Urgent Mental Health Helpline Clinician

Job overview
Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria.
The Urgent Mental Health Helpline offers both an urgent referral management service and a public-facing telephone crisis line for adults (aged 18+) in Kent and Medway. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is the sole point of referral from professionals for urgent referrals relating to members of the public who are not currently receiving care or treatment from Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust (excluding specialist services).
The crisis line provides advice, signposting and reassurance over the telephone, as well as offering a route of self-referral, for individuals who may be experiencing a mental health crisis and are not currently engaged with secondary mental health services. It is also available to family members or friends who may be concerned.
The service aims to provide a consistent 24/7 mental health crisis pathway which is accessible to self-referral as well as professional referrals, and to reduce the need for people in significant mental distress to attend an Emergency Department when in crisis and in the absence of a physical health concern.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will work within the Urgent Mental Health Helpline across a variety of roles within the team.
These include answering calls from the public and professionals, undertaking triage telephone assessments, providing clinical guidance to Band 3 Call Handlers, coordinating shifts and managing staffing resources to meet service demand.

Working for our organisation
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.
Check out our Canterbury site

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Undertake telephone triage assessments
• Answer calls from the public and professionals
• Provide clinical guidance and leadership to Call Handler colleagues
• Rotational coordination of shifts
• Provide supervision to staff members
• Take part and contribute to team meetings
• Lead team huddles
• Contribute to the design of the service through participation in Improvement Projects

Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification

Person specification

Expeareince / qualifications

Essential criteria

• Professional Qualification in Mental Health Nursing or Occupational Therapy, including registration with the relevant regulatory body

Desirable criteria

• White Belt or Yellow Belt Lean Improvement Methodology

Experience

Essential criteria

• 12 months post registration experience
• Evidence of relevant continuing professional development

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a telephony-based service
• Experience of undertaking complex urgent or emergency assessments

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• An understanding of the NHS and Social Care
• Up to date knowledge of relevant national and local guidance
• Good organisational and time management skills
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills
• Ability to work according to Trust Values at all times, especially in complex and challenging situations
• Clinical skills in undertaking robust mental health needs assessments, including risk and Mental State
• Ability to use IT systems effectively and in a timely way

Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inappropriate and/or harmful sexual behaviours within the workplace and in our care provision. We are committed to sexual safety which encompasses prevention, support and decisive action against perpetrators. We are committed to keeping you and our patients safe.

Use of AI when writing job applications
While AI tools can be helpful in generating ideas and drafting initial versions, they should never be the sole source for writing your job application.
AI cannot truly understand the specific job you're applying for or what makes you a good fit. Therefore, it's crucial to personalise any AI-generated content to accurately reflect your skills, experiences, and aspirations.
Relying solely on AI to write your application may result in generic, impersonal, and potentially inaccurate content. Always review and refine any AI-generated text to ensure it effectively communicates your experience, skills, accomplishments, and aspirations, and demonstrates your suitability for the position.