Job description

Job responsibilities

Aims

To reduce the need for referrals to secondary mental health services but to refer appropriately using referral criteria if patient requires a higher level of need as per the Mental Health Stepped Care Model.

For patients to be assessed by a mental health professional and reduce need for GP contact to promote early intervention and reduce escalation of problems.

To reduce the need for unnecessary and inappropriate prescribing but to monitor and support patients safely through initiation of medication when clinically required as per NICE guidelines.

To ensure any risk issues are assessed, managed effectively and that patients are safeguarded accordingly.

To ensure patients are advised and signposted to psychological therapies as needed.

Maintain good links with other Mental Health services such as local secondary services and NHS Talking Therapies.

Duties And Responsibilities

Clinical

Offer Mental health triage in a time frame appropriate for patients needs including some same day appointments.

To provide short term interventions for common mental health problems as per Steps 1 and 2 of the Stepped Care Model working along side other disciplines such as APP and Social Prescribing Link Worker.

Follow NICE guidelines for management of common mental health problems with primary care setting.

Provide advice and signposting for parents of children under the age of 16 who are having mental health difficulties.

Provide advice and signposting for drugs and alcohol problems.

Provide advice, screening and signposting/referral to appropriate services regarding concerns re ADHD and autism for adults.

Take responsibility for keeping up to date with changes and development of mental health treatment, policy and delivery locally and nationally.

Keep up to date with inhouse mandatory training.

Take responsibility for revalidation requirement as per NMC.

To issue sicknotes to patient if they are unable to work due to their mental health problems.

To organise and complete the QOF annual reviews for the SMI register which consists of HCA appointment and then a face to face appointment with me that includes formulation of a care plan, crisis management, general health advice.

To maintain awareness of updated protocols and/or policies and to execute them whenever possible at all times

To be flexible to the needs of the service

Meetings

It will be necessary to attend and contribute to various practice meetings as requested. The only reason for not attending will be annual, study or sick leave or circumstances deemed appropriate by the partnership or management.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health And Safety At Work Act, 1974

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management their own and others health and safety and infection control, as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines

Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines

Responsible for correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements

Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff

Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice

Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice

Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes

Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand-cleansing facilities, wipes etc. are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.

Safe management of sharps procedures, including training, use, storage and disposal

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management

Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers

Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)

Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards

Waste management, including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection

Spillage control procedures, management and training

Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance

Maintenance of sterile environments

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Outside Employment/Outside Interests

If you have other work or outside interests, this must not conflict with your duties and responsibilities of you attendance for work as an employee of the Practice.

It is a condition of appointment that you must inform your manager before taking up of any private practice, work for outside agencies or other employers, other work for this Practice (including bank work), voluntary work or outside interests you have or propose to have. This is to ensure there is no question of it creating a conflict of interest with your NHS duties. You must also therefore seek your manager's approval before taking on any such other work or outside interest at any time after entering employment.

Harassment And Bullying

The Practice condemns all forms of harassment and bullying and is actively seeking to promote a work place where employees are treated with dignity, respect and without bias.

Equal Opportunities

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance

Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs

Effectively manage own time, workload and resource

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

Communicate effectively with other team members

Communicate effectively with patients and carers

Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

The post-holder will:

Apply practice policies, standards and guidance

Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work

Participate in audit where appropriate

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with Mental Health Patients
• Experience of dealing with Safeguarding and Vulnerable People

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care
• Experience of working in a GP practice

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse with NMC with a valid PIN

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Lockwood GP Surgery & Win Network

Address

Civic Centre

Breck Lane

Poulton le Fylde

Lancashire

FY6 7PU

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.lockwoodavenuesurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)