About this role
Job summary
This is a role within the Psychological Medicine Service older adults team at Royal Berkshire Hospital.
The post holder will be joining a well-established and supportive team working with older adults admitted to Royal Berkshire Hospital. The post holder will work 75% of their time with the older adults team and 25% with the working age team. The older adults team work Monday to Friday, 9-5pm, and the working age team work shifts. Some shift work will be expected. Patients present with mental health or cognitive difficulties in the context of declining physical health and/or neurological or neurodegenerative conditions. The work is dynamic and there are many opportunities to develop close working relationships with specialist departments within Royal Berkshire Hospital as well as with other mental health services.
The post is within a supportive multidisciplinary team of mental health practitioners, including mental health nurses, and a consultant psychiatrist. The older adult service (65+) is a small team and works alongside the working age team within the Psychological Medicine Service at Royal Berkshire Hospital. The overall service is an established Core24 provision, and is PLAN accredited with the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
A strong interest in mental health in the context of physical health in old age is essential for this role.
An informal visit to the service is encouraged.
The working hours are Monday to Friday 9am until 5pm.
Main duties of the job
The role will be to provide specialist mental health care to patients who are in Royal Berkshire Hospital You will undertake initial assessments of older adults who have been referred by Royal Berkshire Hospital and will focus on their mental health needs but adopting a holistic approach.
You will offer continued mental health support of patients when necessary while on their journey within Royal Berkshire Hospital
You will use your skills to formulate a working diagnosis and relevant risk and management plan
The cases will be complex at times, and you will participate in and lead professionals meetings.
A collaborative approach will be used included the view of the patients, family, and carers.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
Caring for and about you is our top priority Committed to providing good quality, safe services Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
Flexible working options to support work-life balance 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell Generous NHS pension scheme Excellent learning and career development opportunities 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave Free parking across Trust sites
Job description Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
RMN or equivalent Professional Qualification
Broad experience gained over a minimum of two years ,acquired by caring for older people with mental health needs in a range of community/inpatient settings
Minimum 2 years as Band 6 grade in older peoples mental health services
Evidence of on-going professional development
If you're someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, join us and lets be outstanding together.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Sue Barclay on 07890 606956,or email:[email protected] delighted to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training Essential
RMN or equivalent Professional Qualification with mental health experience
Desirable
RGN (ie dual qualified)
Continuous Professional Development Essential
Evidence of on-going professional development Student mentorship
Desirable
Completion of a range of post-graduate courses related to specialism eg Advance Dementia Care, Nurse Prescribing, Communicating and caregiving in Dementia, or Masters Degree Specialist training in liaison psychiatry
Previous Experience Essential
Broad experience gained over a minimum of two years , acquired by caring for older people with mental health needs in a range of community/inpatient settings Minimum 2 years as Band 6 grade in older peoples mental health services Support and empowerment of carers Supervision of others
Desirable
Involvement in service development projects and policy reviews
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Essential
Advanced assessment and clinical reasoning skills Skilled in identifying and differentiating between a wide range of diagnoses Confident to recommend to non mental health staff treatment approaches and/or medication for a patient's psychological needs Thorough knowledge of the network of support services for patients and carers, and the means of accessing them
Additional Requirements Essential
Time management and identifying priorities Comprehensive knowledge of Mental Health Legislation Experience of conducting staff supervision/appraisals Risk assessment and management skills Good IT skills Ability to manage stress Able to work unsocial hours
Desirable
Teaching and facilitating group work Experience of conducting audit/research Car driver with use of a vehicle for work purposes
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 Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Address West Psychological Medicine Service, Royal Berkshire Hospital, London Rd, Reading RG1 5AN
Reading
RG1 5AN
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)