Step Team Leader

Main area early intervention team Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working
• Compressed hours

37.5 hours per week (can be flexible/compressed.) Job ref 334-NUR LF

Site St Giles Hse, St Giles Road, Camberwell Town London Salary per annum inclusive of HCAS Closing 23/03/:59

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to providing high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for the care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

An exciting Team Leader opportunity has arisen in the Southwark STEP Team (Southwark Team for early psychosis). This is a permanent post.

The Southwark STEP team is a diverse, passionate and highly skilled team comprising nursing, medical, occupational therapy, social work and psychology staff. Your role will involve supervising staff, leading the screening of clinical information and allocating referrals including an active role in MDT and business governance meetings, liaising with other agencies and being a dynamic component of this vibrant team. The successful candidate will need to be an experienced, enthusiastic and robust individual with considerable experience of working in a community setting with people experiencing first onset psychosis. You will also be familiar with child and adult safeguarding procedures.

Your role will be crucial in ensuring that evidence-based practice is inherent in all aspects of care and treatment in the STEP team and be a professional resource for our multi-professional teams, patients and carers. This is a diverse and challenging role and requires an experienced mental health professional (a nurse, OT or social worker) to work collaboratively with all staff in STEP and referrers in order to oversee a successful referral management pathway.

Main duties of the job

• Ensure that all clinical practice is developed using up-to-date evidence base, ensuring that all staff have the appropriate skill base and supporting mechanisms to access training to work with the service user group.
• Oversee a service user's care pathway, utilising available resources and Patient Journey framework and lead the team in its implementation.
• Ensure systems are in place to support user and carer-centred involvement in the planning and provision of care.
• Ensure that staff receive regular supervision and appraisal and are offered essential and developmental training in accordance with their personal development plans, and the needs of the service.
• Ensure that all service users are made aware of, encouraged, and assisted to use all services available to them.
• Ensure that the requirements of all mental health legislation are met with particular regard to the Mental Health Act 1983 (including amendments and Code of Practice) and Community Care Legislation (eg. CPA, Supervision Registers and Supervised Discharge etc.), NSF, Child Protection and NHS Plan, Care Act 2014, and ensuring that all practices are within the guidelines set by the NMC and are in accordance with Trust policy.

Working for our organisation

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Set, monitor and evaluate overall standards of care and practice in the team in liaison with the Clinical Service Lead, Professional Advisors, and other agencies.
• Ensure that all practices and interactions in the team are based on the preservation and respect of service users' dignity, individual and cultural identity, wishes (whenever possible) and are in accordance with the maintenance of individuals' independence.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of the standards of professional behaviour expected by the Trust.
• Ensure that the service provides continuity out of hours, appropriately relating to the senior manager on-call and out of hours medical team.
• Work closely with the multidisciplinary team and involve them in all relevant day to day decisions, strategy and business planning, and maintain close liaison with the Clinical Service Lead and Clinical Director when difficulties arise.

Person specification Experience

• RMN qualification or other professional registration e.g. Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Psychology
• Degree or equivalent experience
• Mentorship Course (or other relevant teaching/assessment course)

Knowledge

• Significant experience of working in a multidisciplinary community mental health team, at band 6 or equivalent, demonstrating a range of clinical/leadership skills within mental health services.
• Experience of working with people experiencing psychosis and their families/carers.
• Experience of supervising staff and supporting them in managing the care of service users/carers with complex needs.
• Experience of working with and addressing issues of diversity including experience of working within a multicultural framework.

Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of the Early Intervention in Psychosis model of care.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practice specific to Early Intervention.
• Knowledge of current government policy and guidelines concerning provision of community mental health care and of EI in psychosis.
• Knowledge of key legislation and guidelines in relation to statutory mental health responsibilities, including Mental Health Act, Care Act, CPA, Safeguarding Adults, Young people and children.
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights.