Job overview
Croydon Outcome Based Commissioning Alliance has developed six Integrated Care Networks (ICNs) across the borough and the Nursing associate will work as part of the Complex Care Team with Croydon Health Services
The Nursing Associate will deliver high quality, personalised, compassionate care to service users. They will be competent to carry out tasks without direct supervision and will have an awareness of when to ask for guidance. They will be supervised by a Registered Nurse.
The Nursing Associate will have completed a set
of competency assessments and training that supports their practice.
As a Nursing Associate working in a community setting you will work with the team and registered professionals under the supervision
of a Registered Mental Health Professional to promote and deliver evidence based care for service users with mental health conditions in their own homes and within a variety of accommodation settings. The day-to-day requirements in the role will be agreed with a registered nurse including a daily feedback loop as a minimum.
Main duties of the job
Working autonomously 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.
2. Leading on and undertaking activities to ensure that the fundamentals of care are met - nutrition, hydration, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support
3. Following assessment and admission of service users / patients supporting the management of care needs through:
a. 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.
5. Escorting service users, as required, in line with Trust policies.
6. 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.
Working for our organisation
Benefits:
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It’s important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website. Other benefits include:
Counselling services
Wellbeing events
Long service awards
Cycle to work scheme
Season ticket loan
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Skills
1. Working autonomously 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.
2. Leading on and undertaking activities to ensure that the fundamentals of care are met - nutrition, hydration, hygiene, comfort, emotional and social support
3. Following assessment and admission of service users / patients supporting the management of care needs through:
a. 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.
4. In a junior leadership role 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. Contributing to the development of 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. Escalating any concerns to relevant Health Care Professional.
e. Monitoring and recording service user clinical observations, such as Physical observations and vital signs and escalating as appropriate any signs or symptoms of deterioration or that do not fulfil the personal parameters to the relevant professional (Registered Nurse or Doctors). Promote healthy lifestyles and give health promotion advice and support.
f. 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 under the guidance of a registered professional.
5. Escorting service users, as required, in line with Trust policies.
6. Facilitating the admission and discharge of service users, ensuring needs of the patient are met including activities such as property checks, orientation to services, and ensuring that community support needs are met.
7. 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.
8. Subject to the requirements of a particular service area and within the confines of the role, following trust policy/government regulatory guidance and upon successful completion of an approved programme of study and competency assessment signed by ward manager for the clinical area, the post-holder will administer routine medications.
9. Supporting and ensuring the day-to-day smooth running of the clinical area. This will include coordinating and prioritising activities.
Knowledge and Frameworks
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
Communication:
13. 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 conversations, acknowledging cultural differences and professional boundaries.
14. 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.
15. Contributing towards the on-going quality of service and care and to identify any risk issues in relation to the service users’ health and social care. Informing the Registered Nurse / team/ person-in-charge if there are any:
a. Changes in the service user’s physical or mental state
b. Significant factors relevant to the service user
c. Incidents related to the service user
16. 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.
17. Reporting, without delay, any safety or security concerns to maintain the safety of service users, carers, staff and others to appropriate authorities and/or organisations.
18. 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.
19. Responding respectfully to concerns / complaints raised by patients, families and carers and escalate in accordance with trust polices.
20. Maintaining confidential information in accordance with Trust
Policies.
Teamworking and Professional development:
21. Protecting service users, self and others by maintaining a clean and healthy environment in accordance with health and safety and infection control policies. Leading in ensuring relevant audit and compliance activities and reports are kept up to date.
22. 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.
23. Attending and participating in team meetings and contributing ideas to multiprofessional team discussions.
24. 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.
25. 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 2 and 3 non-registered staff.
26. Demonstrating own role to others and acting as role model to others at all times in accordance with Trust values providing junior leadership role.
27. Undertaking mandatory training as required by Trust policy and other CPD training related to the role or area of work.
28. 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.
29. Contributing in training and development programmes of staff and supporting the clinical placements of student nurses.
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. Undertake any other duties that are commensurate with the band and nature of the post
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Foundation Degree – or studying towards or equivalent level of educational attainment
2. Completion of Care Certificate and acquired competencies
3. English and Mathematics basic qualifications (eg GCSE at Grade C or above or evidence of Level 2 in Functional skills for numeracy and literacy)
4. Registration with NMC
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
5. Clinical experience minimum 1 year and experience of engaging with service users / patients
6. Knowledge of treatment options
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
7. Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service user’s needs, with supervision available but not always present, and acting on own initiative, within protocols, policies and care plans
8. Able to plan and co-ordinate and prioritise own and team work within a shift system
9. Communications skills – receiving and conveying sensitive information, with staff and with service users and able to keep accurate records. Knowing when to escalate concerns and to whom
10. Highly resilient and able to respond to difficult interpersonal situations, which may, at times, be traumatic / distressing