Approved Mental Health Professional/Senior Social Worker
Job introduction
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dedicated full-time AMHP to work within Brighton and Hove, on a six month fixed term contract, open to internal candidates as a secondment in line with policy.
Closing Date: Midnight Tuesday 30 May 2023
Interview date:
For an informal discussion regarding the roles available, please contact: Dominic Marley, Lead AMHP/Service Manager on 07471217487
About the role
The Brighton & Hove AMHP service is a standalone team based at Mill View Hospital, that provides a robust, professional and high-quality 24-hour service to meet the Council’s statutory duties. We provide triage and assessment under the Mental Health Act (1983 amended 2007) The team also provides support to other teams in Adult social care, mental health, primary care, and other organisations, around areas of the Mental Health act.
You will be working within a 24-hour dedicated AMHP Service on a shift pattern undertaking emergency and planned Mental Health Act assessments on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council, which includes working weekends and out of office hours and being on standby overnight. The post holder will be an autonomous professional working on behalf of the local authority, and will need to be available to travel within the city during their working hours
You will be able to screen, triage, undertake, and co-ordinate assessments often in complex, crisis situations with high levels of risk, under the Mental Health Act, as an Approved Mental Health Professional. To make arrangements for informal admission and applications for compulsory admission and guardianship, in accordance with the outcome of the assessment. To appraise, and decline or approve Community Treatment Order applications and renewals. To ensure the 'least restrictive' options have been exhausted using Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team input or referring and signposting to other appropriate services.
You will work collaboratively and communicate effectively with service users, nearest relatives, carers, other professionals, agencies, organisations and volunteers to ensure that community resources and support are available to service users and their carers to assist them to manage their mental health disorders and to minimise risk. At times sharing your specialist knowledge and offering support and advice to other professionals and other organisations.
Where it is considered the criteria may be met, you will make applications to the Magistrates Court for warrants to enter, search for, and remove individuals from private dwellings to a place of safety, and will make necessary arrangements for the execution of such warrants. You make applications to County Court for the appointment of acting nearest relatives where it felt that the statutory criteria may be met.
You will consider, and approve as required, applications for mental health crisis breathing space under HM Treasury's Debt Respite Scheme.
You will act as Practice Educator for trainee AMHP's, providing supervision, support and education. You will provide detailed reports to assessing HEIs as to each trainee's suitability to practice, bearing in mind the key competencies set out in Schedule 2 of The Mental Health (Approved Mental Health Professionals) (Approval)(England) Regulations 2008
You will need to maintain and keep updated knowledge of Mental Health Legislation & case law as it impacts on the role of the AMHP, and to be accountable for decisions and judgements made whilst acting under Mental Health / Mental Capacity legislation. As an AMHP you will undertake additional advanced training in all areas as they relate to the role of AMHPs as specified by the MHA 1983, Code of Practice. This may include attendance and participation in AMHP forums & reflective practice, and other training events as required, in accordance with the professional code of conduct and practice standards to remain registered and approved. You will also need to have a working and applied knowledge of the Care Act 2015 as well as being acquainted with relevant legislation (e.g. Children Act 1989 and 2004), Carers Act (2005) Human Rights Act(1998), Capacity Act 2005 ,and Local Authority and Trust policies and procedures. And observe the requirements of all other legislation affecting the role and duties of an AMHP.
It is important that you understand a range of models of mental disorder, and the contribution and impact of social, physical and development factors have on mental health. Understand the implications of a range of treatments and interventions for service users, their relatives and carers, and be able to apply this in practice.
You must have good assessment skills including the ability to assess and manage risk. You will be able to work effectively under pressure, managing the competing demands of a busy service. You will be able to demonstrate robust and clinically sound triage skills using risk management and assessment models. You must be resilient, reflective and resourceful, have the ability to manage workload to deadlines and timescales, and to manage time and conflicting demands. You will need to have specialist knowledge/experience of managing high risk, complex situations at short notice in the community. You will be responsible for working autonomously and dynamically managing that risk and coordinating the support of community services, including the police and ambulance services.
You will need to be an excellent record keeper with competent IT skills. Able to ensure any reports are completed on time and written work presents information which is structured, clear, evidence based, and logical; in accordance with the standards. This will include reports for court hearings which you will need to be able to present when required.
You will understand and take account of service users diverse needs in terms of ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexuality, spiritual needs and status of social inclusion. And incorporate policies relating to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice into every day working practice and to challenge discrimination and prejudice wherever it occurs. You must have a commitment to promote the rights, dignity and self-determination of service users and carers consistent with their own needs and wishes. To enable them to contribute to the decisions made affecting their quality of life and liberty.
The list of duties in the job description should not be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. There will be other duties and requirements associated with your job and, in addition, as a term of your employment you may be required to undertake various other duties as may reasonably be required.
Your duties will be as set out in the above job description but please note that the Council reserves the right to update your job description, from time to time, to reflect changes in, or to, your job.
You will be consulted about any proposed changes.
£43,516 - £46,549 plus a market supplement of £2,657 and additional payments for working unsocial hours and on call enhancements for working unsocial hours (weekend hours (x 0.5 hourly rate), Bank Holiday (x2), Weekday unsocial hours (x0.33)) and overnight on-call payments (£60.58 Mon-Thurs, £71/56 Fri-Sun, £87.74 Bank Holiday).
Please read our Apply for a job at the council (brighton-hove.gov.uk) pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.
As part of your application, you will need to complete your education and work history and upload a supporting statement. Your supporting statement is the most important part of your application as it will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (Supporting statement guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.
Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.
Work Permits: This role does not meet the requirement for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Points-based Immigration System. Successful candidates will need to evidence that they have the Right to Work in the UK.
*For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us (brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Company information
Please note that this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.
Encouraging a diverse workforce
Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.
Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).