Approved Mental Health Professional

Role Responsibility

This is an exciting opportunity for Approved Mental Health Professionals to join the Kent AMHP Service.  Dedicated AMHPs have a designated lead area within the service of either shift coordination or quality assurance. Shift coordinators will triage referrals on behalf of the service and organise the workload for daytime shifts. AMHPs with the quality assurance lead role will provide practice supervision, practice education, quality audits and direct observations for AMHPs within the team.

We welcome applications from social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and psychologists who are qualified AMHPs or about to qualify.

Our AMHPs provide a high-quality, responsive 24-hour service to people with mental health needs requiring assessment under the Mental Health Act. Working in partnership with stakeholders and other agencies, our AMHPs ensure the service users in greatest need are appropriately supported and made safe whilst maintaining their rights

You will:

• Coordinate and undertake Mental Health Act assessments in a variety of settings, including hospital and community settings
• Liaise with partners and stakeholders, such as health colleagues and the police
• Possess a current AMHP warrant
• Have a substantial working knowledge of all relevant Mental Health Act and Social Care legislation and Codes of Practice.
• Have a robust knowledge of mental health conditions and treatments, and approaches to social work intervention. A good understanding of the Care Programme Approach.
• The ability to work flexibly with limited resources and within a multi-disciplinary environment whilst ensuring that the underpinning principles of the law are maintained, and legalities adhered to.
• Specialize in either a Quality Lead or Shift Co-ordination Lead role
• Good computer literacy.
• Excellent report writing, interpersonal skills and negotiation skills.
• A flexible approach to working hours and location.
• The ability to work on your own initiative whist being a team player

Our offer

• Starting salary £37,374 to £49,989
• 33% shift enhancement for out of hours working (8pm to 8am Monday to Thursday, 5pm Friday to 8am Monday and any bank holidays)
• Opportunity for flexible working patterns
• An opportunity to earn additional payment for assessments in addition to your normal working hours
• Relocation packages up to a maximum of £8,000
• Full induction and comprehensive professional learning and development
• Annual leave allowance of 27 to 30 days
• Access to the Kent Academy for learning, practice development, innovation and training.
• A minimum of 5 days training each year, three of which are AMHP specific
• Excellent local government pension scheme.

Market premium payments

• £3,000 upon appointment for employees new to Kent County Council
• £2,000 market premium payment paid upon re-approving as an AMHP.

Full time dedicated AMHPs work three 11.5 hour shifts per week covering days, nights, and weekends over 7 days. We aim to balance the allocation of night and weekend shifts to individual needs and preferences ensuring a fair distribution of these shifts amongst the team.

The AMHP service offers flexible working agreements in line with our Work Smart flexible working procedure.

The successful applicant will be required to travel across the whole of the county when working.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and registration as either a qualified Social Worker with Social Work England, a qualified Occupational Therapist, or a qualified Nurse.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification

Contact Details

For further information please contact Anthony Wilson at the Kent AMHP Service on kentamhpservice@kent.gov.uk

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let’s talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county’s working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.