Approved Mental Health Professional - Adult Services

The City and Hackney Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Duty Service organises and undertakes Mental Health Act (MHA)Assessments for people in the London boroughs of Hackney and City of London. We are a small, friendly, and supportive team with a "can-do" attitude covering a location steeped in history, park life and culture, with a diverse and vibrant population. The Duty AMHP Team operates Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:00 and is made up of 3 full time staff (the AMHP Lead, the dedicated AMHP and the AMHP administrator) and a rota of AMHPs drawn from community, forensic, learning disability and inpatient teams across City and Hackney.

You will set-up and undertake MHA assessments in the community, hospitals, A&E, police stations, magistrate courts or on the streets, as required. You will apply for s135 warrants in court and complete police risk assessments. You will consult nearest relatives and other carers. As the only dedicated full-time AMHP in the team you will occupy a pivotal role, ensuring continuity of care and communication during the MHA set-up and assessment process. You will help keep the team's spreadsheet updated, ensure that record-keeping is timely and accurate and complete AMHP reports to evidence your decision making in accordance with the requirements of the MHA and Code of Practice.

We are looking for a qualified AMHP, from any of the designated registered core professions, who is flexible, resilient and has an enthusiasm and passion for the work. You will be someone who enjoys fast-paced work at times and is actively responsive in a crisis yet is also able to slow down and think reflectively, critically, and creatively when making decisions under the Mental Health Act, considering all the circumstances of the case. You will be compassionate and kind with excellent communication skills. The ability to work well with many different people, often with a varied range of perspectives, including service users, their families, and friends, fellow AMHPs, medical, mental health and social care colleagues, police officers, mental health law officers, administrators, court officials, lawyers, paramedics, and the hospital transport team (to name but a few) is crucial to this role. You will also have knowledge and experience of working with people with serious mental illnesses and familiarity with the Mental Health Act, Code of Practice, and related legislation. You will be committed to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.

We will offer you clear professional leadership, regular supervision, AMHP refresher and a wide range of other continuous development and training opportunities. You will be supported to contribute to the professional development of staff and AMHP students and will be eligible to sign up for occasional overtime shifts on the City and Hackney Out of Hours AMHP rota if you would like.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values, so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV's.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency-based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 30 March 2025 (22.59).

Interview and assessment date: W/C 14 April 2025.

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included, and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: