Job summary
The role of the physical health nurse for serious mental illness is to undertake the holistic assessment of physical health care needs and clinical management of individuals who are receiving care from the community mental health teams (CMHT). The primary purpose of this role is to coordinate a patient-focussed programme of work to improve the physical health of people with a serious mental illness (SMI) under the care of Consultant Psychiatrists, Senior Physical Health Nurse & the Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT).
The work is underpinned by national guidance and Berkshire Healthcare's Physical Health in Serious Mental Illness Strategy using Quality Improvement methodologies to drive targets and report metrics.
The role has the following priorities:
- Providing a nurse-led physical health service working Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, providing clinics and home visits across all areas of East Berkshire.
- Personal professional development and supporting the education and training of others regarding physical health in mental illness.
- Close collaboration and liaison with CMHT colleagues, as well as external partners, primarily GPs / primary care colleagues, other health providers, health promotion and voluntary sector organisations.
- Developing a culture that recognises and gives equal importance to physical and mental illness whilst striving for quality improvement.
Main duties of the job
- This is a post for a registered nurse who has a significant level of knowledge, skills, and experience of working with adults with physical and mental health needs
- Provide professional and clinical leadership in line with the changing service developments within the service
- Take responsibility for ensuring that evidence-based ways of working are carried out
- To provide professional training, teaching, and support (on an MDT basis) in relation to physical health within a multi-disciplinary team
The role requires close collaboration and liaison with CMHT colleagues, as well as external partners,primarily GPs / primary care colleagues, other health providers, health promotion and voluntary sectororganisations. The post holder will also liaise closely with the Physical Health Clinical Lead within mental health inpatients and provide in patient physical health support to cover leave.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare has a record of achievement and success that places us as one of the best performing Trusts in the country. We are rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC, we have a history of strong financial performance, and we have a highly skilled and engaged workforce.
Some of the benefits of joining our team:
- Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance
- Annual leave - 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part time staff
- Excellent learning and development opportunities
- Salary sacrifice scheme for a new car
- Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
- Advanced IT enablement and support
- Confidential telephone care service providing independent support and advice for staff.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
A smoke free policy is in operation on all of the Trust's sites.
The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The4 must haves for you to be considered for this role:
- A passion for physical health care that matches our desire to provide excellent healthcare for people with serious mental Illness.
- Either a Registered General Nurse or Registered Mental Health Nurse with experience of working with people with mental illness and physical health conditions.
- You will be comfortable working in a busy environment and proficient at engaging with people who experience health inequalities or difficulty accessing services.
- You will be required to have access to your own vehicle and a valid driving licence enabling you to travel to clinics and patients homes.
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Job description
Job responsibilities
The4 must haves for you to be considered for this role:
- A passion for physical health care that matches our desire to provide excellent healthcare for people with serious mental Illness.
- Either a Registered General Nurse or Registered Mental Health Nurse with experience of working with people with mental illness and physical health conditions.
- You will be comfortable working in a busy environment and proficient at engaging with people who experience health inequalities or difficulty accessing services.
- You will be required to have access to your own vehicle and a valid driving licence enabling you to travel to clinics and patients homes.
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Relevant professional degree level qualification for own discipline
- RGN or RMN or Dip/BSc Nursing
- Continuing registration with Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Qualification to master's degree level or equivalent experience
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
Desirable
- Additional qualification in related subject e.g. Physical health management
- Health promotion
- Psychosocial interventions
- Motivational Interviewing training
- Solution focused brief therapy
- Practice Placement qualification /Preceptorship and Mentorship
- Training in Leadership skills
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a range of settings relevant to the post
- Post-registration experience of working with patients with physical or mental health needs i.e. acute hospital / community)
- Experience of working in emotionally demanding environments.
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding process
- Experience of delivering evidence based care
- Experience of teaching, training, and supervision
- Experience of collaboration with multi-agencies
Desirable
- Experience of working in acute mental health inpatient/community services or community physical health with interest in mental health
- Experience of effective supervision to professionally qualified staff
- Experience/training in motivational interviewing
- Experience in research and or audit
- Experience and knowledge of working in a multi-ethnic community
- Experience of team leadership
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, ethical issues, strategic frameworks, and current guidelines regarding the range of presenting problems in adult mental health, their implications for both practices and clinical management in relation to physical health care delivery
- Knowledge of physical health care conditions, the role of monitoring, treatment, prevention, and interventions for the client group
- Adhere to NMC Professional Code of Conduct and standards appropriate to discipline
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Experience of Clinical risk assessment and management in a community setting.
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration
- Awareness of Child and Adult Safeguarding Procedures
- Awareness of current NHS initiatives and Developments
- Knowledge of legislation and the national agenda in relation to Adult Physical Care for Serious Mental Illness
- Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team
- Able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing- complex, technical, and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS/HCC
Desirable
- Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Skills in engagement of people with complex needs.
- Ability to communicate effectively within a multi-professional team.
- Ability to work with diverse communities in a wide variety of contexts
- Skills in relation to physical health care checks and interventions
- Able to undertake venepuncture competently
- Ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information where persuasive, empathic and reassuring skills are required
- Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situations
- Ability to cope with verbal abuse and to recognise and diffuse potential physical abuse from service users
- Ability to use outcome measures to evaluate progress
- Keyboard skills and working knowledge of all MS office applications.
- Ability to work flexibly across service boundaries
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others.
- Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals
- Ability to engage with service users including where engagement is difficult and those from diverse backgrounds
- Ability to maintain high standards of record keeping, including data entry and recording.
- Ability to work autonomously, setting appropriate goals in accordance with professional, ethical guidelines and Trust policies.
- Disclosure and Barring approval (formally CRB check)
- Confident to work autonomously in the community and use own initiative to make decisions in complex situations
- Able to travel independently locally and outside Berkshire as required.
Desirable
- Substantial IT skills
- Experience of audits/evaluations of interventions and implementation of any subsequent changes to practice
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Relevant professional degree level qualification for own discipline
- RGN or RMN or Dip/BSc Nursing
- Continuing registration with Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Qualification to master's degree level or equivalent experience
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
Desirable
- Additional qualification in related subject e.g. Physical health management
- Health promotion
- Psychosocial interventions
- Motivational Interviewing training
- Solution focused brief therapy
- Practice Placement qualification /Preceptorship and Mentorship
- Training in Leadership skills
Previous Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a range of settings relevant to the post
- Post-registration experience of working with patients with physical or mental health needs i.e. acute hospital / community)
- Experience of working in emotionally demanding environments.
- Experience and knowledge of safeguarding process
- Experience of delivering evidence based care
- Experience of teaching, training, and supervision
- Experience of collaboration with multi-agencies
Desirable
- Experience of working in acute mental health inpatient/community services or community physical health with interest in mental health
- Experience of effective supervision to professionally qualified staff
- Experience/training in motivational interviewing
- Experience in research and or audit
- Experience and knowledge of working in a multi-ethnic community
- Experience of team leadership
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, ethical issues, strategic frameworks, and current guidelines regarding the range of presenting problems in adult mental health, their implications for both practices and clinical management in relation to physical health care delivery
- Knowledge of physical health care conditions, the role of monitoring, treatment, prevention, and interventions for the client group
- Adhere to NMC Professional Code of Conduct and standards appropriate to discipline
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Experience of Clinical risk assessment and management in a community setting.
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration
- Awareness of Child and Adult Safeguarding Procedures
- Awareness of current NHS initiatives and Developments
- Knowledge of legislation and the national agenda in relation to Adult Physical Care for Serious Mental Illness
- Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team
- Able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing- complex, technical, and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS/HCC
Desirable
- Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team
Additional Requirements
Essential
- Skills in engagement of people with complex needs.
- Ability to communicate effectively within a multi-professional team.
- Ability to work with diverse communities in a wide variety of contexts
- Skills in relation to physical health care checks and interventions
- Able to undertake venepuncture competently
- Ability to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information where persuasive, empathic and reassuring skills are required
- Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situations
- Ability to cope with verbal abuse and to recognise and diffuse potential physical abuse from service users
- Ability to use outcome measures to evaluate progress
- Keyboard skills and working knowledge of all MS office applications.
- Ability to work flexibly across service boundaries
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others.
- Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals
- Ability to engage with service users including where engagement is difficult and those from diverse backgrounds
- Ability to maintain high standards of record keeping, including data entry and recording.
- Ability to work autonomously, setting appropriate goals in accordance with professional, ethical guidelines and Trust policies.
- Disclosure and Barring approval (formally CRB check)
- Confident to work autonomously in the community and use own initiative to make decisions in complex situations
- Able to travel independently locally and outside Berkshire as required.
Desirable
- Substantial IT skills
- Experience of audits/evaluations of interventions and implementation of any subsequent changes to practice
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
