Job overview

The Specialist Paramedic Mental Health (SPMH) will work on the Mental Health Response Vehicles (MHRVs), rotate into the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to provide support to patients over the phone and to crews on scene where necessary, and undertake rotation into partner organisations including primary care, crisis teams and third sector providers to continue their own development and support with closer working relationships. Paramedics operate at the Specialist Paramedic level, providing enhanced clinical support and supervision of staff across a range of incidents within the pre-hospital environment.

Working with a greater autonomy, the post holder will provide enhanced clinical management and coordinate the care of patients with complex and challenging healthcare needs, responding to patients with acute or critical illness, serious injury or major trauma in emotive and demanding situations or environments. The Specialist Paramedic Mental Health will support patients experiencing mental health crisis when they need a response (either telephone or face to face from the ambulance service).

Vacancy locations:

• South Yorkshire – we have a relief vacancy in South Yorkshire where you will have a chance to work on vehicles in Barnsley (Hoyland), Doncaster and Sheffield (Middlewood). .

  East Yorkshire – we have a full-time substantive vacancy at Hull West, shortly to be located at the new hub at Clough Road..

Main duties of the job

Patient Care

The post holder will safely and effectively manage patient care, ensuring they;
• Provide a Trust-wide specialist source of experience and knowledge around mental health issues and crisis
• Undertake an enhanced assessment of patients with complex health needs, ensuring that care is planned to best meet these needs in the pre-hospital setting
• Exercise your own clinical judgement to assess, diagnose, treat, refer and/or discharge patients with undifferentiated injury and/or illness
• Apply enhanced knowledge, make balanced and pragmatic decisions relating to end of life care and futility of resuscitation; placing the patient’s best interests and wishes at the heart of such decisions

Communication and Relationship Responsibilities

• Develop working relationships with colleagues, peers and operational/clinical managers across all directorates and divisions within the Trust as appropriate to undertake the role
• Develop working relationships with external organisations in order to access support for patients and to positively promote the Trust and the role of Paramedics
• The post holder will be required on a regular basis to communicate with people who may be experiencing significant distress and in situations which are complex, and highly charged

Working for our organisation

Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) NHS Trust geographically covers nearly 6,000 square miles of varied terrain, from isolated moors and dales to urban areas, coastline and inner cities.

We serve a population of over five million people across Yorkshire and the Humber and strive to ensure that patients receive the right response to their care needs as quickly as possible, wherever they live.

We employ more than 7,100 staff, who together with over 1,300 volunteers, enable us to provide a vital 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, emergency and healthcare service.

Our ambition is to be an employer of choice, and we are continuously working across our partnership to improve our collective offer to staff in areas like health and wellbeing, benefits and flexible working incl. hybrid working.

Benefits:
•    Flexible working including part-time hours, job shares and flexible hours, agile working (role dependant)
•    27 days annual leave, increasing to 33 with service.
•    Contributory Pension.
•    NHS Discounts including shops, restaurants, gyms etc.
•    Car lease and other salary sacrifice schemes.
•    Dedicated employee assistance and counselling service.
•    Opportunities for research participation, career progression and ongoing development.
•    Well respected, committed and supported staff networks for our workforce.

Check out our YAS One Team Simulation! https://www.nwyhelearning.nhs.uk/elearning/yorksandhumber/yas/yasoneteam/index.html