Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to join the new Single Point of Access (SPOA) in West Sussex.



The SPOA is designed for children, young people, their families, carers and relevant professionals to ensure that they can access the most appropriate emotional wellbeing, mental health support and intervention which meets their needs at the earliest possible stage and with the minimum delay.

The SPOA aims:

An integrated aligned and co-ordinated service is in place



More CYP have access to appropriate mental health services first time



More CYP have positive experiences of care and support



Time taken to receive treatment and support is reduced



Improved data collection and evaluation of CYP's outcomes



This post offers the Trust's 2,000 Golden Hello or Relocation Incentive for Band 6 Nurses & Practitioners, (pro rata and subject to terms and conditions; please see attached Protocol Document for full details).

Main duties of the job:

Offer high quality screening of referrals, discussing with referrers as required and ensuring they receive an appropriate and clinically sound response.



To direct children and their families to the most appropriate service in order to meet their emotional and mental health needs.



The SPOA clinicians will also be required to undertake risk assessments, ensure appropriate signposting for referrals that do not meet the criteria for services within the SPOA, with clear written responses containing a rationale for the decision, liaise with agencies receiving referrals from SPOA, identify opportunities for support whilst waiting for the referral to be processed and respond to any queries or concerns from professionals / parents.



To decide on an appropriate course of action alongside other professionals involved, providing advice, support and knowledge of appropriate resources for the emotional well-being and mental health of children, young people and their carers.



Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across West and East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.



West Sussex CAMHS services build on CYP-IAPT learning. Users of our services help shape continuing service transformation with their lived experience.



Supported by our Clinical Academic Groups (CAGs), we work to put research, innovation and learning into practice. We offer a career, not just a job, in a team and a Trust committed to delivering the best possible care to the community and to supporting the wellbeing of our staff, who are our greatest asset.

Working in Sussex:

Travel easily between coast and stunning countryside



Easy access to Brighton, London, Gatwick and Heathrow



We encourage flexible working . We know that a positive work/ life balance brings about huge health-related benefits, which has a positive impact on the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, home-working, part time hours, flexible start/ finish times or anything else. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.



Detailed job description and main responsibilities



Skills and experience in screening referrals is desirable.



Working as part of a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency SPOA team ensuring that referrals are screened swiftly and referrers are contacted and informed of referral outcomes.



Please refer to Job description for further responsibilities.