Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Working within the parameters of the role leading on implementing the delivery of quality nursing care, contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care in a recovery-focused way through therapeutic engagement and activities, and taking steps to address any issues that arise.
• Leading on and undertaking activities to ensure that the fundamentals of care are met - nutrition, hydration, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support.
• Co-ordinating and evaluating collaborative patient-centred care; getting feedback and improving plans with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
• Providing accurate information about care in an accessible format to patients and their relatives / carers.
• Liaising and working positively with members of the multi- disciplinary team and partner organisations.
• Administering, and monitoring the side-effects of, medication; monitoring service user compliance.
• Safety; safe custody of medicines, sharps, clinical equipment, report all incidents following trust policy.
• Developing the management of care needs through
• Initial data collection

                  b. Monitoring of individual service user / patient progress

                  c. Feedback and discussion

                  d. Producing reports and in-care reviews

                  e. Devising a plan of care and interventions supervised by a                                         Registered Nurse

• Leading on and directing junior to staff in providing hands-on care to service users including:

                   a. Undertaking 1-1 engagement with service users in an honest,                              open and non- judgmental way.

                    b. Recognising and valuing service users as individuals,                                                   acknowledging the importance of maintaining the service                                       user’s respect and dignity at all times and ensure that the care                             provided respects equality and diversity.

                   c. Developing care plans that reflect service user needs and                                        relevant patient care documentation working in partnership                                with service users, wider MDT and friends/relatives/significant                          others.

                    d. Ensuring the monitoring and recording service user clinical                                  observations are undertaken, such as Physical observations                                 and vital signs and treating or escalating as appropriate any                                   signs or symptoms of deterioration or that do not fulfil the                                     personal parameters to the relevant professional for treatment.                         Promote healthy lifestyles and give health promotion advice                                 and support.

                    e. Implementing the principles of ‘recovery’: encouraging and                                   supporting service users to engage with healthy lifestyles,                                     facilitating psychosocial activities and other activities of their                             interest. Where appropriate contributing to psychological                                     interventions.

• Escorting service users, as required, in line with Trust policies.
• Facilitating the admission and discharge of service users, ensuring needs of the patient and service including relevant legislative or required documentation are completed.
• Advocating for service users’ needs and rights within Trust policy. Encouraging and empowering service users to have an optimum level of responsibility for their individual programme of care.
• Demonstrating an enhanced understanding of Mental Health signs and symptoms and an understanding of how these may present in practice including recognition of impact on patient presentation and behaviour including risk factors. Supporting junior staff to develop understanding of mental health signs and symptoms and develop appropriate responses to these in practice
• Recognizing and responding appropriately to challenging behaviour in line with Trust policies and training. Supporting junior staff in managing difficult situations and de-escalation and developing resilience and strategies to manage
• Demonstrating a depth of knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the MHA, MCA and DOLS and other legislation applicable to the practice area and how they are implemented in practice ensuring adherence to legislation at all times.
• Contributing to an effective communication process with appropriate and accurate information to patients, carers, family, friends and colleagues. Engaging and listening carefully and actively and responding using appropriate language and accessible communication methods and skills. Developing communication skills to enable and support difficult conversatio.
• Demonstrating effective clinical communication and documentation to internal and external stakeholders ensuring: effective verbal and written handover of relevant and objective information. Demonstrating ability to determine key information, ability to recognize and describe effectively symptoms of mental illness, distress or of a deteriorating patient, and ability to escalate issues of concerns effectively and in a timely manner.
• Contributing towards the on-going quality of service and care by managing the patient caseload, organizing care including delegating tasks and duties appropriately to staff with relevant competency, identifying and mitigating any risk issues in relation to the service users’ health and social care. Informing the relevant Health care professionals if there are any significant.
• Maintaining timely and accurate service user written/electronic records in line with Trust policy. Use care plans, pathway documents and Information System progress notes appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Reporting, without delay, any safety or security concerns to maintain the safety of service users, carers, staff and others to appropriate persons (this could include clinical, environmental, legal…).
• Understanding and contributing to the Trust risk assessment policy, including being aware of the need to follow all safeguarding procedures; being aware of the necessity to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults at all times when working with service users.
• Responding respectfully to concerns / complaints raised by patients, families and carers and escalate in accordance with trust polices.
• Maintaining confidential information in accordance with Trust Policies.
• Protecting service users, self and others by maintaining a clean and healthy environment in accordance with health and safety and infection control policies. Ensuring safe working practices and working environment including monitoring and maintaining cleanliness of the service area and report, without delay, all hazards - real and potential. Leading audit and compliance activities and reports.
• Working in ways that support shared responsibility within the team: demonstrating support, respect and courtesy towards colleagues; working in a professional manner and with Trust values always in mind, respecting the boundaries of the relationship with service users/patients, carers and staff.
• Leading, attending and participating in team meetings and contributing ideas to multi-professional team discussions.
• Engaging in reflective practice to ensure effective patient care is based on evidence-based practice and with Trust values in mind. Attending staff training and meetings including reflective practice groups and activities including the development of reflective portfolio.
• Participating in supervision by nominated senior staff member, including annual review of performance as part of the appraisal (or PADR) system. Providing supervision to Provide supervision to Band 3 and 4 non-registered staff.
• Demonstrating own role to others and acting as role model to others at all times in accordance with Trust values providing junior leadership role.
• Undertaking mandatory training as required by Trust policy other CPD training related to the role or area of work. Maintain a relevant work development portfolio and comply with all requirements of NMC revalidation.
• Contributing to clinical or governance reviews of the team’s activity and the monitoring of performance. Contributing to relevant audit practice development on research activity that may be taking place in the work area.
• Contributing in training and development programmes of staff and supporting the clinical placements of student nurses.
• Acting as lead for the assessment and co-ordination of the Care Certificate for all Healthcare Support Workers in the clinical area, particularly if reasonable adjustments need to be made to complete training and learning.
• Ability to fulfil all the requirements of the role (including physical) and if unable to then reasonable adjustments may need to be made either to your role or place of work to ensure safety of self, staff and patients.
• Undertake any other duties that are commensurate with the band and nature of the post