About the Borough

In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ.

Looking ahead, there are plans for the delivery of new homes and new schools and the London Cancer Hub is being developed, while the Council is also seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment.

All of this demonstrates a good track record and an authority that is ambitious and set to deliver more improvements for the borough. We've set out our vision for the future of Sutton in our corporate plan - Ambitious for Sutton. This strategic plan will shape the outcomes we achieve, the services we provide, and the impact we have on residents, to make Sutton a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Situated in Zone 5, Sutton is less than 30 minutes by train from central London, and south and south west London are easily accessible by public transport. There are 10 train stations which serve key neighbourhoods within the borough providing direct connections to London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. Sutton also has direct rail connections with Epsom, Dorking, Guildford and Horsham, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and West Croydon for the London Overground. There’s also an extensive road network which provides close and easy access to the M25 and M23.

About the Service and Team

Adult Social Care is undergoing a significant transformation to address the rising demand for our services. We're implementing wide-ranging changes to improve care for adults and create positive working environments for our staff. We have new leaders and experienced managers who bring innovative ideas to the service and are driving meaningful changes throughout your service delivery. Our goal is to deliver exceptional care that enhances outcomes for our community whilst providing an inclusive, diverse and stable environment for staff to grow their career.

Mental Health Team

Within our boroughwide specialist service, there are three social work teams - The Transition Team, The Learning Disability Team, and the Mental Health Team.

The Mental Health Team coordinates social care for individuals with complex mental health needs. Alongside delivering the AMHP service, the Mental Health Team also works closely with inpatient services promoting timely discharges for those in psychiatric admissions, coordinates community based support for individuals with social care needs related to their mental health, including S117 aftercare as well as meeting other statutory duties under the Care Act and providing Social Supervision to Conditionally Discharged clients.

The AMHP roles are based within our full time dedicated AMHP service working out of Wallington alongside our health colleagues completing Mental Health Act assessments on a daily basis. However, there may be times when additional responsibilities under the Care Act may be required as part of the wider mental health service.

About the Role and Our Ideal Candidate

As part of the transformation within the London Borough of Sutton’s Adult Social Care service, we are recruiting Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP) within the Mental Health Team. Reporting to the Team Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in delivering top-quality, responsive care to individuals with mental health needs who require assessment under the Mental Health Act. The objective is to ensure that those in greatest need receive the support they require while safeguarding their rights and ensuring their safety. Your responsibilities will include:

Conducting assessments under the Mental Health Act to accurately identify and address individuals' needs.
Collaborating with individuals, their families, and other professionals to create personalised care plans that foster recovery and well-being.

As an AMHP, you advocate for the rights and preferences of the individuals under our care, ensuring their voices are heard and respected throughout the assessment and treatment process. You'll work hand in hand with service users, their families, and multidisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive care plans that address mental health needs and promote recovery and well-being. Given the nature of the role, resilience and the ability to manage stress and emotional demands are essential, as you'll be working with individuals experiencing mental health crises.

If you can demonstrate empathy and maintain professionalism at all times, this role offers an opportunity to make a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve.

This role presents an excellent opportunity for experienced and qualified Approved Mental Health Practitioner who are confident in their ability to work with individuals autonomously.

Within your application you should demonstrate your skills, expertise and knowledge as well as:

Demonstrating detailed knowledge of key legislation including the Mental Health Act, the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act, and the Human Rights Act.
Having a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical and legislative framework that underpins the Mental Health Code of Practice.
Direct experience of working with people experiencing mental health needs, including under the Care Act
Continued Professional Development within Mental Health Social Work
In possession of a valid warrant to practise as an AMHP and ensure the ongoing maintenance of this qualification
Professional Registration with Social Work England
A full driving licence and use of a vehicle

If you are passionate about making a positive impact and possess the skills needed, we encourage you to apply. This role offers a rewarding opportunity to contribute to the well-being of our service users while furthering your professional development in a supportive environment.

For more information about the role and/or an informal conversation, view the Role Profile or contact Karen Norton-Lamb, Team Manager at Karen.norton-lamb@sutton.gov.uk.

Our Offer to You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across - however big or small - will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps. Our Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme embraces new ways of working. It provides improved work life balance for our staff as it allows staff to work from a variety of locations and staff are not required to work within the office 5 days a week.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include:

Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
General Council Flexi-time (Please note, this applies to roles at grades 1-9 only)
Public Health Service Localised Flexi-time Scheme - accrual of up to 5 days per year
Three volunteering days per year in Sutton
Comprehensive learning and development programme
Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities
Interest free season ticket loans
Local Government Pension Scheme
Car parking scheme
Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
Zip car scheme
Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses
Confidential wellbeing and counselling support
Subsidised gym membership

Application Process

Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application.

To support our diversity agenda and reduce the risk of bias in our recruitment activities, our short listing process completely anonymises personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc. Our hiring managers review and short list applications based on the information provided as part of your application as to how well you meet the requirements and criteria for the role, as outlined in the job profile.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Additional Information

We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Borough and we aim to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve - the key highlights from our recent Equalities Workforce Report can be seen here. We are respectful of difference and realise the positive value of diversity in our workforce. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. As part of our Disability Confident Committed status, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role.

We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.

The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.

Kingston Upon Thames & Sutton Councils jobs

Approved Mental Health Practitioner

Never Miss a New Opportunity