Clinical Assessor - Mental Health Response Vehicle

Please do refer to the Job Description as this is a specialist role, providing autonomous mental health input & assessments to persons of all ages in Hertfordshire The successful candidate will:

• work autonomously as an experienced mental health professional with the ability to give specialist mental health triage assessment and advice
• liaise with clinical services and relevant agencies as a member of the Mental Health Response Vehicle (MHRV)
• contribute to the development of the MHRV service
• provide expert mental health advice to the East of England Ambulance Service staff (EEAST)
• work with an EEAST paramedic or other suitably qualified EEAST staff assessing people in often complex situations, who EEAST feel, may be suffering from a mental health problem
• assess any risks that may be presented and formulate effective plans and strategies to meet and manage the risk involving liaison with the service user, their family, and mental health services across Hertfordshire and West Essex
• prevent the use of a section 136 where possible and appropriate
• prevent the referral to A&E for mental health assessment where possible and appropriate, to redirect to the MHUCC - Mental Health Urgent Care Centre - as suitable for further support of service users, To demonstrate highly developed clinical skills in relation to triage assessment, advice and interventions for service users with acute mental health issues, of all ages, and their families, older people with functional and organic mental health issues, people with a learning disability who may be in crisis, and people with drug and alcohol misuse / dependency including people with dual diagnoses, and people in custody.
To exercise high levels of judgement and decision making in the care and treatment of people with acute mental health issues. To autonomously formulate and implement immediate plans of care for the short-term intervention and management of a person's mental health needs which are based upon an appropriate conceptual framework. Such plans will usually involve sharing of complex, sensitive and, at times, contentious information. To meet the aims of the MHRV Service to ensure that any person who does have a mental health issue receives the most appropriate care and treatment, either signposting to appropriate services or referring to mental health services. To carry out Mental Health triage assessments and advise/support the police and paramedics about the service user's mental health status, seeing people in their homes and in the community, public places across the whole of Hertfordshire County and in the custody suites for the purpose of providing a S136 MH consultation. To work with EEAST when required and attend urgent physical health situations (C1) if you are required to with them. Give assistance as appropriate to your professional training and competencies. To promote the rights and entitlements of service users to ensure equality of access to services. Ensuring that the needs of service users and carers are meaningfully considered during the care process. You will be required to work shifts as an autonomous mental health practitioner. The service will run 7 days/nights a week covering 12 hours; the shifts may be subject to change to meet the evolving needs of the multi-professional service and its service users. You will be responsible for keeping comprehensive and timely electronic patient records and for communicating effectively with other teams to ensure safe and effective care and treatment for people seen. To use any other EPR access given by other NHS Trusts or partner agencies in accordance with Generalised Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) protocols they may have. To collect and keep data and information required for effective evaluation of the service. To be conversant with the Mental Health Act and the requirements relating to Section 136, the mental capacity act, and any other section that people may be subject to in the course of your work including safeguarding. To engage in training with our CAMHS partners to ensure the service provided can be 'age-inclusive'.


• Relevant Professional Qualification, i.e. RMN or
• Dip / BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing or,
• Occupational Therapy Degree/ Diploma or,
• Degree or equivalent in Social Work.
• Up-to-date Professional Registration
• Evidence of further post graduate level development/training.
Desirable criteria
• ENB 998 / Preceptorship and Mentorship
• AMHP
• Nurse prescriber
• Social work placement supervisor
• BSC/Hons Specialist Community Nursing Practice (Mental Health) or similar training or relevant experience
• DBT, CBT, Solution focused brief interventions, BFT, or other associated skills based training, Extensive and varied post qualification experience with a significant period of time at a senior level.
• Experience of working in a crisis setting.
• Experience in acute and community areas.
• Significant experience in a specialist area of mental health such as: - Substance misuse, CAMHS, working with the older adult, working with people with personality disorders, EIP.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience of providing and receiving supervision
Desirable criteria
• Experience of working as an AMHP.
• Experience of teaching or training, You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
  
  Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout, HPFT supports people with mental ill health, learning disabilities and autism across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Essex. We employ around 4,500 people who deliver these services within the community and in inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services and medium and low secure learning disabilities services. We have operated as a NHS Foundation Trust since our authorisation in August 2007.

The service runs from ambulance bases in Hemel Hempstead and Welwyn Garden City. Shifts are set - 2pm to 2am. There is an established Team already working with police and ambulance services and the MHRV role may provide opportunity to work in both roles (with the undertaking of suitable vetting with Police), though predominantly in the MHRV role. Hertfordshire's Street Triage Team has been working with Police since 2016 in providing an information resource, mental health advice and face-to-face clinical assessments for persons Police encounter that they feel have mental health issues. The Team covers most of the 24 hours in a day., In return, we can offer you:
• leadership and management training opportunities
• 5% on top of basic salary high cost allowance supplement (Min of £1258 and max £2,122 per annum)
• 27-33 days holidays + BH
• One of the UK's best pension schemes