Social Care Approved Mental Health Professional

Our Adult Social Care Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Service

We are currently offering the opportunity to work within our Devon wide Social Care AMHP service; we are seeking passionate and committed Approved Mental Health Professionals who have experience in working in Adult Social Care settings.

The Adult Social Care AMHP Service provides County wide support to our Local Authority Adult Social Care Teams; we are available for support with complex practice issues where mental disorder is a significant component and where there is significant risk arising from that mental disorder. The team undertake joint visits, contribute to safeguarding processes and multi-agency risk planning and consider legal frameworks to ensure appropriate care and safe practice. We also work closely with our health colleagues in Devon Partnership Trust.

The Adult Social Care AMHP Service works closely with the Assigned Daytime AMHP service; providing 50% of our time to core AMHP duties / supporting the AMHP rota. We carry out a broad range of statutory duties within the scope of the Mental Health Act; including consideration under s13, making informed, independent decisions about the need for compulsory admission to hospital, the use of Guardianship and Community Treatment Orders to support well-being in the community and Social Supervision work under Part 3 of the MHA. The Mental Health Act does not have any age limitations, it can involve work with both adults and children; AMHPs may find themselves working across many different areas and can include close working with Learning Disability & Autism services, Older Adults teams and CAMHS teams.

Application and knowledge of the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act and the Human Rights Act are integral to the work of an AMHP and are utilised within both elements of the Social Care AMHP role.

We are constantly seeking ways to improve our service, including how best to capture and utilise the voices of those that have experience of being assessed under the Mental Health Act and to further improve practice for the benefit of those who have contact with our service.

We are also deeply committed to addressing racial disparities in mental health care. Our service is dedicated to implementing the recommendations of Devon County Council’s Race Equality Audit and actively working to deliver more equitable and culturally informed support and practice. In Devon, we are passionate about fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. We warmly welcome applications from individuals from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds. We recognise the value that diverse perspectives bring to our service and are actively committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. If you’re from a Black or minority ethnic background, we encourage you to apply — your voice, experience, and expertise are not only welcomed, but vital in shaping an inclusive and equitable mental health service.

Professional support and on-going training

All AMHPs receive regular individual and peer group supervision and appraisal. The team is supported to have regular team days. Successful candidates will be expected to contribute to both their own learning and that of others.

Devon County Council also offers a programme of specific post-qualifying AMHP training in order to support your practice, professional development and on-going approval as an AMHP.

As a service we are keen to support colleagues to find creative and interesting ways to share specialist AMHP knowledge and support the learning of those outside of our team.

About you

• You are a registered professional with a recognised AMHP qualification (or eligible for re-approval) and a deep commitment to delivering compassionate, rights-based care. You bring:
• Strong understanding of the European Convention on Human Rights and mental health legislation
• A values-led, recovery-focused approach to practice
• A flexible, creative, and proactive attitude to multidisciplinary collaboration
• A genuine passion for improving services and outcomes for those experiencing mental health crises

Does the job role include personal care?: No

Working Patterns:

TBC

Essential details:

Please note, these positions are not open to trainee AMHPs or those seeking access to the AMHP training course.

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact:

• Louise Wheavil on 07773 534 488 / 01392 388422

Please indicate on your application form which area of Devon is your preference.

Internal Applicants, please note: If you are an existing DCC employee, please use your iTrent Employee Self Service (ESS) details to log in and apply.  

• DCC embraces the positive benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and safe. We welcome applications from people who share our commitment to stop discrimination, challenge inequality and promote diversity across Devon. More information can be found on our Equality and Diversity webpages.  
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working -The Council offers flexible working arrangements in terms of when and where people work e.g. hybrid working, part-time, condensed hours etc.   
• We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.  
• Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with the Applicant privacy notice.  
• For more information about Working for Devon please visit our Working for Devon page.  
• This role requires a DBS disclosure. 

This role requires the person to be registered with their relevant professional regulatory body.

Please note: We welcome your application and will contact you promptly if you are shortlisted for an interview. Please note that this is an open-ended opportunity, so there is no closing date - apply at any time