Advanced Mental Health Practitioner

This is a role within the Psychological Medicine Service older adults team at Royal Berkshire Hospital. The post holder will be joining a well-established and supportive team working with older adults admitted to Royal Berkshire Hospital. The post holder will work 75% of their time with the older adults team and 25% with the working age team. The older adults team work Monday to Friday, 9-5pm, and the working age team work shifts. Some shift work will be expected. Patients present with mental health or cognitive difficulties in the context of declining physical health and/or neurological or neurodegenerative conditions. The work is dynamic and there are many opportunities to develop close working relationships with specialist departments within Royal Berkshire Hospital as well as with other mental health services. The post is within a supportive multidisciplinary team of mental health practitioners, including mental health nurses, and a consultant psychiatrist. The older adult service (65+) is a small team and works alongside the working age team within the Psychological Medicine Service at Royal Berkshire Hospital. The overall service is an established Core24 provision, and is PLAN accredited with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. A strong interest in mental health in the context of physical health in old age is essential for this role. An informal visit to the service is encouraged. The working hours are Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm.,

• The role will be to provide specialist mental health care to patients who are in Royal Berkshire Hospital
• You will undertake initial assessments of older adults who have been referred by Royal Berkshire Hospital and will focus on their mental health needs but adopting a holistic approach.
• You will offer continued mental health support of patients when necessary while on their journey within Royal Berkshire Hospital
• You will use your skills to formulate a working diagnosis and relevant risk and management plan
• The cases will be complex at times, and you will participate in and lead professionals meetings.
  
  Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
  
  Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites