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London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
About
The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS) is the largest free ambulance service in the world, caring for more than one-and-a-half million patients every year.
We are the only London-wide NHS Trust and are at the frontline of the NHS in the capital. We serve an area of approximately 620 square miles. Broadly speaking, this is the whole area within the M25.
We have two main functions - the provision of an Accident and Emergency service to respond to 999 calls and our Patient Transport Service, which performs an important role in taking patients to and from their hospital appointments.
In addition, we also manage the Emergency Bed Service, which co-ordinates registers of specialised care facilities available across London, along with some national monitoring services.
Trainee Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Closed for applications on: 28-Apr-2025 00:02
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 28-Apr-2025 00:02
Key details
Location
- Site
- London Ambulance Service
- Address
- 220 Waterloo Road
- Town
- London
- Postcode
- SE1 8SD
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shift Work)
Salary
- Salary
- £44,806 - £60,981 per annum inc ( Inner London) HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (Band 6)
Specialty
- Main area
- Mental Health
Our vision is to deliver outstanding emergency and urgent care whenever and wherever needed for everyone in London, 24/7, 365 days a year. We are the busiest emergency ambulance service in the UK serving one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse cities. We provide emergency and urgent healthcare that is free to patients at the time they receive it.
We are the only NHS provider trust to serve the whole of London and the nine million people who live in, work in or visit the city. We cover an area of 620sq miles and have more than 8,000 people who work or volunteer for us – rising to 10,000 when including bank staff and students.
We answer around two million 999 calls a year and our crews attend more than 3000 emergencies a day. Our 24-hour 111 integrated urgent care services London answer around two million calls a year.
We play a leading role in integrating access to emergency and urgent care in the capital and are striving to ensure patients receive the right response, in the right place, at the right time
Our main role is to respond to emergency 999 calls, providing medical care to patients across the capital, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Other services we offer include providing pre-arranged patient transport and finding hospital beds. Working with the police and the fire service, we are prepared for dealing with large-scale or major incidents in the capital.
Job overview
Trainee Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner's will be upskilled to provide specialist enhanced clinical assessment and support specifically to patients who have contacted the London Ambulance Service for mental health issues, or suspected mental health issues.
During the training period (Band 6), the post-holder will commence the Advanced Clinical practice [Mental Health Pathway] Level 7 Masters with City & St George's University. Whilst commencing this programme, you will work operationally on the Mental Health Joint Response Car (MHJRC) as a paramedic and learn directly from working alongside a Mental Health Specialist Practitioner. You will also participate in a rolling rota that includes shifts within our Emergency Operations Center, undertaking telephone assessments on patients experiencing a mental health crisis and providing over-the-phone support to ambulance crews across the city regarding mental health queries.
Upon successful completion of the 'Advanced Clinical Assessment' module in semester 1 of Year 2, the post-holder will transition to a Band 7 role working as a Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner with a JD aligned to the current Mental Health Specialist Practitioner Group. As an autonomous practitioner (Band 7), the post-holder will be expected to provide advanced assessment, clinical decisions, and coordinated management of complex and challenging situations concerning the treatment of this patient group. This will include conducting telephone assessments, providing remote advice to on-scene crews with mental health patients, and being deployed as both a primary and an additional resource to mental health patients.
As part of the course, you may be required to undertake placements in other Mental Health settings with work locations currently unknown for those placements.
Advert
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the biggest and busiest emergency ambulance service in the UK with over 5,500 staff who work across a wide range of roles. Our service operates over an area of approximately 620 square miles across London based in 70 ambulance stations.
As an integral part of the NHS in London, we work closely with hospitals and other healthcare professionals, as well as with other emergency services. We are also central to planning for, and responding to, large-scale events or major incidents in the capital.
Post location:
- MHJRC: Whilst working as a B6 Trainee Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner [Paramedic] positions available at all 4 sites [Waterloo, Ilford, Greenwich and Fulham]. Upon transition to Band 7 we will take 2 preferences and assess based on vacancies.
- CHUB: Waterloo or Dockside (EOC) for Control Room Shifts.
Working for our organisation
Our vision is to deliver outstanding emergency and urgent care whenever and wherever needed for everyone in London, 24/7, 365 days a year. Our strategy 2023-2028 outlines how we plan to achieve this, and is centred upon three missions focused on:
- Our care – delivering outstanding emergency and urgent care whenever and wherever needed.
- Our organisation – being an increasingly inclusive, well-led and highly skilled organisation people are proud to work for.
- Our London – using our unique pan-London position to contribute to improving the health of the capital.
To achieve these three missions we have set ourselves 50 commitments to deliver over the next five years. In developing these ambitious commitments, we have engaged extensively both inside our organisation, with our partners and with our patients, and we have analysed population trends and horizon scanned the future.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
During the Band 6 Training Period, as a Trainee Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner, you will:
- Contribute to specialist mental health input within the London Ambulance Service by working in our Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to conduct telephone-based assessments of patients presenting with mental health needs.
- Provide remote support and guidance to ambulance crews across the city managing patients with mental health presentations, under the supervision of experienced practitioners.
- Assist in maintaining an overview of clinical safety for patients calling 999 with regards to their mental health.
- Work operationally on the Mental Health Joint Response Car (MHJRC) as a paramedic, learning directly from and supporting the Mental Health Specialist Practitioner in face-to-face assessments.
- Develop an understanding of the importance of ensuring parity of esteem for patients accessing the LAS for mental health crises.
- Learn about and adhere to audit procedures for clinical care, contributing to maintaining high standards (e.g., understanding CPI scores).
- Begin to contribute to the delivery of training sessions to LAS staff under supervision.
- Start to develop an understanding of local mental health providers and the importance of strong local links.
- Support the Consultant Nurse for Mental Health and Paramedic Mental Health Lead in the development of services, contributing to projects, initiatives and Quality Improvement work as appropriate.
- Begin to develop as a visible advocate for evidence-based mental health care within the pre-hospital setting.
- Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships across relevant Sectors/services within the organization (e.g., EOC, Clinical Hub) and with external partners (e.g., A&E department leads, Other NHS providers, including Mental Health Providers and Service user groups), under guidance.
- Develop foundational expertise in acute mental health care in the pre-hospital setting. There will also be opportunity to shadow mental health teams.
- Operate within your scope of practice as a trainee paramedic on the MHJRC and within the EOC, with appropriate supervision and support.
- Contribute to the clinical leadership and coordination in the management of patients in a mental health crisis, under the guidance of senior practitioners.
Upon successful transition to Band 7 as a Mental Health Advanced Clinical Practitioner, you will [in addition to points above]:
- Provide specialist mental health input as an autonomous practitioner within the London Ambulance Service by:
- Independently working in our Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) conducting telephone-based assessments, providing remote support to ambulance crews, and maintaining an overview of clinical safety for patients calling 999 with regards to mental health presentation.
- Conducting face-to-face assessments as part of the Mental Health Joint Response Car (MHJRC).
- Ensuring that there is a parity of esteem for patients using the LAS for a Mental Health crisis.
- Maintaining consistently high standards of clinical care as per audit procedure (e.g., CPI scores).
- Regularly delivering training sessions to LAS staff on mental health topics.
- Developing and maintaining strong local links with relevant Mental Health providers.
- Actively supporting the Consultant Nurse for Mental Health and Paramedic Mental Health Lead in the development of services, QI work, and other important Trust work within the scope of your role.
- Being a visible leader and champion of evidence-based mental health care within the pre-hospital setting.
- Establishing and maintaining collaborative working relationships across all Sectors/services in the organization (e.g., EOC, Clinical Hub) and with external partners (e.g., A&E department leads, Other NHS providers, including Mental Health Providers and Service user groups).
- Demonstrating expertise in acute mental health care in the pre-hospital setting.
- Operating as an autonomous practitioner, responding at times as a sole resource.
- Demonstrating clinical leadership and coordination in the management of patients in a mental health crisis.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- BSc Honours in relevant degree (2:2 or above)
- Significant post registration experience with current Paramedic HCPC registration
- Mentorship Qualification and experience of mentoring students
- Commitment to undertake City & St George's L7 Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) Mental Health Pathway - course offer is conditional on being approved for this course by the university
- Meet the City & St George's L7 Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) Mental Health Pathway Entry criteria
- Commitment to CPD
Desirable criteria
- Master’s degree in healthcare related subject, or accepted onto, or City & St George's L7 Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) Mental Health Pathway, or equivalent experience
- Previous or current secondment with the LAS Mental Health Team on the MHJRC
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience undertaking or supporting advanced biopsychosocial mental health assessment skills, including formulation and differential diagnosis and experience of autonomous decision making.
- Significant Paramedic post registration experience [5+ years]
- Significant post registration experience in pre-hospital setting acute mental health care
- Experience of working within a positive risk taking framework
- Ability to work in high pressured environments
- Ability to make sound clinical decisions which are evidence based
- Management of agitated and hostile patients
- Be able to implement brief interventions to be able to help alleviate distress to patients
- Sound awareness of current mental health services and their functions
- In-depth knowledge of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act and be able to confidently work within legislation and demonstrate use of application within practice.
- Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- Good understanding of the effects of alcohol and street drug (including legal highs) on a patient’s presentation
- Experience of management of first episodes of suspected mental illness
- Able to manage and co-ordinate other staff members who may not be from a Mental Health background
- Ability to provide clinical advice and guidance to other colleagues
- Current understanding of research, and application of evidence based practice
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
- Well-developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust’s and your performance expectations
- Experience of working autonomously as a practitioner
- Contributing to the development of policy, protocols and procedures
- Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them
- Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create the conditions for successful partnership working
- Autonomous working, managing a clinical caseload and being able to prioritise accordingly which is matched to clinical need, risk and resources.
- Experience of clinical leadership
- Dynamic risk assessment skills
- Effective time management; able to manage own workload
- Timely completion of task and accurate record keeping
- Experience in the pre-hospital setting working with patients experiencing a mental health crisis
Desirable criteria
- Experience of undertaking telephone based assessments
Personal Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to remain calm in a busy environment
- Ability to deal confidentially with personal and sensitive information
- Flexible approach to work with good organizational skills
- Ability to work using own initiative and as part of multidisciplinary team
- Excellent inter-personal and communication skills with good listening skills;
- Strong sense of commitment to openness, honesty and integrity in undertaking the role.
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Carly Lynch
- Job title
- Consultant Nurse for Mental Health
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 7055 6175
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
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