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Job summary

Main area
Assistant Clinical Psychologist
Grade
Band 5
Contract
Permanent: Business Development
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
22-LS-CM-94
Employer
West London NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Glenthorne Road
Town
Hammersmith and Fulham
Salary
£35,964 - £43,780 per annum inclusive of 20% HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
27/07/2025 23:59

Employer heading

West London NHS Trust logo

Occupational Therapist or Registered Mental Health Nurse

Band 5

West London NHS Trust  provides a full range of mental health, community  and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and ambitious Occupational Therapist or Registered Mental Health Nurse within the Mental Health Autism Team. The service has recently expanded to cover a defined cohort of autistic service users within community mental health services, who are at increased risk of readmissions to inpatient mental health services or frequently utilise unplanned care.

The post spans acute and community mental health services across Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow. The post will be based across both Hammersmith and Fulham and Lakeside Mental Health Units, but will involve outreach provision and therefore travel across all three boroughs.

 

This role is intended to provide occupational therapy or mental health nursing assessments and interventions to autistic service users accessing inpatient or crisis mental health services. The service also supports people at increased risk of readmission, with the overall aim of improving the care and experience of admissions and supporting earlier, sustainable and safe discharges, and reducing the risk of readmissions.  

The post is across H&F, Ealing and Hounslow, but paid as inner London weighting. Please note opening date of advert as high volume of applications may be received and unable to shortlist sooner due to AL.

Main duties of the job

  1. This new post offers an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist or Registered Mental Health Nurse, looking to specialise in mental health and autism.  The successful candidate will offer a thorough, compassionate and evidence-based service to adults with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of autism within inpatient and crisis mental health services. The post will also involve an outreach component, offering community-based input to autistic adults at risk of readmission or who frequently utilise unplanned care.

    As an integral member of the Mental Health Autism Team, the post holder will have knowledge and understanding of taking a strengths-based approach to working with autistic people, supporting the individual and teams to identify and meet unmet needs. The role offers opportunities for service development and clinical audits. Multidisciplinary joint working will be central to the development of integrated care, and fostering strong relationships with stakeholders will be key.  

    The post spans inpatient, crisis and community mental health services across Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow. The post will be based at both Hammersmith and Fulham and Lakeside Mental Health Units, and will involve outreach provision across all three boroughs

Working for our organisation

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and   Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ 4,500 staff, of whom 56% are BME. Our turnover for 2023-24 is £426m. 

The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria
  • BSc (Hons) or equivalent in Occupational Therapy or Mental Health Nursing.
  • Current registration with the relevant professional body (HCPC or NMC).
Desirable criteria
  • Training in positive approaches to behaviours of concern.
  • Training relevant to working with autistic people (such as sensory integration, Social Stories)
  • Additional training in an area relevant to the professional discipline, e.g. OT standardised assessments, Dialogue training.
  • Completion of Practice Placement Educator training or equivalent.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience in working with autistic people. Application of core profession-specific skills in assessments and interventions.
  • Multidisciplinary team working.
  • Experience of working with people who have severe and enduring mental health conditions. Ability to build rapport with service users, carers and colleagues.
  • Evidence of ability in completing assessment, treatment planning, intervention delivery and evaluation, relevant to OT or Nursing.
  • Core skills and application of models of practice, relevant to OT or Nursing.
Desirable criteria
  • Relevant post-qualification experience in Mental Health and/or Autism and/or Learning Disabilities.
  • Where relevant, already working towards or achieved Band 5 KSF subset (e.g. preceptorship programme for OT).
  • Use of standardised assessment tools and outcome measures.
  • Involvement in research and/or clinical audit.
  • Experience of supervision of students or junior members of staff.
  • Lived experience of mental health difficulties and/or autism.
  • Experience of delivering training/teaching.
  • Ability to prepare and present papers at study days and conferences.
  • Ability to apply (research) evidencebased practice.
  • Contribution to service development and the training of others
  • Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of mental health difficulties and of a holistic approach to understanding an individual’s presentation in the context of wider biopsychosocial aspects.
  • Knowledge and understanding of how mental health difficulties can impact on a person’s ability to complete day-to-day activities.
  • An understanding of how a person’s social circumstances or current crisis may impact on their activity participation, social interaction and communication.
  • Up-to-date knowledge of autism, including applied understanding of how different aspects of autism might impact on a person’s communication, social interaction and behaviours.
  • Ability to articulate and apply relevant experience to mental health setting Clinical and environmental risk assessment and safety planning
  • Equality and diversity.
  • Understanding of team dynamics.
  • Awareness of need to work within appropriate boundaries.
  • Principles of clinical governance. Computer literate.
  • Relevant current legislation, NICE guidelines, CPA, risk assessment and risk management.
Desirable criteria
  • An understanding of trauma-informed care.
  • Knowledge of sensory differences/sensory integration and how this might impact on a person’s experience of care.
  • Research methodology, including undertaking service evaluation projects.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Train work experience quality standard - gold standardNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyInvestors in PeopleDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Zoe Yessaian
Job title
Senior Nurse
Email address
[email protected]
Additional information

For more information and an informal chat please contact:
Zoe Yessaian (Senior Nurse): [email protected] and 
Emma Turner (Principal Dramatherapist): [email protected]

If you have problems applying, contact

Address
Human Resources – Trust Headquarters
West London NHS Trust
1 Armstrong Way - Southall
UB2 4SA
Telephone
Mob: 07483968676
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