Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

Six month secondment opportunity for the Band 6 Urgent Care Practitioner Role at The Haven Meadowfield Hospital

Are you looking for a new challenge?

Are you interested in working closely alongside an experienced team in developing your assessment and risk management skills?

Do you have a passion to deliver outstanding mental healthcare for adults in need of crisis support?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Haven team and be part of a creative and innovative service for people experiencing mental health problems.

The Haven (based at Meadowfield Hospital) is a dedicated, mental health crisis assessment facility and we are available 24 hours a day.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate mental health practitioner who has experience of working in mental health services, applicants need to have an understanding of both the assessment and risk assessment process as well as a working knowledge of the relevant aspects of the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act. A flexible approach to clinical work and an interest in this urgent care pathway would also be beneficial. We regularly support students within the team and an interest in supporting and teaching students is essential. As part of the secondment you will be offered regular supervision as well as a full induction.

Working for our organisation

We could offer the right candidate the opportunity to enhance existing assessment and risk assessment/management skills in a supportive environment. Our team is nurse led and delivers care over a 24/7 period. We have input, during the week, from our team consultant.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As part of the Haven team you would -

• Liaise with emergency services and other professionals to screen new referrals to the service
• Not carry a caseload though you may be allocated to specific service users that have a bespoke care plan with the service.
• Welcome new service users to the service
• You would offer crisis support and assessment to service users within a supportive and nurturing environment.
• Service users attending for the Haven will be offered an adult mental health assessments and risk assessment.
• You will liaise with other professionals/carers to plan/enhance a person's care
• Be involved with devising bespoke care plans for service users that may benefit from this.
• Provide excellent clinical outcomes, patient centred care and expert risk management while improving patient experience and involvement.
• Be part of a 24/7 service.
• Benefit from the Haven's approach to risk management, you would be encouraged and supported by the wider team when managing risk, we believe in holding risk at a team level rather than by individual practitioners.

If you enjoy being a part of a team, are creative, seeking a new challenge and want to make a positive difference to the lives of people with mental health problems in an urgent care setting, then we would be delighted to hear from you.

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.