About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has become available within Andover Primary Care Network for a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to join our well-established Primary Care Mental Wellbeing Team. The postholder will provide registered mental health expertise, assessment, brief intervention and care navigation to adults and older adults across our five member GP practices in Andover.
Main duties of the job
Working at the interface between primary care, community and specialist mental health services, the Mental Health Practitioner will support the early identification, assessment and management of mental health needs within primary care. The postholder will undertake mental health screening and assessment, including assessment of clinical risk and safeguarding concerns, provide brief evidence-based interventions within their professional competence, and maintain an appropriate short-term clinical caseload. They will support patients to access the right care at the right time, including signposting and referral to community services and escalation to urgent or secondary mental health services where required.
An important element of the role will be providing responsive mental health support directly to the PCNs member practices through established and agreed pathways. This will include reviewing appropriate patients identified through practice e-Consult submissions, duty lists and other agreed primary care routes and, where appropriate, contacting and assessing patients directly. This approach will enable suitable patients to receive timely mental health assessment and support without requiring an additional GP appointment or separate referral into the service, while ensuring that patients requiring GP, urgent or specialist mental health input are appropriately identified and escalated.
About us
Primary Care Networks bring general practices together to provide a wider range of services to support patients. Additionally, by decreasing the workload on general practice teams, they improve overall access to primary care services for patients.
Andover Primary Care Network is a collaborative project involving the following GP Surgeries:
Adelaide Medical Centre Andover Health Centre Medical Practice Charlton Hill Surgery Shepherds Spring Medical Centre St Marys SurgeryWe work in partnership with the community to support our network of General Practices in a sustainable way to positively impact the health & wellbeing of patients in our local community.
Job description Job responsibilities
Job Summary
Working alongside the Primary Care Mental Health Team Lead, GP Mental Health Lead and wider multidisciplinary team, the postholder will provide clinical advice and support to colleagues within the Mental Wellbeing Team and across member practices. This will include supporting the management of patients with more complex mental health needs or clinical risk, undertaking joint assessments where appropriate, contributing to multidisciplinary case discussion, and supporting the development of clinical knowledge and confidence across the wider team.
Safeguarding will form an important part of the role. The postholder will identify, assess and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns arising through patient contact and provide advice and support to colleagues where concerns are identified. They will work collaboratively with the PCN Safeguarding Team, member practices and relevant partner organisations to support appropriate escalation, information sharing and coordinated safeguarding responses.
The postholder will develop and maintain effective relationships across primary care, community and secondary mental health services and voluntary and community sector organisations, supporting effective care navigation and continuity of care. They will also contribute to the ongoing development and clinical governance of the PCNs mental health provision, including multidisciplinary working, clinical supervision and education, service evaluation and quality improvement.
The role will primarily be based within the Andover PCN offices, with regular working across our five member GP practices and engagement with partner services as required.
Key Responsibilities
The Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner will provide the following functions depending on local context, supervision and appropriate clinical governance:
a) Mental health advice, support, consultation, and liaison across the wider local health and social care system, including acting as a first point of contact in primary care for patients whose care needs are not suitable for Talking Therapies;
b) Facilitation of onward access to mental and physical health, well-being, and biopsychosocial interventions;
c) Provision of brief psychological interventions, where qualified to do so and where appropriate;
d) Work closely with other PCN-based roles to help address the potential range of biopsychosocial needs of patients with mental health problems. This will include the PCNs MDT, including, for example, PCN clinical pharmacists for medication reviews, and social prescribing link workers for access to community-based support; and
e) May operate without the need for formal referral from GPs, including accepting some direct bookings where appropriate, subject to agreement on volumes and the mechanism of booking between the PCN and the provider.
Wider Responsibilities
Clinical Practice and Practice Support
Undertake mental health screening and assessment, including assessment of clinical risk and safeguarding concerns, and provide appropriate brief interventions and support within professional scope of practice. Maintain an appropriate short-term clinical caseload, supporting patients with symptom management, care planning and access to appropriate services. Provide responsive mental health support to member practices through agreed pathways, including reviewing appropriate patients identified through eConsult submissions, practice duty lists and other agreed routes. Where appropriate, contact and assess patients directly, determining the appropriate outcome, including intervention, signposting, onward referral, advice to the practice or escalation to GP, urgent or secondary mental health services. Undertake joint assessments and contribute to multidisciplinary case discussion where appropriate. Safeguarding, Clinical Advice and Team Support
Identify and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns and clinical risk, working collaboratively with the PCN Mental Wellbeing and Safeguarding Teams, member practices and relevant partner organisations. Provide clinical advice and support to Mental Wellbeing Team and practice colleagues regarding patients with more complex mental health needs, risk or uncertainty regarding the appropriate pathway. Support the professional and clinical supervision of members of the Primary Care Mental Wellbeing Team, within the postholders professional competence and agreed governance arrangements. Contribute to case discussion, reflective practice, education and the sharing of best practice, supporting the development of knowledge and confidence across the wider team. Multidisciplinary and Partnership Working
Work collaboratively with the PCNs five member practices, wider PCN services and relevant health, social care, voluntary and community sector partners. Participate in relevant multidisciplinary meetings, case discussions and reviews, contributing mental health expertise to shared decision-making. Support effective communication, referral and transition between primary care, community and secondary mental health services, promoting continuity of care and effective care navigation. Develop and maintain knowledge of local services and pathways, identifying gaps or barriers to appropriate patient support where these arise. Service Development and Clinical Governance
Work closely with the Primary Care Mental Health Team Lead and GP Mental Health Lead to support the safe and effective delivery and ongoing development of the service. Contribute to the development and review of clinical pathways and ways of working, including eConsult, practice duty and other direct-access arrangements. Participate in appropriate clinical governance, quality improvement, audit and service evaluation activity, contributing to the monitoring of service activity and outcomes. Work autonomously within professional scope of practice, recognising limitations and accessing appropriate clinical advice, supervision or escalation when required. Supervision and Support
The postholder will work under the leadership of the Primary Care Mental Health Team Lead, with support from the PCNs GP Mental Health Lead and wider Primary Care Mental Wellbeing Team.
Andover PCN will ensure that the postholder has access to appropriate professional and clinical supervision, including support through the local community mental health services provider, alongside robust clinical governance arrangements to support safe and effective practice.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Experience in a Community or Primary Care Mental health care setting. Significant experience of undertaking assessments, formulation, management of patients with more complex mental health needs or clinical risk, undertaking joint assessments where appropriate. Experience of contributing to multidisciplinary case discussion, and supporting the development of clinical knowledge and confidence across the wider team. Experience of safeguarding and investigations.
Qualifications Essential
Registered Mental Health Nurse / Clinical Psychologist / Mental Health Occupational Therapist / Registered Mental Health Practitioner
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 Andover PCN
Address Andover PCN Offices
2nd Floor Chantry House
Chantry Centre
Andover, Hampshire
SP10 1LZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.andoverpcn.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)