SPA​/Out of Hours Crisis Response (OOHCR) Practitioner

Job Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Single Point of Access team, part of the Jameson Urgent and Emergency Care Service. The Team has now expanded to provide Out of Hours face to face crisis assessments overnight between 8pm and 8:30am.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Single Point of Access team, part of the Jameson Urgent and Emergency Care Service. The Team has now expanded to provide Out of Hours face to face crisis assessments overnight between 8pm and 8:30am. We are looking for experienced and motivated Band 6 health care professionals (nurses, social workers or occupational therapists), or experienced Band 5 clinicians who are looking for a development opportunity, to become part of our dynamic service based in a convenient central London location in Victoria.

SPA is large multi-disciplinary team which provides a telephone triage, signposting, advice and support service, operational 24-hours a day, seven days per week, 365 days a year for patients, carers, GPs and other referrers; and also an out of hours / overnight crisis response function, providing triaging and face to face assessments. Postholders will be expected to work a flexible shift pattern across both day and night shifts, including night shifts in the Out of Hours service, where they will travel across Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster to conduct crisis assessments and arrange support for patients, with the aim of reducing avoidable attendance in EDs and keeping patients well supported in the community wherever possible.

Main duties of the job As a SPA/OOH Practitioner you will work as part of a dynamic team, managing crisis calls into the service, undertaking a clinical triage and deciding on the correct care pathway for that caller, referring callers into secondary adult MH services where appropriate, or signposting callers into non-statutory, third sector services. You will also undertake initial triage and assessments for people referred into the service , signposting and referring on as appropriate.

You will be expected to co‑ordinate shifts and manage and supervise more junior staff within the team. You will also work nights and undertake visits to assess patients in their homes, always working in pairs. The role will require skilled assessment, onward referrals to CNWL services indicated and signposting similar to the telephony work. Strong clinical risk assessment and formulation skills are essential for this role as well as an excellent understanding of the range of both statutory and non‑statutory mental health services available.

The post holder must hold an up to date UK Driving License. Working for our organisation The Single Point of Access service sits within the Urgent Care directorate and is uniquely situated as an access point into crisis support and mental health services across the whole trust. Those in post will have the unique opportunity to expand and grow their knowledge of the organisation and the support it offers, and play a pivotal part in service users first contact with mental health services, or at the point of crisis and in need of urgent support.

You will also be their lifeline in a time of crisis when they need professional support the most. The service is committed, along with the Trust, to developing its workforce by delivering a robust package of education and training and ensuring the service delivers a trauma informed-base interventions at all times.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Answer all calls to the SPA in a patient and courteous manner, and to screen and prioritise these appropriately.
• Undertake clinical triaging of all calls to the SPA, deciding on the correct care pathway for that call.
• Handle called from 111 option 2 where people use this function to call and report a mental health concern
• Refer callers onto secondary adult MH services where appropriate liaising with teams to ensure timely follow up support
• Signpost callers on as necessary into non-statutory, third sector services.
• Identify social care and safeguarding concerns through the clinical…