Job overview
We are excited to be recruiting to a Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Recovery and Improvement Grant (DATRIG) funded Senior Non-Medical Prescriber post to support our community drug and alcohol services to offer safe, effective and rapid prescribing options to our complex and often hard to reach service user cohorts, as well as to offer wider clinical leadership to the teams.
Main duties of the job
To work as a senior non-medical prescriber (NMP) Richmond and Wandsworth Community Drug and Alcohol Services (RWCDAS). Providing clinical assessments, appropriate evidence-based prescribing and follow up for patients presenting with alcohol and substance use disorders. Including prescribing opiate substitution therapy, relapse prevention medication and medication for medically assisted alcohol withdrawal. The post holder will have a clinical operational overview on the day to day running of the service with regards to prescribing and prescription management. This will include ensuring the service is safe and effective, delivers on all performance targets including rapid prescribing of OST and achieves positive outcomes with clients. The Senior NMP will operate as a member of the management team, overseeing the ongoing development of recovery focused and evidence-based interventions for service users. The post holder will provide supervision to other members of the team. It is vital that the post holder has effective assessment, prescribing and leadership skills, can implement and manage change, has a proactive approach to communication and is skilled in developing links and maintaining partnership arrangements with other services across the borough, as well as within RWCDAS.
Working for our organisation
RWCDAS is a consortium comprised of We Are With You, St. Mungo’s, CDARS and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). SLaM is the lead agency in this model. We provide excellent and first class range of drug and alcohol treatment options to residents of the two boroughs. We have a multi-disciplinary team comprising of Consultants, Doctors, Nurses, Psychologists, Recovery Workers, Peer Mentors and Volunteers. SLaM provides recognised high quality learning and development opportunities as well as offering the chance to be involved in research projects through the Institute of Psychiatry and globally respected Addictions Department. Our services are fast paced and dynamic, with a strong recovery focus. We operate a core site in each borough alongside satellites including in primary care. We in-reach to local hospitals, prisons, supported hostels and offer street outreach. We work closely with local stakeholders including service user representatives with lived experience, social care and mental health. We offer one to one and group psycho-social interventions, and a comprehensive online offer, alongside prescribing and psychology. We actively work to be an anti-racist service for service users, staff and partners, where speaking up is encouraged at all levels.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. To provide strong and decisive leadership and management of all staff within RWCDAS. To manage the staff team and all day-to-day prescribing issues of the service. To take the lead role in the induction, training and retention of staff. To deputise at designated times in the absence of the Borough Lead or Clinical Team Leaders. 2. To ensure regular clinical and line management supervision, appraisal and teaching of staff across the team to ensure high standard of client care. To identify and support opportunities for staff development and training, and to support this aim use role modelling to motivate and educate the team. 3. To take responsibility for the management of a defined caseload of clients with complex needs and facilitation of nurse led clinics or other elements of front-line service delivery where required. To deliver prescriber specific interventions such as vaccinations and where appropriately qualified deliver non-medical prescribing within scope of practice and Trust guidelines for alcohol and drug clients attending the service. 4. To ensure service information requirements are met through the production of required statistics and data and ensuring this remains a priority. 5. Undertaking of regular audits to ensure that all clinical records/ practice is of a high quality. 6. To actively promote and encourage service user and carer involvement in the service. 7. To draft/ review/ evaluate clinical protocols/ operational procedures as required, to ensure the service is responsive to changes in practice, trends in substance use and legislation. 8. To manage human resources issues to optimum effect including being involved in and leading on staff recruitment and selection process, performance management, sickness management etc. as required. 9. To have knowledge and awareness of expenditure in relation to budget and prescribing costs, identifying and reporting on cost pressures where appropriate. 10. With RWCDAS seniors, identify appropriate areas of development in collaboration with other partners. To develop and maintain effective links and lines of communication with partnership agencies, Trust departments, commissioners, CCG and other local stakeholders. 11. To ensure effective investigation of complaints and serious untoward incidents in consultation with RWCDAS seniors, and to identify systems learning as a result of such investigations and implement changes as appropriate.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Registered Nurse or equivalent professional registration with extensive post qualification experience, a significant proportion of which has been working with people with substance misuse related problems
2. NMP qualification
3. Evidence of post qualification training related to substance use
Desirable criteria
4. MSC or Degree level training relevant to care of clients with substance misuse problems
5. Management qualification or relevant experience at senior level
Experience
Essential criteria
6. Experience of working as a non-medical prescriber within addictions
Desirable criteria
7. Experience of managing non-clinical staff and other professionals
8. Experience of staff performance management
9. Experience of implementing significant changes in working practices
10. Experience of project management
11. Experience of having undertaken audit work
12. Management or relevant experience at senior level
Knowledge/ Skills
Essential criteria
13. Working knowledge of all relevant legislation associated with care for this client group
14. Thorough knowledge of evidence-based practice and current perspectives in substance misuse, co morbid and other complex issues
15. An understanding of Recovery-led practice and a willingness to promote social inclusion and recovery principles in clinical practice
16. Knowledge and experience of health required and substance misuse specific data reporting and computer literacy
17. Appreciation of the complexities of the clinical management role and the need to balance clinical and non-clinical responsibilities
18. Ability to analyse complex data and use the information to improve performance
19. Computer literacy and experience of use of electronic patient record systems or other health-related recording systems
Desirable criteria
20. Proven ability to maintain a balance between strategic and operational management
21. Ability to work changeable hours/ location at fairly short notice where there is clear and reasonable service need
22. Advanced computer skills and use of spread sheets