Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health Practitioner
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent: Care Co-ordinator
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
- Job ref
- 334-NUR-7815703-TA
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Croydon Early Intervention Service
- Town
- 66A Queens Road, Croydon
- Salary
- per annum inclusive of HCAS
- Closing
- 07/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Care Coordinator - Early Intervention in Psychosis
NHS AfC: Band 6
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
About the role:
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and dynamic Care Coordinator to join the COAST Community Team. The post is open to nurses, OTs and social workers.
The post-holder will conduct assessments of newly referred adults to the Early Intervention Service who are experiencing First Episode Psychosis (FEP). They will undertake the responsibilities of a care coordinator within the Care Programme Approach for a defined caseload of service users and their carers. They will provide evidence-based psychosocial interventions and will focus on engagement, recovery and social inclusion as well as addressing physical health care needs.
The successful candidates will be experienced registered professionals who are able to demonstrate a specific interest in working with people with developing psychosis and who have either completed preceptorship or evidence of band 6 skills.
This is an exciting time to be working in this field which is undergoing a period of rapid growth and development. We are able to offer excellent support and training opportunities.
Main duties of the job
1. Assessment: To be responsible for the assessment of newly referred adults with First Episode Psychosis and the subsequent presentation of findings to the wider team. To work with diagnostic uncertainty, providing ongoing comprehensive assessments and outcome monitoring for all service users within caseload. To undertake risk assessments regularly, involving all other health professionals/agencies involved. To ensure that risk assessments are regularly updated, are meaningful and are reflected in care plans.
2) Engagement: Assertively outreach difficult to engage clients. To meet service users regularly, as far as possible at a venue of their choice, be this at home, CMHT centre, education, work or recreational establishments to assist with engagement and encourage participation in treatment
delivery as well as facilitating independence in all aspects of daily living.
3) Support: To provide ongoing care coordination of a designated caseload of service users who will be experiencing their first episode of psychosis. To provide support and advice in relation to service users regarding the issues concerning them. To work collaboratively with service users focussing on a recovery approach. Provide information to help clients make informed choices.
Working for our organisation
About the Team
COAST is a multi-disciplinary team providing a comprehensive service to people who may be experiencing psychosis for the first time, living in Croydon. The successful applicants will be enthusiastic about this client group, and committed to working within the recovery approach to deliver NICE concordant care.
About the Location:
You will be based at Queens Resource Centre, 66A Queens Road, Croydon, CR0 2PR.
Benefits:
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It’s important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
- Generous pay, pensions and leave.
- Work life balance.
- Career development
- NHS discounts.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
4) Interventions: To provide interventions relevant to a first episode client group. To ensure all interventions are age appropriate and that care is sensitive to the needs of black and minority ethnic service users. To provide low intensity CBT and Mindfulness interventions under supervision. To provide psycho-education to services users. To have a client centred approach with a focus on resocialisation and social inclusion.
5) Families and Carers: To involve families and carers in treatment plans where appropriate. This may require direct family interventions. Ensuring services are provided within guidance of the Children and Carers Acts. To ensure that the needs of Carers are assessed and the care services are
provided as necessary. To provide families and carers with psycho-education.
6) MDT Working: To work in co-operation with members of the multi-disciplinary team and all other relevant health professionals to assess, develop, implement and evaluate high quality packages of client centred care. To form effective relationships with inpatient services to facilitate early effective discharge. To take part in all clinical meetings.
7) Communication: To maintain accurate clinical documentation on designated caseload ensuring case notes are up to date as per guidance and in line with electronic patient journey system. To ensure effective verbal and written communication with all involved with delivery of care. The post holder will liaise with other disciplines and organisations to ensure that all issues affecting service user care are managed and communicated to a high standard.
8) Personal Development: To remain up to date with current/emerging good practice relating to community mental health services, in general and Early Intervention services in particular. To abide by the policies of SLAM NHS foundation Trust and Local Authority. To keep abreast of all developments pertaining to the provision of Community Mental Health Care. To contribute to effective MDT working. To meet regularly with Team Manager/Supervisor. To remain up to date with all mandatory training requirements. To undertake CPD as agreed with Team Leader. To
provide supervision to other junior members of staff.
9) Miscellaneous: To participate in the team duty system. To provide cover for colleagues in their absence. To participate in research as requested. To undertake audit/clinical governance as required. To undertake other duties as requested by Clinical Service Lead and the COAST Team Leader and to be willing to work from any location in the borough.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Relevant professional qualification. e.g. RMN, CQSW or equivalent
- Up to date registration.
- Evidence of continuing professional development e.g. relevant training
Desirable criteria
- Meridan/FI training or equivalent
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience of working with service users with psychosis when acutely ill.
- Significant experience and skills in risk assessment and management.
- Significant experience and skills in clinical assessments.
- Experience of working with service users with psychosis and their carers.
- Experience of partnership working with statutory and voluntary services
Desirable criteria
- Experience of the use of evidence based interventions relating to the care of service users with first episode psychosis
- Experience of working with service users experiencing psychosis within a community setting
- Experience of carrying out Family Interventions
- Experience of care coordination/CPA
Skills
Essential criteria
- Skills and experience in crisis management.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- IT/data input skills.
- Ability to involve service users and carers in care planning
- Ability to provide psycho education to service users and their carers about psychosis
Desirable criteria
- Care coordination/CPA skills
- CBT/FI skills
- Experience of the use of evidence based interventions relating to the care of service users with first episode psychosis
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of the Recovery Approach and its application in practice
- Knowledge of Early Intervention in Psychosis Approach
- Knowledge of CPA, Community Care Act, Carers Act, Mental Health Act and other relevant legislation as application to practice.
- Knowledge of the role of a Care Coordinator
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of current Government Policy and Guidelines concerning provision of community mental health care and of EI in psychosis in particular.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Brian Makonyola
- Job title
- Team Leader
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- +447720032478
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