Perinatal Mental Health Practitioner

Main area: Perinatal Practitioner Grade Band 6

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Full time)

Job ref: 364-A-8874

Site: Derwent Centre (North West Hub)

Town: Harlow

Salary: £37,338 - £44,962 per annum, plus 5% HCA

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 23/04/:59

About Us

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk.

• We are among the largest employers in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
• We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.

Our vision and values

Our Vision: "To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care."

Our Purpose: "We care for people every day. What we do together, matters."

Our Values:

• We Care
• We Empower

Our strategic objectives:

• We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
• We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
• We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
• We will help our communities to thrive.

Job overview

It is an extraordinary time for specialist perinatal mental health services across the UK with growing national and local focus on service development and expanding access for new and expectant mothers. The perinatal period includes from conception up until one year following the birth of the baby and is a critical time for prevention and treatment for women at risk of serious mental ill health.

Main duties of the job

• To work jointly with care coordinators from CMHTs with a small complex and challenging caseload of pregnant women or those with an infant up to one year old.
• Conduct both single handed and joint high quality mental health assessments as required to identify mental health needs for people referred to the Perinatal Mental Health Service.
• Take responsibility for the management of a defined client caseload as identified in consultation with the Team Manager, Clinical Team Leader and team.
• Utilise the Care Programme Approach (CPA) as defined within the Trust Policy and to act as lead practitioner in the care of women under the perinatal service.
• To ensure that all Trust Perinatal service users have a perinatal care plan, this is implemented. This may require attending and contributing to pre and post-birth meetings.
• Ensure risks are effectively managed and interventions are effectively prioritised.
• Maintain effective individualised care through the assessment of health and social care needs, planning, implementation and evaluation of care plans co-produced with service users.
• Utilise the Information Management and Technology system of the Trust to maintain effective communication and clear, concise and contemporaneous documentation for individualised client care.
• Establish therapeutic relationships with individual clients and to work with fathers, partners and significant others to provide appropriate education training and support.

Working for our organisation

EPUT is looking for motivated staff who share our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including:

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Essex Perinatal Mental Health Service operates from five hubs across Essex. The successful candidate will be based at a hub and work from North Essex service providing care as a perinatal Practitioner, holding a caseload for women and their families in the perinatal period of conception up until one year following the birth of the baby.

This is a wonderful development opportunity for experienced RMN, OT or Social worker interested in perinatal mental health and wishing to develop specialist knowledge and practice in this rewarding field.

Person specification Education/Qualifications

• RMN qualification and evidence of current registration on Part 3 of NMC register or Social worker Degree or Occupational therapist professionals qualification
• At least 2 years post qualified experience

Knowledge

• Knowledge of Safeguarding issues and child protection requirements/legislation and how these apply to the role
• Previous Perinatal experience

Please note: staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected.

Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment.

If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing .

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Come and work at EPUT and make a difference in people's lives.