Assistant practitioner (GP mental health practice nurse team)

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Communication and relationship skills

• Ability to communicate appropriately with patients, families, carers and staff, considering beliefs and values and physical or mental health needs
• Ensure that patients are enabled to find out about, and use, services and facilities to assist in maximising their independence
• Ability to effectively liaise with professionals and other agencies involved in the care of the patient and maintain good working relationships.
• Ability to recognise barriers to understanding and using methods/interventions including

tact and persuasion to overcome them

• Ability to involve and motivate patients to participate in agreeing goals for achievement to optimise their independence

1. Knowledge, training and experience

• NVQ Level 3 in healthcare or equivalent experience
• Ability to work on own initiative and work unsupervised
• Experience of working with people living with mental health illness or dementia
• Experience of administration tasks including making diary appointments, typing documents.

1. Analytical and judgement skills

• Ability to make decisions and judgements relating to patient care, recognising level of own competence and when to refer to senior staff

1. Planning and organisational skills

• Ability to be effectively involved in regular team meetings to provide feedback, discuss patient progress and agree future goals
• Ability to respond to crisis situations by summoning appropriate assistance
• Ability to plan and arrange own appointments to visit patients in accordance with their agreed plans of care
• Ability to coordinate diaries of all team members

1. Physical skills

• Ability to carry out physical health checks with support from senior members of the team
• Ability to manoeuvre and support patients in their home or place of residence, including the use of wheelchair or hoist
• Good keyboard skills
• Ability to drive or be independently mobile due to the need to travel between varied locations during the working day.

1. Responsibility for patient / client care

• Ability to follow guidelines and instructions and carry out individual physical health checks and psychological assessments as directed by qualified staff to promote patient confidence and independent in their daily living skills
• Assist with agreed individual development plans for patients as appropriate
• Identify any deterioration in the condition of the patients and ensure appropriate staff and services are notified
• Report any suspicion of physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse of patients to the team leader immediately and complete necessary documentation
• To participate in and support qualified team members in health promotion activities and/or social prescribing

1. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

• To follow organisational policies, procedures, processes and requirements, relevant to the role and comment on suggested changes where appropriate
• Ability to take on the role of link nurse for appropriate subject, ensuring audits are completed and results/actions plans are disseminated

1. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

• To support the qualified team members with the allocation and maintenance of equipment, keeping accurate records of what has been used
• Assist in the role of stock taking and ordering when required

1. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

• Ability to take on the role of administrator as well as supporting the qualified nurses. This may involve maintaining/coordinating diaries, producing documents and reports
• Participate in regular supervision
• Participate in the organisations appraisal programme which includes the ability to monitor and report back on objectives and identify training needs
• To attend and participate in staff meetings and in-service training programmes

1. Responsibilities for information resources

• Accurately record, monitor and report patients progress using the appropriate electronic notes system e.g EMIS

1. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

• Participate in quality initiatives and audits aimed at enhancing care and change
• Participate in the collection and reporting of data and statistics

1. Freedom to act

• Able to visit patients in their own home as directed and in accordance with plans of care.
• Able to work autonomously and as part of a team

1. Physical effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)

• Role will involve standing or walking for moderate amounts of time and inputting at a keyboard

1. Mental effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)

• Role involves checking documents daily and the carrying out of clinical and psychological assessments

1. Emotional effort (refer to effort factor questionnaire)

• Role includes dealing with people with serious mental illness and those living with dementia

1. Working conditions (refer to effort factor questionnaire)

Role includes driving and use of VDU

Person Specification

Practical skills

Essential

• Practical and intellectual

Desirable

• Demonstration of skills

Experience

Essential

• experience

Desirable

• experience

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualification

Desirable

• extra training

MCH Values

Essential

• caring and compassionate, deliver quality and value, working in partnership

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Medway Community Healthcare

Address

Hybrid - home and office working and GP practices across Medway and Swale

Gillingham

ME8 0NJ

Employer's website

https://www.medwaycommunityhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)