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JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER (6mth/locum contract)

REPORTS TO: CLINICAL DIRECTOR (Clinically)
HMC BUSINESS MANAGER (Administratively)

HOURS: 15 per week

LOCATION: CHRISTCHURCH PRIMARY CARE NETWORK

DATE: 25/7/23

VERSON: V2

CONTEXT FOR THE ROLE:

Across many Primary Care Networks in England, enhanced provision for Mental Health
Services to be incorporated into GP Practices is being facilitated, by funding for Mental
Health Practitioner roles becoming available.

Christchurch Primary Care Network (PCN) is one such PCN that has taken the initiative in developing a PCN Mental Health Team, with the first Mental Health Practitioner being in post since May 2021.

Since that time, the Christchurch PCN Mental Health Team has significantly developed and is now comprised of one Team Coordinator, two qualified practitioners from Social
Work/Counselling/Occupational Health backgrounds a Mental Health Triage Practitioner
(employed by MIND but embedded in the Christchurch PCN Mental Health Team) and one
Mental Health Social Prescriber.

The current advertised position is on a short term/locum basis for an initial period of 6mths, but may be extended beyond that period.

The post holder will be employed by Highcliffe Medical Centre and work across the GP practices within the Christchurch Primary Care Network (PCN). These include, Highcliffe
Medical Centre, Farmhouse Surgery, Christchurch Medical Centre and Stour.

The role involves working with these GP practices and their multidisciplinary teams across the PCN, to ensure that all patients receive appropriate mental health support within Primary
Care.

The remit of the team is to support patients who may not be appropriate for support from
Steps2Wellbeing, but who also do not meet the eligibility criteria to warrant CMHT support.

Practitioners in the team currently offer 1:1 support in the form of psychological therapies rooted in CBT, Humanistic/Psychodynamic/Integrative counselling, Occupational Therapy
Approaches, Systemic Approaches.

Group work is facilitated via a weekly Psycho-Educational/Process Group.

Systemic input is offered to families/parts of families where appropriate.

Advocacy, care coordination and general support are offered through linking with safeguarding agencies, specialist support, secondary MH care, police, housing and other providers.

The successful candidate is likely to come from one of the following professional backgrounds:

Psychotherapists/Counsellors,
Psychologists,
Social Workers,
Mental Health Nurses,
Occupational Therapists,
HI/LI CBT Therapists,
Masters Clin Psych

All applicants must be able to demonstrate training & competence in at least one specific modality appropriate to support patients within Primary Care who present with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

JOB SUMMARY:

The role of The Mental Health Practitioner will involve triage, assessment, treatment and other ongoing support of patients identified to be experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

The role also includes referral and signposting patients to other relevant community resources such as Steps2Wellbeing, Community Mental Health Team, Child & Adolescent
Mental Health Service and voluntary agencies that may be able to offer appropriate mental health support to patients registered within the Christchurch PCN.

Interfacing with these agencies may also be a feature of the role. Care may be ‘stepped up’ to secondary/specialist agencies and/or ‘stepped down’ to Primary Care, all of which may involve input from the successful candidate.

The role will be to support patients aged 16 or 18yrs upward (depending on the candidate’s skillset) who may present with the following (non-exhaustive): anxiety depression trauma loss issues arising from adverse childhood experiences adjustment difficulties identity difficulties
OCD type presentations
Health Anxiety type presentations
DSH

Patients presenting with EUPD type traits that either do not meet the diagnostic threshold or who are not currently under the care of CMHT
Patients who may be experiencing some degree of suicidal thinking/behaviour, but whose level of intent/risk is not sufficiently high to warrant the intervention of secondary services

Where appropriate, the postholder will work closely with colleagues in specialist community mental health services/voluntary services, to ensure smooth transitions between teams/services, participating in multi agency support where appropriate.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical:

• Screen, triage, assess and offer therapeutic interventions/care plans for those presenting with MH issues who have been referred by clinicians within Christchurch PCN
• Provide ongoing support including psychological/therapeutic, evidence based interventions from an integrative approach or one or more specific modalities eg.

CBT/REBT, Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy, DBT, Psychodynamic/HumanisticCounselling/Psychotherapy, MBCT, CAT or Systemic Approaches.

• To be able to effectively apply one or more of the above modalities within the context of

Primary Care.

• Competence in specific, time limited evidence-based approaches, would be an advantage.
• To identify and support patients to transition to secondary care and develop care plans and prepare people for step down.
• To signpost patients to community resources.
• To identify, monitor and manage risk/safeguarding issues from a mental health perspective and to communicate/joint work with partner agencies to address and mitigate risk/safeguarding concerns.
• To keep accurate, contemporaneous clinical records (either electronic or written) where necessary

Collaborative Working Relationships:

• Collaborate with other members of the PCN Mental Health Team and wider Multi-

Disciplinary PCN Team to meet patients’ ongoing mental health needs.

• Promote positive/compassionate attitudes towards people with mental health difficulties, including a mutual understanding and effective collaborative working between the PCN, other mental health services and community voluntary sector.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

• To help facilitate evaluation of the service model including service user feedback, internal data collection, performance reviews/appraisals.
• To be responsible for relevant data collection on work activities, inputting data onto

System One.

• Maintain awareness of current research within own area of specialist practice, to demonstrate a commitment to evidence-based practice and continuity of professional development.

Professional Development:

• Maintain and develop a level of professional knowledge, skills and expertise that ensure the highest standards of practice and that responds to changing care needs of patients and the service itself.
• To maintain high standard of care in all areas of practice in accordance with the relevant professional Code of Conduct and guidelines.
• To access regular, appropriate clinical supervision
• To ensure that that any requirements necessary to maintain relevant professional registration are fulfilled.

DATA PROTECTION ACT

• We are all expected to be aware of the Data Protection Act and to follow the local Codes of Practice to ensure appropriate action is taken to safeguard confidential information.

HEALTH & SAFETY

• We all have a responsibility for health and safety, risk assessment and workplace inspections, and you will be expected to take reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of others.
• You will also be expected to co-operate with your colleagues to ensure that statutory regulations, policies, codes of practice and departmental safety procedures are adhered to, and to attend any training programmes that we consider to be relevant.

INFECTION CONTROL

• We all have a responsibility to make sure that Infection Control remains a priority in terms of attention and resources. If you work in a role that provides direct patient care then you’ll be expected to follow our policies and procedures which are designed to reduce the risk of passing on the organisms that can cause infections.
• We all, collectively and individually, have a duty of care to follow best practice and adhere to any guidelines which underpin the management of Infection Control.

CONFIDENTIALITY

• We all have a responsibility to make sure that we don’t disclose any information of a confidential nature relating to the services we provide or in respect of any service user, client or third party. This applies both during and after your employment.
• You must not remove or copy any documents or tangible items including software which belong to the Trust or which contain any confidential information unless you have specific permission to do so. When you leave our employment, or if you are asked, you must return all documents and tangible items which are in your possession or are under your control, but which belong to us or contain or refer to any confidential information.
• You should be aware that a breach of confidentiality may result in your dismissal and that, regardless of any disciplinary action that we may take, a breach of confidence could result in civil action for damages.

POST HOLDER
PRINT NAME:

SIGNATURE:

DATE:

Job Types: Part-time, Temporary contract
Contract length: 6 months
Part-time hours: 15 per week

Salary: £15.00-£20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Sick pay

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Christchurch, BH23 5ET: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 04/08/2023