About this role
Job summary
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is establishing a new Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre (MH UTC) on the Maudsley Hospital site. This is a flagship development and will serve as a dedicated access point for adults presenting in acute mental health crisis. The MH UTC Centre aims to provide a safer, quieter, trauma-informed alternative to Emergency Departments for individuals who do not require physical health intervention but require urgent mental health assessment.
The model is based on national learning from Mental Health Crisis Assessment Centers (MHCAS), local experience from liaison services, and extensive co-production with people with lived experience. The Centre will operate 24/7, providing rapid triage, assessment, short-stay observation, and collaborative safety planning. It has capacity for up to 10 patients, including private assessment rooms.
MH UTC will:
Provide 24/7 nurse-led assessment and stabilisation of adults experiencing acute mental health crisis.
Serve as an alternative to EDs for patients medically fit for psychiatric assessment.
Support safe waiting, risk assessment/management, collaborative formulation, and early intervention for those in a mental health crisis. Bridge directly into community- and voluntary-sector supports such as Southwark Community Sanctuary and Crisis Plus services.
The Centre's environment is designed around privacy, dignity, de-escalation, sensory safety, and culturally competent trauma-informed care.
Main duties of the job
The service acts as a key hub in the urgent care pathway, offering an alternative to emergency departments for specialist mental health assessment and intervention.
This is a shift-based role following a rotational pattern of long days and nights to maintain safe 24/7 coverage. The post holder will demonstrate strong interpersonal, communication, and de-escalation skills, working effectively in a high-pressure environment with acutely distressed or challenging individuals
This post is for a Band 7 Advanced Practitioner within the Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre (MHUTC), providing senior clinical leadership within a 24/7 urgent mental health service. The role involves assessing, managing, and supporting people experiencing acute mental health crises who are referred from services including A&E departments, Community Mental Health Teams, Health Based Place of Safety and Home Treatment Teams.
The role requires a blended skill set, incorporating principles of advanced psychiatric liaison nursing, physical health assessment, collaborative working, and strong clinical leadership. The post holder will provide line management, supervision, support, and professional development to junior staff, ensuring high standards of care and consistency across the service.
The post holder will work flexibly to support service delivery outside normal hours and maintain safe, effective, and responsive care.
About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatientcare for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.
Benefits:
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It is important to us that you are valued and appreciated and that is why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer.
Job description Job responsibilities
To provide specialist screening at the point of referral.
Provide timely assessments for people in crisis with moderate to severe mental health needs.
Refer patients as appropriate to Primary/Secondary care teams or services in collaboration with GPs, working in partnership to ensure seamless, integrated pathways.
Interpret results holistically, prioritising, analysing, reviewing, and adjusting care packages while managing conflicting professional opinions.
Develop crisis/contingency plans with patients/families, incorporating risk assessment and positive risk-taking; act as an advocate to enable management of disability, loss, and change.
Complete Risk Assessment from the completed screening; including autonomous decisions around discharge and/or onward referral and sign-posting to primary care/ mental health services.
Act as a senior clinician in the MHUTC; providing advice, clinical support and senior review where necessary.
To liaise effectively with services and service providers both inside and outside of the Trust (including CMHTs, Police, Ambulance, Social Services, GPs and Hospital staff).
The post holder will co-ordinate streaming and triaging patients to the Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre by liaising with PLNs, ARC staff for efficient patient flow throughout the Emergency Department.
Participate in teaching and training of staff within MHUTC
Co-ordinating the pathway and patient flow throughout the Emergency Department.
Consistently apply effective decision making and problem solving skills, including but not limited to ability to prioritise workload, ability to assess and manage mental health crises, ability to manage conflict, ability to work in a high pressure environment and ability to communicate across a range of services and professionals especially those working in acute trust.
Maintain confidentiality by ensuring that information is only shared with those who need to know.
Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self-awareness, leadership skills and empathy in all communications
Person Specification
Education Essential
Registered Mental Health Nurse Evidence of other advanced education related to Psychiatric Liaison Mentorship ENB 998 or equivalent
Desirable
Evidence of continued professional development Formal training in risk assessment and management
Experience Essential
Significant post qualifying experience in mental health services with a sound knowledge of the full range of mental health services, both inpatient and community based. A sound understanding and experience of how to assess and manage crisis within acute mental illness HTT, Liaison Psychiatry, and/or Trusted Assessor experience SLTP/ PSTS training
Desirable
Experience of working with specific diagnosis of Personality Disorder Experience of working with service users with harmful substance misuse and alcohol issues
Knowledge Essential
Working knowledge of all relevant legislation associated with acute mental health care, including MHA 2007, MCA, Human Rights Act, Common Law, etc Sound knowledge of risk assessments and tools in mental health and acute care Ability to build and maintain high standards of professional links and communication with a variety of persons and services
Desirable
Awareness of trauma-informed care, culturally competent practice and antiracism frameworks Understanding of ED/Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre system flow and national Urgent and Emergency Care policy.
Abilities Essential
Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care to meet the needs of service users, appropriate to the setting of the Emergency Department An ability to analyse and interpret key documents and identify the implications for local policy and practice Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the epidemiology, presentation and immediate management of deliberate self-harm Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the physical and psychological effects of alcohol and drugs
Desirable
Experience of conducting audits/service evaluations and show evidence of service development Advanced negotiation skills to reach compromises that inspire confidence and respect
Skills Essential
Demonstrate skills in autonomous, senior decision making regarding discharge, sign posting and admission of service users following a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of risk Experience of assessing and risk managing violent self harm Experience at working at band 6 level or above within psychiatric liaison services
Desirable
Excellent communication skills Ability to gain easily, the trust and respect of service users, their relatives and staff across disciplines and services
Other Requirements Essential
Recognition of own limitations, strengths and weaknesses and an ability to seek advice when necessary Ability to manage and prioritise clinical demands, supervision and support and Emergency Department pathways Ability to work across a 24 hour service
Desirable
Managing rotas and performance
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address Maudsley Hospital
Denmark Hill
Londoon
SE8 8AZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)