on practice and discuss/identify their training and development needs with their line manager.