Job overview

We are seeking committed and diligent staff to work as Network Navigators in our Acute Mental Health Wards at Highgate Mental Health Centre. The roles are full time and in person with face to face working  as a minimum expectation.  These are new roles to work alongside our Patient Flow service and will be part of a wider system of supporting and managing our patient access and flow within the North London Mental Health Partnership. 

Directly reporting to the Discharge Coordinator  - you will be assigned to  an acute ward and will spend each day operating within the ward, ensuring our 72 hour formulation meetings are in place, linking in with the ward staff and ensuring all actions are completed in order to facilitate the safe discharge of the in-patient population as and when they are clinically ready for discharge.

Hours of work are currently Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm  - five days per week, with possible weekend working with the service planning to move to 7-day working in the future.

Main duties of the job

Network Navigators will be responsible at ward level for ensuring that each patient’s network of care is involved early in admission to inform care planning and timely discharge. They will organise this system around the patient to join key meetings during the admission.

The quality of interaction with patients and those involved in their care will be characterised by an approach that is therapeutic, strengths based, and recovery orientated. The network will include as wide a range of relevant individuals and services as required to support the patient’s recovery. This will include carers, community mental health and substance misuse teams, voluntary sector organisations, criminal justice system staff and housing providers where relevant.

The post holders will work closely with Discharge Coordinators and their designated ward(s) to identify individual patient’s strengths and barriers to discharge at the earliest opportunity following admission. They will work with the clinical teams involved to ensure timely resolution of barriers to ensure patients are discharged when they are clinically ready. Facilitating the contribution of carers is a key activity.

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

1.     We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.

2.       With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all

3.       We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.

4.       We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.