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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health
Grade
Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Day Shifts only)
Job ref
197-AJ6807
Employer
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
University Hospital Lewisham
Town
London
Salary
£26,530 - £29,114 per annum plus HCA
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
30/05/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust logo

Mental Health Practitioners

Band 4

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 – the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over  staying comfortable; Listening  over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values here

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as “good” or “outstanding” in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King’s College London’s GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

Job overview

The role of the Mental Health Well-Being Practitioner as a member of the team is to provide specialist nursing care to patients with mental health conditions or patients experiencing psychological distress. Deliver therapeutic interventions that will reduce agitation and distress and promote recovery. To identify factors that increase and decrease agitation/distress for the patient. To always deliver care according to the principles of least restriction. Carrying out assigned tasks as part of clinical team in support of registered nurses and to undertake some aspects of care provision without direct supervision. Ensuring the safety and well- being of services users, and always working in a manner that promotes dignity and human rights through the adoption of person centered care principles.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be expected to work with patients admitted to the ward as a member of the multidisciplinary team, delivering a high standard of evidence-based care and treatment in order to maximise each patient individual potential.

The post holder is responsible for the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of care to patients and families admitted to the ward in conjunction with the Psychiatric Liaison Team.

He/she will deliver care that has already been planned by a clinician or a Registered Nurse and will be skilled in taking appropriate action to ensure that outcomes are achieved.

He/she will be competent, confident and adaptable and will require minimal supervision from the registered professionals within the team.

He / she will contribute to the efficient running of the department and ensure patients and their families are seen in a timely manner.

Working for our organisation

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

  1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
  2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
  3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
  4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
  5. Making equalities mainstream

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • To therapeutically engage with patients who have a mental health condition or are experiencing psychological distress
  • To deliver care in accordance with the principles of least restriction and in line with national guidance including NICE guidelines for managing disturbed behaviour
  • To understand continuous risk assessment of patient and escalate any increase in risk
  • To identify when patients are experiencing anxiety/distress and therapeutically engage with them to alleviate these symptoms.
  • To identify escalation of risk and actively de-escalate the situation.
  • To undertake therapeutic activities with the patient, that are appropriate to their presentation.
  • Undertakes a range of delegated clinical care duties to deliver agreed plans of care, acting on own initiative.
  • To ensure patients receive high quality clinical care and good patient experience, having regard for their customs, religious beliefs and doctrines.
  • Recognise and avoid situations that may be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the individuals.
  • To act as advocate for patients within the department, to ensure a patient orientated approach to the delivery of care and to meet standards within the NHS Plan and other relevant guidelines.
  • Provides support and assistance to professionals in the implementation of plans of care for individual patients.
  • As directed to collect specimens from patients and record routine observations. Report abnormalities and concerns to a Registered Nurse.

Person specification

Qualifications /Education and Training

Essential criteria
  • Good level of general education including GCSE English and Maths
  • NVQ level 4
  • Foundation Degree or Degree in a healthcare related subject
Desirable criteria
  • Nursing Associate on NMC Register

Previous Experience

Essential criteria
  • Minimum 6 months experience in acute hospital setting or clinic
  • Previous experience of working with patients with mental health conditions.
  • Previous experience of working with patients that present a risk to themselves or others.
  • Previous experience of working as a healthcare assistant in a hospital or registered care setting
  • Experience of taking clinical observations Customer care experience.
  • Ability to document legibly and use electronic patient system when needed
  • Demonstrates awareness of recourse management
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of therapeutic de-escalation skills.
  • Experience of working within a team of mental health professionals.
  • Previous experience of working in a health or social care setting, either statutory or non-statutory service
  • Experience of delivering psychology interventions.

Skills/Knowledge/Ability

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of mental health conditions.
  • Knowledge of therapeutic interventions delivered to: • Reduce the risk of aggression·, Reduce distress caused by mental health symptoms such as hallucinations and mania.• Reduce the risk of self-harm · • Reduce anxiety· • Reduce self-neglect.
  • Able to interact well with multidisciplinary team and Patents/relatives.
  • Understanding of the requirements of patient confidentiality.
  • Knowledge of mental health admission and discharge pathways Punctual and reliable.
Desirable criteria
  • An awareness of the principles of social inclusion and recovery.
  • Knowledge of the Mental Health Act / Mental Capacity Act.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDCapital Nurse, LondonVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoTimewise helps businesses to attract and develop the best talent through flexible working.No smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationAge positiveDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)We offer Wagestream - A financial wellbeing benefit which lets you access your pay as you earn it.NHS Rainbow badgePrince's Trust - Proud to support the Prince's trust - Youth can do itStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingArmed 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
Ayisat Mekuleyi
Job title
Ward Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02083333721
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