Job summary
Assistant Practitioner/Nursing Associate - Health Check Liaison Team
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated, skilled and compassionate Nursing Associate or Assistant Practitioner to join South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and be part of our commitment to improving the physical health of the communities we serve.
Main duties of the job
South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust are committed to improving the physical health of patients with severe mental illness, and the Health Check Liaison Team plays a key role in meeting this commitment. The team is comprised of Band 4 Assistant Practitioners (APs) who provide assertive outreach support to community mental health services to improve the physical health of our service users. This is achieved by supporting teams to improve the physical health of their caseload by running clinics, outreaching into the community, liaising with primary care services and signposting to evidence-based interventions.
The Assistant Practitioner/Nursing Associate will independently run physical health clinics, share outcomes and support service users to access appropriate interventions (according to local assets and service available). Data is recorded on the electronic patient record and shared with primary care.
Applicants must have the ability to build positive and effective professional relationships across our health system, to work independently with remote supervision, to engage with people who have severe mental illness and to manage their workload in line with service targets.
About us
The Trust is dedicated to managing and developing a range of mental health services, working closely with service users and carers, our four partner local authorities, CCGs and NHS hospitals. Services are primarily focused on people with severe and enduring mental illness. However, it also promotes good mental health, early intervention to prevent more serious problems and provide support to primary care in dealing with people with less severe problems. The Trust has a strong community focus and our services are provided in a wide range of settings including people's own homes, GP practices, day centres, residential and nursing homes, prisons and hospitals. The Trust's core value states that 'everything we do is to improve the experience of people using our services and to promote mental health and wellbeing for all'.
About the location:
Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). We also provide services and operate across other locations, such as London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich and Wandsworth. Please note this role will involve regular travel across the geographical area that we serve.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This post is part of the Health Check Liaison Team, which works across the Trust's community services. The purpose of the team is to provide health checks and support to patients with serious mental illness who are under the care of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
The post holder will be required to record comprehensive information in the electronic patient record, to produce high quality letters to share information with primary care, to produce regular reports on their progress and to set up processes to manage their workload.
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) physical health checks are the key physical health checks required and include:
- BMI
- Blood pressure and pulse
- Lifestyle, including diet and exercise
- Smoking status
- Substance misuse (drugs and alcohol use)
- Cardio-metabolic risk using tools such as Q-Risk
- Blood lipids including cholesterol
- Blood sugar (HbA1c).
Please note this role will involve working across all four boroughs that we serve (Croydon, Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth). The team works in an agile way, and is deployed on a temporary basis to teams with high need, and also involves home visiting with equipment. The need to be flexible and responsive with regards to working location is vital. The role is primarily patient-facing within community team bases.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This post is part of the Health Check Liaison Team, which works across the Trust's community services. The purpose of the team is to provide health checks and support to patients with serious mental illness who are under the care of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
The post holder will be required to record comprehensive information in the electronic patient record, to produce high quality letters to share information with primary care, to produce regular reports on their progress and to set up processes to manage their workload.
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) physical health checks are the key physical health checks required and include:
- BMI
- Blood pressure and pulse
- Lifestyle, including diet and exercise
- Smoking status
- Substance misuse (drugs and alcohol use)
- Cardio-metabolic risk using tools such as Q-Risk
- Blood lipids including cholesterol
- Blood sugar (HbA1c).
Please note this role will involve working across all four boroughs that we serve (Croydon, Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth). The team works in an agile way, and is deployed on a temporary basis to teams with high need, and also involves home visiting with equipment. The need to be flexible and responsive with regards to working location is vital. The role is primarily patient-facing within community team bases.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oNVQ in care level 3 or equivalent level of experience
- ominimum five GCSEs A - C including English and mathematics or equivalent
Desirable
- NMC Registration - Nursing Associate
Experience
Essential
- oSignificant demonstrable experience of clinical working with adults with mental health problems including community work
- oexperience of undertaking physical health checks
Desirable
- Phlebotomy skill
- ECG skill
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- ogood written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills particularly in relation to adults with mental health problems
- oto be able to use computer systems i.e. EPJS/Datix
- oable to give lifestyle advice including diet and exercise
- ophysical health check skills inc. venepuncture and ECG
Knowledge
Essential
- oHave an understanding of the importance of cultural and other differences in caring for service users in a safe and sensitive manner
- odemonstrate knowledge of adults with mental health problems and co-morbid physical health issues
- oknowledge of the social systems and recovery models of care
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oNVQ in care level 3 or equivalent level of experience
- ominimum five GCSEs A - C including English and mathematics or equivalent
Desirable
- NMC Registration - Nursing Associate
Experience
Essential
- oSignificant demonstrable experience of clinical working with adults with mental health problems including community work
- oexperience of undertaking physical health checks
Desirable
- Phlebotomy skill
- ECG skill
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- ogood written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills particularly in relation to adults with mental health problems
- oto be able to use computer systems i.e. EPJS/Datix
- oable to give lifestyle advice including diet and exercise
- ophysical health check skills inc. venepuncture and ECG
Knowledge
Essential
- oHave an understanding of the importance of cultural and other differences in caring for service users in a safe and sensitive manner
- odemonstrate knowledge of adults with mental health problems and co-morbid physical health issues
- oknowledge of the social systems and recovery models of care
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
