Dual Diagnosis Senior Practitioner

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Join us at an exciting time for Barnet, Haringey and Enfield Mental Health NHS Trust and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. After three years working in Partnership, we are due to create a new Trust, to be known as the North London NHS Foundation Trust on 1 November 2024, subject to Secretary of State approval. Join us to be part of the North London Way as we:

• Collaborate at every level by living our Values to create the right conditions for us all to work together
• Develop our new Trust culture, to help make our new Trust a great place to work and to receive great care
• Empower our teams to lead the planned improvements in our services, by skilling them and giving them the tools to make the changes
• Focus on delivering excellence at every level to improve our performance and ensure consistently high quality care across all our services
• Ensure that research, Quality Improvement and technology lead the way and are embedded in our services
• Take a trauma informed approach to everything we do

We look forward to welcoming you to the new North London NHS Foundation Trust, where we work in the North London Way to deliver: Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Our new trust website is: Home | North London Mental Health Partnership

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified individual to join our established and highly energetic Dual Diagnosis team in Enfield, as a Dual Diagnosis Senior Practitioner on a fixed term appointment basis.

The Dual Diagnosis Network in BEH-MHT NHS Trust is at the forefront of delivering modern Tier 3 care for people with mental health and substance misuse issues. The care and management of Dual Diagnosis patients within NHS is becoming an increasingly important specialty in its own right and DDN is developing and running high quality, clinically effective services for this exceptionally vulnerable group of patients currently in the London Boroughs of Haringey and Enfield.

Pervious Applicants need not apply

***This vacancy has been advertised in accordance with the new NHS pay rate which will take effect from autumn 2024. Please note if your employment starts before the 24/25 pay scales are implemented you will be paid under the 23/24 pay scales and any backpay will be adjusted accordingly. Further information can be found at https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/pay-scales-202425.***

Main duties of the job

The post holder should be enthusiastic and experienced in managing complex caseloads, preferably with co morbidity of substance misuse and mental health issues. You will be responsible for devising and implementing high quality packages of care, as well supervising staff, designing/implementing training to Trust and external organisations, as well as deputising for and helping DDN Operational Manager around operational, strategic and service development areas.

Working for our organisation

DDN is a beacon service operating under a Hub and Spoke Model, being fully integrated within Trust Mental Health services, whilst at the same time fostering strong partnerships with non-statutory substance misuse services in the Trust and other external organizations. Another important role of the service is the design and delivery of dual diagnosis training to other Trust and external organizations, to help build on staff awareness, skill set, clinical practice and ethos in delivering quality care services to patients with concomitant substance misuse and mental health problems

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide clinical supervision to the dispersed Dual Diagnosis workers, in liaison with the Operational Manager. The Senior Practitioner will take the lead in identifying, consulting and arranging the provision of training to both substance misuse and mental health staff as well as ensuring all dual diagnosis staff's training is current and appropriate. Other responsibilities will include undertaking specialist assessments of service users, managing complex cases, implementing risk management plans and providing high quality evidence-based interventions.

For more details please refer to the Job Description doc.

Person specification

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience of working with those affected by substance misuse
• Experience of assessment of drug and alcohol users with complex needs
• Experience of key working with clients in substitute prescribing treatment

Desirable criteria

• Some knowledge of working in liaison with GPs
• Experience of working in dual diagnosis service
• Able to carry out quality one to one and/or group supervision for other members of staff, volunteers, students and secondees

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Essential criteria

• A good working knowledge of the specific health risks that those affected by substance misuse are exposed to
• An understanding of the principles and practice of harm minimisation, and a commitment to work within the harm reduction model of practice
• Demonstrate awareness of the Recovery Model and the ability to conduct strengths based assessment eliciting a client's recovery capita

Desirable criteria

• Able to apply advanced knowledge of Public Health directives, Alcohol Strategy including the impact on service delivery
• Demonstrate advanced skills in formulating assessment, risk and care management of dual diagnosis service users.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential criteria

• Degree level qualification or relevant qualification in the field of substance misuse

Desirable criteria

• A leadership and management qualification
• Degree in addictions counseling, Dual Diagnosis, or Motivational Interviewing
• Validated Counselling Qualifications (BAC accredited).

References will be required to cover your last 3 years of employment/training. One has to be from your current or most recent employer and the others from your previous employer. The references should be from persons with management responsibility or HR.

If you have been unemployed for a period of four years or more, please give the details of your last employer and one character referee of your choice (not members of your family). If more applicable, references will be requested from your teacher or head of faculty. Please ensure you provide full contact details.

Vacancies that are advertised as Fixed Term Contracts will also be available as secondment opportunities for substantive internal staff.

Please be aware that your documents eg. Passport/NI Card, will be electronically scanned using Home Office accredited Verification System.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts, we will close vacancies before the stated closing date once the first 50 applications are received. Therefore, please apply as soon as possible.

All non-medical posts with the Trust are subject to a probationary period of six months, during which time you will be required to demonstrate to the Trust's satisfaction, your suitability for the position in which you will be employed.

Should you not hear from us within three working weeks of the closing date for this post, then regretfully in this instance, you have not been shortlisted.

By applying for this role, you accept in the event you are successful that your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which is aimed at improving efficiencies within the NHS both to make costs savings for NHS organisations but also to save you time when your employment transfers.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Enfield Dual Diagnosis Job Description and Person Spec (PDF, 504.6KB)
• Functional Requirements (PDF, 258.2KB)
• Applicant Information Pack (PDF, 1.6MB)