Mental Health Practitioner (MHP)NHS

Job summary

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Mental Health Practitioner to join Droitwich, Ombersley & The Rurals Primary Care Network, working as part of the team at Chaddesley Corbett Surgery.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the interface between primary care and mental health services, providing accessible, person-centred mental health support within a general practice setting. You will work closely with GPs and the wider multidisciplinary team to assess and support adults experiencing mental health difficulties, helping patients to receive the right care and support at the right time.

You will manage your own caseload, undertaking mental health assessments, risk assessment, care planning and short-term interventions, as well as supporting patients with their ongoing treatment and recovery. You will also play an important role in signposting and referring patients to appropriate statutory, community and voluntary sector services and supporting effective pathways between primary and secondary care.

We are looking for a Registered Mental Health Nurse with experience of working with adults in a mental health setting, excellent communication and clinical assessment skills, and the confidence to work autonomously as part of a wider multidisciplinary team. Experience or qualifications in therapeutic interventions and independent prescribing would be advantageous.

Main duties of the job

Main duties will include:

• Undertaking mental health assessments, including telephone triage, risk assessment and identifying appropriate treatment, referral or onward support.
• Managing an individual caseload and providing short-term, evidence-based interventions to patients with mental health difficulties.
• Developing care plans and supporting patients with their treatment, recovery and ongoing management of their mental health.
• Monitoring mental health medication and considering the interaction between patients' mental and physical health needs.
• Providing advice, education and guidance to patients, carers and primary care colleagues.
• Signposting and referring patients to appropriate statutory, community and voluntary sector services.
• Working collaboratively with primary care, secondary mental health services and VCSE organisations to support coordinated care and effective transitions between services.
• Maintaining accurate and contemporaneous clinical records and evaluating patient outcomes.
• Identifying, assessing and appropriately escalating clinical, safeguarding and other risks.
• Contributing to multidisciplinary meetings, service development, clinical governance, audit and quality improvement.
• Supporting colleagues to develop their knowledge and confidence in recognising and managing common mental health needs.
• Working autonomously within professional competence, relevant legislation, clinical guidance and organisational policies.

Job description

The role will work across the interface between Primary Care and Mental Health Services to provide advice and support, assessment, treatment, education and problem-solving approaches to the Local Primary Care Teams, Service Users and Carers.

The role aims to improve the experience for our patients with mental health needs who would otherwise have seen a GP and the postholder will manage a caseload. The focus will be providing continuous assessment and treatment to people with mental health difficulties. This will include recovery co-ordination and care management functions, liaison with statutory and non-statutory organisations. The post holder will be an effective member of a multi-disciplinary team.

You will preferably have the ability to prescribe depression, anxiety etc., and be able to undertake interim reviews with our patients with the possibility of having CBT exercise and be able to hold CBT sessions.

Please see attached JD and person spec for full details.

About us

Vertis Health is a federation of GP practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) across Worcestershire, supporting services for more than 600,000 NHS patients. We work collaboratively with our member practices to strengthen primary care, develop innovative local services and enable investment in healthcare that meets the needs of our communities.

This role will support Droitwich, Ombersley & The Rurals Primary Care Network, a network of seven GP practices serving approximately 57,000 patients across South Worcestershire. We are committed to providing safe, coordinated and high-quality patient care, while continually developing new ways of working that improve outcomes, promote inclusion and help reduce health inequalities.

You will join a supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary environment, working alongside GPs, primary care colleagues, mental health services and wider community partners. We value partnership working, professional development, innovation and shared learning, and encourage colleagues to contribute their ideas to improving services.

We aim to create a positive working culture where colleagues feel engaged, valued and recognised, with opportunities to develop professionally while making a meaningful difference to the health and wellbeing of our local communities.