Lead Practitioner

We are looking for an experienced Mental Health Practitioner (Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Social Worker) to join the new Multiple Admissions Pathway for Lewes, Wealden and Eastbourne areas. We are looking for someone who has a keen interest in working with people with complex mental health difficulties to support recovery and reduce hospital admissions. We will support you to develop the skills needed to work in an open dialogue informed approach, in which we are responsive to clients' needs and facilitate a network of care.

To maintain client safety, in collaboration with clients, carers and other team members.

To be responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of harm, abuse or neglect and taking all reasonable steps to protect clients.

To provide clinical advice to other professionals on complex issues.

To undertake urgent and priority assessments, including risk assessments.

To be responsible for coordination and decision making in a crisis.

To be responsible for complex care, including when the client's community Care Coordinator / Lead Professional is unavailable.

To support the team where Intensive Home-Based Treatment is required.

To liaise with other services (including emergency support and care services) as required.

To participate in setting quality standards and offering a consistent approach to clients.

To maintain an effective reporting system

To provide verbal and written observations on clients

To support the team with other specialist assessments, as required

To maintain professional standards

To deliver psychologically informed interventions

To attend open dialogue informed network meetings, and to work towards facilitating these.

The NHS is changing and with more emphasis on community-based care there's never been a better time to join us. Over the next three years, community mental health services are going to be undergoing a real transformation and you could be part of these exciting developments. Our community mental health teams will become part of a much more integrated network of services and our mental health clinicians will be central in driving the changes, in close partnership with our primary and third sector colleagues.

We recognise that working in mental health can be stressful so we prioritise staff welfare, providing regular supervision, reflective practice, mentoring, and any other support that our clinicians need to ensure their wellbeing.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please contact Dr Sally McGuire, Principal Psychologist (Lead for MAP Lewes, Wealden and Eastbourne) to learn more about the role.

As part of the MAP team, you will work closely with the three neighbourhood mental health teams in East Sussex and enhance the care delivered to those in crisis with complex needs and a history of multiple admissions. The MAP team uses an open dialogue informed approach to support clients and aims to reduce inpatient admissions.

You will be joining a warm, friendly team who are dedicated to transforming care and supporting best practice for service users and their families. The team has reflective practice weekly and high level of training and staff support.

Excellent communication skills are needed in the role with regards to communicating with all stakeholders including service users, carers, third sector providers, internal and external agencies and services.

Experience of supporting service users with mental health problems is important (and we encourage applicants with lived experience). An inclusive and positive attitude is essential. If your current role includes duty work, that will be an advantage in your application. We always provide a robust induction and the wellbeing of our team is always thought about. Supervision, appraisal and training are all highly valued and prioritised.

Usual working hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.

It is essential that applicants can travel independently across the locality and have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes.

• Registered Nurse / health professional with current registration appropriate to the job role
• Completion of Mentorship Course/ENB / professional equivalent
• Evidence of continuous professional development

• Significant post qualifying experience in the relevant care group (mental health or neurodevelopmental)
• Experience of working alongside people with complex health problems in the designated care group
• Experience of supervising staff
• Experience of providing a range of clinical interventions to people in the designated care group with a variety of health problems
• Experience of working consultatively with professionals
• Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
• Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
• Experience of working within the CPA process
• Understanding of clinical governance
• Previous experience of…