Special Allocations Scheme (SAS) Primary Care Mental Health Nurse
Job Description
Job summary
The SAS Primary Care Mental Health Nurse is a core clinical role within Bevan Community Benefit Society's Special Allocation Scheme SAS, a specialist GP led primary care service supporting patients who face barriers to accessing mainstream healthcare. The SAS cohort includes individuals with significant unmet mental health need, trauma, safeguarding concerns, neurodiversity, substance misuse and social exclusion.
The post holder will deliver proactive mental health assessment, stabilisation and engagement to the population. The role is designed to improve continuity of care, reduce inappropriate escalation to crisis pathways, and support other SAS clinicians in managing complex and challenging behaviour, within a firm, compassionate, trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming framework.
Main duties of the job
Provide comprehensive mental health assessments, formulation and ongoing therapeutic input for SAS patients, using trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming and evidence-based approaches.
Deliver proactive stabilisation and engagement to reduce crisis escalation and support sustained patient contact.
Identify, assess and manage clinical and behavioural risk, maintaining clear professional boundaries and escalating appropriately to the SAS GP/ACPs as needed.
Recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns, contributing to multi-agency safeguarding processes and information sharing.
Work collaboratively within the SAS multidisciplinary team, providing specialist mental health advice to support the management of complex presentations.
Liaise with community mental health teams, crisis services, social care, police, ambulance services and third-sector partners to ensure coordinated care.
Provide crisis triage for SAS patients prior to crisis team or another appropriate response/referral as required.
Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multidisciplinary team, secondary care and to other statutory and voluntary organisations.
Provides and promotes evidence-based care in line with appropriate clinical guidelines and works within clinical protocols, professional guidelines and codes of conduct.
Works within all relevant policies and procedural guidelines.
About us
Bevan is an award-winning, employee-owned, profit-for-purpose social enterprise delivering inclusive health and wellbeing services to some of the most marginalised individuals and communities across Yorkshire. We believe no one should be denied healthcare due to their means or circumstances.
Our services covers Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Calderdale, and North Yorkshire, providing trauma-informed care to people experiencing homelessness, refugees, asylum seekers, sex workers, and other excluded groups. Rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), we are national leaders in inclusion health, offering innovative, person-led services addressing clinical and social needs.
Our team includes GPs, Public Health Doctors, ANPs, Practice Nurses, Mental Health Nurses, Healthcare Assistants, Paramedics, Occupational Therapists, Wellbeing Mentors and Support Workers, all dedicated to delivering compassionate, person-centred care. A skilled business administration team ensures smooth service operations.
Together, we work collaboratively to address the complex needs of our patients, many with trauma, mental health issues, homelessness or addiction. Our holistic approach is informed by the social determinants of health model, enables responsive, effective care benefitting individuals and the wider system.
Operating as a Community Benefit Society (CBS), we reinvest all profits into services delivering our vision: Health, Hope, and Humanity for All.
https://wearebevan.co.uk/
Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Manage Health Interventions
Provide comprehensive mental health assessments, formulation and ongoing therapeutic input for SAS patients, using trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming and evidence-based approaches.
Deliver proactive stabilisation and engagement to reduce crisis escalation and support sustained patient contact.
Identify, assess and manage clinical and behavioural risk, maintaining clear professional boundaries and escalating appropriately to the SAS GP/ACPs as needed.
Recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns, contributing to multi-agency safeguarding processes and information sharing.
Work collaboratively within the SAS multidisciplinary team, providing specialist mental health advice to support the management of complex presentations.
Liaise with community mental health teams, crisis services, social care, police, ambulance services and third-sector partners to ensure coordinated care.
Provide crisis triage for SAS patients prior to crisis team or another appropriate response/referral as required.
Refer patients as appropriate to other members of the multidisciplinary team, secondary care and to other statutory and voluntary organisations.
Provides and promotes evidence-based care in line with appropriate clinical guidelines and works within clinical protocols, professional guidelines and codes of conduct.
Works within all relevant policies and procedural guidelines.
Where the post holder is an independent prescriber- prescribes, administers and supplies medication within own competence and agreed proforma.
Challenge professional and organisational boundaries, identify areas for skill/knowledge development and apply these to practice providing continuity and high-quality patient care.
Communicates highly sensitive condition related information to patients, relatives and carers.
Communication
Uses developed communication, negotiation, conflict management skills which require empathy, reassurance and persuasive skills where there can be significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome.
Keep accurate, contemporaneous documentation and care plans in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, local and national guidelines.
Develop effective communication links with other professionals and agencies across all boundaries, at all levels of the organisation including users, carers, social care and the voluntary sector to ensure effective delivery of care that provides the best outcome possible for service users.
Work effectively with interpreters.
Training
To maintain competency and professional development by attending appropriate training, workshops, etc.
Work with the SAS clinical team to improve awareness of mental health presentations.
Management
Contribute to service development, audit and quality improvement activity within SAS.
Act as a role model to other colleagues, providing strong mental health leadership.
Investigate and facilitate change in practice designed to improve clinical outcomes and meet the needs of patients and care givers that are consistent with local/national standards and current evidence.
Act as a mentor for learners.
Act with honesty and integrity at all times and acts as a positive ambassador for Bevan. Understands the social enterprise model and ethos.
Use of Data and Information
Continually improve the quality of data entered for audit purposes.
Utilise data and information to drive continual service improvement.
Person Specification
Values
Essential
- Emotionally resilient, reflective and able to work safely under pressure.
- Professional, compassionate and values driven, with a commitment to reducing health inequalities.
- Confident decision maker with appropriate insight into scope of practice.
- Commitment to Bevans values of Health, Hope and Humanity.
Experience
Essential
- Post-registration experience working with adults with complex mental health needs.
- Experience of working in a trauma-informed way and practising in a neurodiversity-affirming manner.
- Experience of managing risk, safeguarding and challenging behaviour in demanding clinical environments.
- Experience of multi-agency working with statutory and voluntary sector partners.
Desirable
- Experience in primary care, community mental health, inclusion health, homeless health, prison health or similar settings
- Experience contributing to service development, audit or quality improvement
Education and Training
Essential
- Registered Mental Health Nurse
- Evidence of ongoing continuing professional development
- Independent prescriber or willing to work towards
Desirable
- Masters level education in mental health
Other
Essential
- Flexible and adaptable, with willingness to travel across West Yorkshire.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Strong mental health assessment and formulation skills.
- ...
