AMHP LeadBand 7

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Bedfordshire Countywide AMHP service to be a full time Band 7 AMHP Lead, covering maternity leave for 9months. Working as an AMHP Lead for the Service you will be responsible for providing routine Mental Health Act assessments (MHA) under part 2 of the MHA (1983). You will be expected to provide triage support for the AMHP service, leading on day to day operational activities of the AMHP service on a rota basis and supporting the AMHP Operational manager to ensure the service delivers on its objectives. You will also provide and offer advice and consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues, regarding the use of mental health law and least restrictive options; to ensure the timely delivery of an appropriate, safe, effective, responsive and well led AMHP Service that is caring and maximizes people’s statutory rights.

You will be required to work closely with team members, service users, carers and other relevant stakeholders to support the continued development of the AMHP Service across the county; ensuring that the achievement of best quality and performance standards are met, in line with service user and carer expectations, commissioner requirements and Trust objectives. This will include reinforcing the values and expectations of the organisation through collaborative and dynamic engagement with service users and carers that is both supportive and encouraging in nature.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be the Duty AMHP for the AMHP Service in Luton and Bedfordshire; providing operational management to a team of AMHPs and junior staff. They will also offer expertise to multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure the timely delivery of a safe, effective, and responsive and well led AMHP Service that is caring and maximizes people’s statutory rights.

As AMHP Lead, the post holder will be responsible for undertaking clinical duties including undertaking of MHA assessments. With an enhanced level of knowledge and expertise in relation to the use of the MHA (1983, as amended 2007) and other mental health related legislation, such as the Mental Capacity Act (MCA, 2005), Human Rights Act (2008) etc. You will be expected to act as an expert within your field, providing advice and consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues to support decision making and ensuring people’s statutory rights are met. As AMHP Lead you will be expected to work with the Operational Service Manager on the overall development and transformation of the AMHP Service, ensuring it is fit for purpose.

Working for our organisation

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached for detailed job description and main responsibilities for this vacancy.

Person specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential criteria

• • Registered Social Worker, Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Psychologist
• • Current Professional Registration (HCPC, NMC etc)
• • AMHP post graduate qualification Evidence of continual professional development
• • Educated to degree level of equivalent experience

Desirable criteria

• • Best Interest Assessor
• • Practice Educator/ Registered mentor

Experience

Essential criteria

• • Significant post qualification experience working as an AMHP
• • Previous experience at working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• • Previous experience at working autonomously
• • Previous experience of working within an NHS/ LSSA environment and an understanding of the strengths, challenges, policies and practices within these environment
• • Extensive and demonstrable experience of assessing skills for service users with mental health needs and the ability to formulate correct plans of care and achieve correct outcomes, using best practice guidance
• • Essential and demonstrable experience of writing concise and clear reports • Experience of teaching and assessing others in practice
• • Experience of teaching and assessing others in practice
• • Experience of developing or contributing to the development of new services preferably in mental health

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• • Demonstrate thorough knowledge of the MHA (1983) and subsequent amendments, Code of Practice (2015) and other relevant pieces of mental health related case law
• • Demonstrate a thorough understanding of current legislation and policy pertaining to the provision of mental health services in all settings including the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act (2010), Care Act 2014 and relevant NICE Guidance
• • Demonstrate a thorough understanding and working knowledge of mental disorder and the treatment options.
• • Demonstrate a full understanding of the key issues and priorities relating to the provision of mental health services
• • Demonstrate a clear understanding of child and adult safe guarding issues
• • Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the local and national standards and guidance relating to people detained under the MHA
• • Sound report writing skills, ability to compile complex case recording, report presentation, including legal documents i.e. social circumstances reports

Skills and values

Essential criteria

• • Assertiveness and engagement with other professionals, able to make reasoned arguments and represent own professional views and perspectives.
• • Decision-making and problem solving, able to adopt creative and flexible approaches to meet the needs of service users.
• • Well-developed communication skills, able to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.
• • IT skills, experience of working with service user data systems.
• • Team player, able to negotiate and lead other professionals whilst considering competing views and agendas
• • Able to work independently, with initiative, but to seek appropriate guidance and supervision when required
• • Self-motivated, committed and open to new ideas and experiences.
• • Anti-discriminatory & anti-oppressive practice
• • Committed to core social care values, able to recognise that protection is sometimes required and should be carried out in the least restrictive manner observing the human and civil rights of the individual
• • A commitment to leadership & change management
• • Able to travel between Trust sites throughout the county, with a full clean licence
• • Understanding of the Trust structure, values, aims and objectives