Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP)

The City of London Corporation (The City) to award a contract for the Approved Mental Health Practitioner (AMHP)

AMHP is a specialist role within mental health services, designated to perform specific duties under the Mental Health Act 1983 (amended in 2007) in the absence of an in-house Mental Health Social Work team within Adult Social Care.

In the City of London, AMPH services are integral to the mental health support framework, ensuring that residents and individuals present in the area during a mental health crisis receive appropriate and timely interventions.

AMHPs play a crucial role in safeguarding individuals experiencing severe mental health crises, ensuring that interventions are legally compliant, respectful of individual rights, and tailored to the person's specific needs.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assessment Coordination: AMHPs organise and lead Mental Health Act assessments, collaborating with medical practitioners and other professionals to evaluate an individual's mental health status.
• Legal Applications: Based on assessments, AMHPs have the authority to apply for an individual's detention under the Mental Health Act, ensuring that all legal criteria are met and that the individual's rights are upheld.
• Safeguarding Rights: AMHPs ensure that individuals are fully informed of their rights throughout the assessment and detention process, advocating for the least restrictive options and considering the person's wishes and those of their family or carers.

Within the North East London Integrated Care System (NEL ICS) region, the provision of NHS Mental Health services is split on a sub-regional basis between the East London Foundation NHS Trust (ELFT) and the North East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT). ELFT delivers Mental Health services for the City of London and the other following NEL member local authorities:

• Hackney
• Newham
• Tower Hamlets

The Services are to commence from the 1st March 2025 to the 28th February 2030, a total of 5 years (3 years initial with 2 years optional extension).

The Contract has been awarded in accordance with the Health Care Services [Provider Selection Regime Regulations] 2023 [ PSR] under Regulation 7 [ Direct Award Process A] where there is an existing provider for the services and the relevant authority is satisfied that the health care services to which the proposed contracting arrangements relate are capable of being provided only by the existing provider (or group of providers) due to the nature of the health care services.