Job summary
- Main area
- Nursing
- Grade
- NHS AfC:: Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Long Day: 08:00-21:15, night shift: 21:00-08:30)
- Job ref
- 334-NUR-7520346-SA
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- St Thomas' Hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £46,419 - £55,046 per annum inclusive of HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Mental Health Liaison Nurse
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
We are looking to recruit a Mental Health Liaison Nurse to join the Crisis Assessment Unit (CAU) which works alongside the well-established Mental Health Liaison Team (MHLT) at St Thomas' Hospital.
We are keen to employ adaptable and motivated individuals who are willing to become actively involved in this fast-paced and progressive service and who have an interest in being part of a new service. The role offers an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to further their experience of liaison psychiatry and develop their skills in crisis assessments and physical healthcare.
The post holder will be expected to be an advocate for mental health within the hospital and support all staff in providing care for people presenting with complex and multifaceted difficulties. The team work alongside Mental Health for Older Adults, Perinatal Mental Health and Neuropsychiatry; the post holder will be expected to provide assessment and care to patients presenting from these specialist areas, out-of-hours.
The team operates on a 24 hour, 7 day a week basis and it is essential that the post holder is able to work unsocial hours, including night shifts and weekends on a pro rata basis.
In an effort to continually improve the quality of care individuals with acute mental health difficulties receive whilst in the acute hospital setting, the CAU was developed as a bespoke mental health assessment unit that is firmly embedded within the emergency department (ED) of STH.
Main duties of the job
St Thomas’ Hospital (STH) is a large and highly regarded teaching hospital in the heart of central London, part of Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) and Kings Health Partners, one of only six academic science centres in the UK.
The CAU functions as a safe and therapeutic space for those experiencing an acute mental health crisis to be assessed and cared for by a multidisciplinary team of mental health clinicians. The unit operates alongside the existing Core 24 MHLT establishment and is an integral part of the overall emergency pathway in STH.
The role of the mental health liaison nurse within the CAU will be to complete biopsychosocial assessments of adults in crisis, formulating robust and holistic risk management and care plans. The post holder will work alongside acute hospital colleagues and other partner agencies to develop plans of care alongside the patient and their carers, relatives or friends.
A sound, existing knowledge of the interface between physical and mental health is essential, as well as experience of working with those who use illicit substances and/ or misuse alcohol.
Working for our organisation
South London & Maudsley 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's why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
- Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
- Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
- Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
- Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars.
- Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
- NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
Other benefits include:
- Counselling services
- Wellbeing events
- Long service awards
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Childcare vouchers
- Staff restaurants
We look forward to receiving your application.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached documents for detailed information about the job description.
The role of the mental health liaison nurse within the CAU will be to complete biopsychosocial assessments of adults in crisis, formulating robust and holistic risk management and care plans. The post holder will work alongside acute hospital colleagues and other partner agencies to develop plans of care alongside the patient and their carers, relatives or friends.
Person specification
Education and Qualification
Essential criteria
- Registered Mental Health Nurse and/or Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse
- Mentorship qualification
Desirable criteria
- Master’s Degree or Post-Graduate study
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of research-based/reflective practice, e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence based practice
- Significant relevant clinical experience.
- Experience as a preceptor / mentor
- Knowledge of relevant Professional and Clinical legislation
Desirable criteria
- Experience of taking responsibility for a ward / clinical unit
- Experience of engaging / supporting clinical research projects
- Experience of teaching. e.g. lecturer practitioner/preceptorship
Skills
Essential criteria
- Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service user’s needs, without close supervision
- Resilient: able to cope with difficult interpersonal situations.
- Self-aware, self-confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others
- Advocates for all individuals, particularly those with protected characteristics; promotes equality and diversity
- Forms very effective working relationships with colleagues
Desirable criteria
- Problem solving, ability to identify problems, review options and take appropriate action without a predetermined framework
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
- Felicia Welin
- Job title
- CAU Clinical Team Leader
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0207 188 6014
- Additional information
Clinical Service Lead:
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