Lead Nurse - Mental Health - Band 8a

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Clinical Responsibilities/Key Responsibilities

Provides clinical leadership for junior staff within the multi-disciplinary team, offering specialist support and guidance, including risk assessments to improve quality of life for patients with enhanced care needs in hospitals.

Ensures adherence to Mental Health Act (MHA) legislation, using expert knowledge to develop pathways aligned with the MHA Code of Practice.

Leads operational and clinical management of the Enhanced Care Team, offering leadership and line management to Band 7 staff.

Conducts specialist assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of nursing care for service users with severe/complex mental health conditions in an inpatient setting.

Manages services effectively by establishing structures, reporting processes, procedures, and relevant information.

Collects and collates data for audit, research, and service performance purposes.

Collaborates with service users, carers, MHLT, and other agencies to ensure effective outcomes.

Oversees delivery of enhanced care nursing services across all inpatient settings including paediatrics, ensuring high-quality care and treatment.

Ensures the service meets national, local, and departmental quality and clinical standards.

Negotiates and develops individual complex care programmes diplomatically and motivationally.

Develops therapeutic programmes based on audit and evidence-based practice outcomes.

Develops effective working relationships within the immediate and wider multi-disciplinary team.

Makes and receives patient referrals from healthcare providers to ensure continuous care.

Participates in broad professional and service issue discussions at Ward/Dept/Unit meetings.

2. Professional Development, Education and Training (if applicable)

Knowledge of risk assessment, Health & Safety/Infection Control issues, adhering to Trust policies and the NMC code of conduct.

Engages in clinical supervision and professional development.

Serves as a role model, educator, supervisor, coach, and mentor for staff, ensuring updated clinical competence.

Create protocols and policies for enhanced care, ensuring safeguards are in place.

Assesses, plans, intervenes, and evaluates care for individuals with complex health needs according to standards and guidelines

Educates the multidisciplinary team on patient management and facilitates discharge planning, tailoring education to diverse audiences.

Promotes organisational learning to inspire staff.

Ensure team members have skills and knowledge for high-quality nursing care.

Supports continuous professional development for all staff and students.

3. Management and Leadership

Ensure performance management measures service delivery impact on user groups with outcome metrics.

Promote a proactive performance management culture within teams.

Implement processes to measure, improve, and monitor service delivery quality using complex data analysis.

Enhance team pathways' quality and responsiveness.

Innovate in delivering, monitoring, and evaluating strategies for improved service quality, considering local business planning.

Lead investigations, reports for complaints, Serious Incidents (SIs), and projects, ensuring actionable learning points and policy implications.

Maintain confidentiality and secure information while performing duties.

Be professionally accountable, delegate tasks, supervise practice, and plan complex activities requiring care plan formulation and adjustment.

Lead mental health assessments and review treatment processes.

Develop quality indicators for performance management reporting via evidence-based practice audits.

Produce qualitative and quantitative reports and audits showcasing quality to senior managers.

Model organisational values with a person-centred service approach.

Engage in peer review to transform practices and implement improvement strategies.

Seek feedback from individuals, families, carers, and colleagues for co-producing service improvements.

Demonstrate leadership, manage complex situations, and build confidence in others.

Be open to challenge and constructively challenge others, escalating safety and wellbeing concerns when necessary.

Review and interpret clinical policies based on their impact on patients needing enhanced care levels.

Deliver outcomes within strict clinical time frames and budget constraints

4. Research and Development

Conduct research to develop evidence-based strategies for enhancing quality, safety, productivity, and cost-effectiveness.

Evaluate and audit clinical practices, act on findings, and join Trust-wide audits.

Keep the nursing team updated on the latest research, policies, and best practices in mental health. Work with the MDT to foster a culture of research and evidence-based practice.

5. General Working Conditions

Occasional moderate physical effort (moving loads over 15kg) during a shift whilst manoeuvring, turning and repositioning patients.

Frequent distressing or emotional experiences with dealing with patients who are acutely unwell, and who may not survive.

Frequent exposure to blood and other body fluids as part of clinical role.

Working under pressure, effective and flexible time management Lone working, regularly in areas where personal safety may be compromised

Working with people in distress who on occasion may be suicidal, hostile, confused and have difficulty communicating and as a result may pose risks to themselves or the safety of others.

Long periods of intense concentration are required regularly throughout the shift.

Invasive procedures such as Intra-muscular injections with associated risk of injury and infection

Use of computer and VDU equipment

Rapid response to emergency situations i.e. Fire, Cardiac Arrest, Psychiatric where it may be necessary to use physical restraint.

Managing, making and implementing critical decisions on a weekly basis

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Registered Mental Health Nurse with the Nursing Midwifery Council, with significant leadership experience
• Recognised Teaching and Assessing qualification or equivalent
• Trained in undertaking risk assessments and safe holding

Desirable

• Leadership course

Clinical / Experience

Essential

• Enhanced knowledge and experience in the assessment of patients with enhanced mental health care needs.
• Experience / knowledge of enhanced risk assessment

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Gloucester Royal Hospital

Beacon House

Gloucester

GL1 3NN

Employer's website

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