Registered Nurse - Learning Disability Services

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

To carry out nursing interventions to the highest standards, delivered to people we support in a homely environment whilst maintaining independence and choice through a professional, flexible, high quality and personalised service in accordance with the Trusts values.

Accountabilities

1. To ensure that the people supported receive professional, individualised support, with a commitment to ensuring delivery is forward-thinking, either through your own direct involvement, or that of the team.

2. To provide clinical leadership and support to further develop the knowledge base of non-nursing colleagues to enhance chronic conditions management in a social care setting. Identifying and referring concerns about clinical practice in services.

3. To take responsibility for, and engage with, all personal development opportunities, in line with NMC guidelines i.e. attendance at all statutory training sessions, and other clinical and professional development sessions.

4. To comply with all professional revalidation requirements, ensuring that CPD is up-to-date and logged appropriately.

5. To establish and maintain good relationships with all stakeholders e.g. service-based staff, families, commissioners, community psychiatric nurses and physiotherapists.

6. To take responsibility for undertaking comprehensive assessment of health and social care needs of the people we support, to include, but not limited to, physical, functional/cognitive, medication and health and wellbeing assessments.

7. To assess and document competency for clinical interventions for service-based colleagues.

8. To act autonomously in a variety of contexts, demonstrating a high level of clinical judgement, sound analysis, problem solving skills and appropriate decision making.

9. To contribute to the development and review of specialised plans of care for persons we support who have long-term conditions by applying relevant specialist clinical knowledge, making appropriate referrals, recognising and managing symptoms and exacerbation in symptoms, which may lead to crisis risk factors. Identifying and managing risk factors and keeping appropriate documentation.

10. To ensure that foreseeable risks for the people we support are assessed and addressed with necessary safeguards put in place and adhered to.

11. To assist and enable the people we support and staff to recognise and avoid the potential for any form of abuse and to know what to do should it occur.

12. To communicate effectively and professionally with people we support, staff, families and other stakeholders.

13. And any other duties commensurate within the scope of the post, as requested by management. Duties may change over time and you will be expected to co-operate where such changes are reasonable.

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience of working with people being supported in social care settings who have Mental Health needs, Learning Disabilities and/or Dementia
• Knowledge of current national policy frameworks and best practice guidance relevant to the people being supported
• Proven experience of being able to build productive working relationships and partnerships with all those involved in providing support to the individuals
• Proven experience of being able to identify issues and develop a logical and clear approach to problem solving, with the ability to use diplomacy to resolve conflict and using own judgement
• Experience of presenting clear and accessible professional materials to suit different audiences
• Previous experience of working on own initiative as a leader and as part of a team

Desirable

• Management experience within a social care setting
• Experience of working in a not-for-profit organization (paid or unpaid)

Skills

Essential

• Effective time management and work prioritisation skills and the ability to manage competing demands in a positive and proactive manner
• A variety of complex clinical skills such as catheterisation, venepuncture, enteral feeding etc. to meet the needs of the people using the service/services
• Strong communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with team members, people we support and a range of stakeholders
• including families and carers
• Mentoring and coaching skills, with the ability to provide a positive and professional role model to other staff as well as the ability to positively
• respond to change
• Good IT skills with the ability to use a range of IT products (e.g. MS Office, Audit Systems) and processes effectively
• Ability to use nursing assessment to plan and devise care and support plans as delegated by Nurse Practitioners or the management team
• Ability to demonstrate pro-active and creative thinking and the ability to use own initiative
• Excellent attention to detail
• Able to delegate and communicate tasks
• effectively in line with best practice guidance and Trust policy

Desirable

• Positive Behaviour Support planning experience

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nursing qualification with current NMC registration (Learning Disability, Mental Health or Adult branch)
• A commitment to Continuous Professional Development

Desirable

• Educated to Degree Level
• Undertaken Practice Assessor course

Other

Essential

• Commitment to delivering a high-quality service and to support the Mission, Vision and Values of the Trust
• Ability to travel to meet the requirements of the role

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.

UK Registration

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