Senior Practitioner Learning Disability and Autism Keyworker Service

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Thank you for your interest for the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT), it is an exciting time to join us and being part of our journey to improve mental health care across North London and deliver excellent services to our local people. We will achieve this through 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 proactively welcome diversity in our workforce and pride ourselves on being an inclusive employer. We aim to recruit from our local communities and provide opportunities to all including apprenticeships, veterans, care leavers and more.

The North London Way to deliver, Better Mental Health, Better Lives, Better Communities.

Our trust website is: https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/

Job overview

A band 7 post has arisen in our small and friendly Keyworker team supporting young people with learning disabilities and/or autism across Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

As a Senior Practitioner, alongside direct work with families the postholder will have development opportunities to support less experienced colleagues in their work and support the service manager in driving service development.

The LD/ASD Keyworker Service provides intensive interventions for children and young people who are part of the LD & ASD cohort. The aim is to keep children, young people in the community, to prevent avoidable admissions to Tier 4 inpatient mental health services and 52-week residential placements, and to support young people in this cohort to be discharged from Tier 4 services and be supported back into the community.

Watch Service Manager Sinclair Jenkins speaking about roles in the team here: BEH Keyworker Roles: Linked In

Main duties of the job

The Senior Practitioner within the Learning Disability (LD) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Keyworker Service will provide direct support to children with learning disabilities and/or autism with mental health needs and/or presenting with behaviours of concern.

You will be liaising and coordinating with a range of teams and organisations across Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey, including CAMHS providers, social care teams, Tier 4 providers, schools, and other community health providers.

Working for our organisation

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

1. We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
4. We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

The post holder will be aligned with our Values:

• We Are Kind
• We Are Respectful
• We Work Together
• We Keep Things Simple
• We Empower
• We Are Proudly Diverse

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• To ensure appropriate service representation and input to meetings, including Care Education and Treatment Reviews (CETR's) Care Programme Approach (CPA) meetings, as well as Child in Need (CIN) meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Core Groups, Looked-After Child (LAC) Reviews, and Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Annual Reviews, as appropriate.
• To attend, contribute to, and update on, cases at the local Admission Avoidance Dynamic Support Register (DSR) meetings.
• To establish and maintain good working relationships with stakeholders including partners and parents to promote joint working and their involvement in the service.
• Involvement in the ongoing development of the service, including making suggestions for improvements and working to implement changes to the service as agreed with commissioners.
• To attend and provide information to the relevant panels and boards.

Financial responsibility

• To contribute to meeting key performance targets assigned to the service, the collation of management information and financial information to inform monitoring, future planning, and cost projections.
• Have responsibility for agreeing the support available to families from the service, including the personal budget funding for the families (alongside other professionals where appropriate).

Responsibility for Administration

• To prioritise and utilise regular one-to-one and group supervision to develop and reflect on own practice and share knowledge and expertise to enhance service delivery and improve outcomes for families/carers.
• To ensure high standards of case recording using the relevant information systems to capture all necessary inputs, outputs, and outcomes for young people and their families and carers.
• To achieve service outcomes and outputs, and personal appraisal targets, as agreed with your line manager.
• To consistently manage your own time, planning your work in advance and using appropriate systems to maximise your effectiveness.
• To work flexibly to suit the needs of children and young people with complex needs and their families/carers; this may include early starts, late finishes, evenings and weekends as required.

Responsibility for IT and Digital Systems/Services

• To use and assist others in the use of information technology systems to carry out duties in the most efficient and effective manner.
• To adhere to the GDPR and other legislation

Clinical Responsibilities

• To be a key point of contact for families/carers allocated to you, identifying gaps in their support and enabling the system to work together to bridge those gaps.
• To work within and contribute to, detailed risk assessments for the young people: to support planning and facilitate discharge where required.
• Facilitate the provision and implementation of tailored behavioural and emotional support to help a child or young person and their families/carers, develop skills for progress and self-management to meet their agreed goals,and outcomes.
• To work as part of a team approach, maintain the highest standards of practise, competence and conduct at work, and ensure the team operates in a positive, reflective, and forward-thinking culture.
• To take responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons in your care and those who you encounter, responding to any concerns promptly in line with local and national guidance on safeguarding children.
• To provide competent professional advice and direction in respect of childcare and safeguarding policy and practice.
• To contribute to regular reviews of the service; to quality assure review outcomes in relation to the provision of the service.
• To support the service to deliver intensive time limited intervention 'packages' which achieve positive change for children and families based on shared objectives, which are regularly reviewed by the Team Around the Child.
• To adhere to the Code of Conduct of the relevant professional body, such as Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or UKCP.

Operational Responsibilities

• To ensure appropriate service representation and input to meetings, including Care Education and Treatment Reviews (CETR's) Care Programme Approach (CPA) meetings, as well as Child in Need (CIN) meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Core Groups, Looked-After Child (LAC) Reviews, and Education, Health and Care (EHC) Annual Reviews, as appropriate.
• To attend, contribute to, and update on, cases at the local Admission Avoidance Dynamic Support Register (DSR) meetings.
• To establish and maintain good working relationships with stakeholders including partners and parents to promote joint working and their involvement in the service.
• To contribute to meeting key performance targets assigned to the service, the collation of management information and financial information to inform monitoring, future planning, and cost projections.
• Have responsibility for agreeing the support available to families from the service, including the personal budget funding for the families (alongside other professionals where appropriate)
• Involvement in the ongoing development of the service, including making suggestions for improvements and working to implement changes to the service as agreed with commissioners.
• To attend and provide information to the relevant panels and boards.

Policy / Service Development

• To prioritise and utilise regular one-to-one and group supervision, to develop and reflect on own practice and share knowledge and expertise, to enhance service delivery and improve outcomes for families/carers.
• To undertake training and constructively take part in meetings, supervision, seminars and other events designed to improve communication and assist with the effective development of the post and post holder.

Research And Development

• To support with data collection and to carry out audits as per required.
• To support with the compilation of reports as per required by the commissioners.
• To carry out Quality Improvement Projects within the service to help develop service provision.

General

• All staff are responsible for the continual compliance with CQC standards and outcomes.
• The postholder must be aware of, and work in line with, the Trust's Safeguarding Adults and Children procedures.

Personal Development

• All staff are required to be appraised by their line managers at least once a year at a personal development review meeting where progress made over the last year is discussed and agreed. Focus on the following year's departmental and personal objectives will be identified, discussed and agreed. Where necessary, help and support will be provided and development opportunities agreed in line with service provision and the knowledge and skills competency framework.

Person specification

Qualifications/ Registrations

Essential criteria

• Qualification in a core health, education or social care profession (e.g., Learning Disability Nurse (RNLD), Mental Health Nurse (RMN), Clinical/Counselling/Educational Psychologist, Family Therapist, Social Worker (SW), Occupational Therapist (OT), Speech & Language Therapist (SLT), Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)) AND Registration with the appropriate professional body to that profession
• Experience of working in a service for children and young people as a minimum Band 6 level (or equivalent) health, education or social care registered professional
• Experience delivering multi agency intensive interventions through partnership working with families, partners and communities.
• Experience of direct work with children and their families, particularly when in crisis.

Desirable criteria

• Skills in PBS and management of behaviours of concern.

Skills/ Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to work in accordance with national and local Child Protection and Safeguarding policies and procedures including Pan London Child Protection procedures and working together to Safeguard Children.
• Ability to deliver good outcomes for children and young people with neurodevelopmental differences and family/carers, taking a holistic approach working with the Team Around the Child to maximise potential, increase family resilience and reduce reliance on statutory services.
• Ability to plan for the day-to-day running of a direct support specialist service
• Ability to oversee complex support plans and risk assessments, assess need and risk, including the impact of neurodevelopmental differences or disabilities, behaviours of concern and mental health on day-to-day functioning.
• Ability to assess when cases need to be escalated, stepped down or transitioned to another service, due to safeguarding or parenting capacity concerns, significant changes in need or reaching transition age.
• Ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and concisely both verbally and in writing and to a range of audiences. Ability to analyse complex data and provide accurate reports.
• Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and professional boundaries with children, young people, and families to ensure effective engagement in family interventions, and in improving their service.
• Ability to work effectively in multi-agency teams, to promote professional communication and safe and effective working partnerships with other agencies and partners.
• Ability to work flexibly and undertake direct work if needed, including early starts or late finishes.

Experience/Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Good understanding of relevant legislation and knowledge of the statutory processes and guidance for Children in Need, Children with Special Educational Needs (SEND), Mental Health Act (1983) and children and young people with complex neurodevelopmental needs as well as young people in transition.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the principles of prevention and early intervention, personalisation, and strength-based approaches.

Personal Qualities & Other Requirements

Essential criteria

• Ability to adhere to equal opportunities Policy
• This post requires an enhanced level of Data Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure

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

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job description and person specification (PDF, 528.3KB)
• Functional Requirements (PDF, 536.5KB)