Support Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

To support the coordination of the physical care of service users titrated and maintained on Clozapine and Denzapine.

To support the management blood results and actions needed when results are outside normal parameters by following policy and national guidance. To escalate concerns around service users physical health to the MDT and primary care services if needed.

To offer ECGs and Venepuncture to all service users using the clinic or referred into the clinicusing the policy guidance.

To ensure that the service users physical health care plan is developed to meet the assessed need of the individual and that other staff are delivering care as laid down in the care plan. To ensure that all relevant information with regards to a service users care and treatment is documented accurately and legibly into the health record.

To liaise with significant others when completing the assessment and treatment of care to the service user.

To direct other staff in order to ensure delivery of a high standard of physical care to serviceusers.

To participate in setting physical health standards for care based on sound evidence based andresearch findings.

To participate in the systematic monitoring and evaluation of service users that you haveresponsibility for with guidance from a supervisor.To communicate with other members of the multi-disciplinary team to ensure the communication of any relevant information that has an impact on the service users physical care.

To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills gained through training or experience toimpart sensitive information.

To check understanding of information where there are often barriers to effectivecommunications due to distress, psychiatric symptoms or where English is not the first language.

To use skills gained through training and experience to give and receive information to other individuals with regards to a service users care in the reviews and multi-disciplinary meetings. These individuals may be external to the Trust.

To provide and co-ordinate the provision of a range of therapeutic activities for service users andmonitor their effectiveness.

To take responsibility for the safe administration of medication to service users ensuring that theTrust policies and procedures and the Nursing & Midwifery Councils regulations are adhered to.

To ensure that all relevant information with regards to a service users care and treatment isdocumented accurately and legibly into the health record. To supervise and monitor the entriesmade by unqualified staff.

To under the guidance of a supervisor provide reports both in written and verbal formats asrequested e.g. for a service user multi disciplinary team meeting or CPA review.

To contribute to teaching sessions in order to pass on knowledge and skills.

To ensure that all incidents or near misses are documented as per Trust policy and that anyfollow up action is taken.

To actively participate in service user reviews ensuring that service user needs are met and thatthe team has all the relevant information on which to base their clinical decisions.

To develop care plans that enable service users to reach and maintain their optimum level ofhealth and wellbeing to help them to obtain their optimum health.

To react pro-actively in cases of service user physical health crisis and put in place immediateplans to resolve the situation with supervision and guidance as appropriate.

To assist in the assessment and supervision of nursing and other students.

To assess and monitor the physical health of service users, seeking advice and support frommedical staff as appropriate.

To actively participate in team meetings in order to positively influence team working and thedevelopment of research based practice.

To participate in the induction of new staff.

To maintain safe custody of medicines, sharps and other clinical equipment.

To manage own time and workload, prioritising work appropriately.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 2 or willingness to work towards.

Desirable

• NVQ Level 3 or willingness to work towards Good standard of education.
• POCHI Trained.

Values

Essential

• Continuous Improvement
• Accountability
• Respectfulness
• Enthusiasm
• Support
• High professional standards
• Responsive to service users
• Engaging leadership style
• Strong customer service belief
• Transparency and honesty
• Discreet
• Change oriented

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a care setting.
• Competent in completing physical Health NEWS2 observations.
• Experience of individuals with Mental Health problems.

Desirable

• Venepuncture trained Experience of working with service users on Clozapine

Skills

Essential

• Able to communicate effectively.
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Ability to work as a member of a team.
• Ability to demonstrate a nonjudgemental attitude.
• Ability to work on own initiative under the supervison of a qualified practitioner
• Able to travel from base to base and complete community visits

Desirable

• Breakaway techniques and de-escalation

Other

Essential

• Able to meet the Trusts professional standards e.g dress code, customer care

Personal attributes

Essential

• Professional attitude
• Flexibility
• Possess a caring, compassionate and empathic attitude

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Brooker Centre

Hospital way, Placefields

Runcorn

WA7 2DA

Employer's website

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