Specialist CYP Asthma Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Following the national work on the National bundle of care for CYP with asthma and the NICE guidelines 2024, an exciting opportunity exists for a highly experienced Asthma Practitioner with relevant experience of working with children and young people with asthma.

The aim of these asthma practitioners is to provide targeted interventions to CYP patients in Primary Care at the highest risk of an asthma attack. These posts complement the NHS Long Term Plan commitments to improve CYP asthma care and respond to the recent recommendations from the HSIB and coroners reports that have criticised NHS care.

The aim of this role/service is to support the ICS to achieve the NHSE/I ambition to:

Reduce avoidable harm from asthma (improve control and reduce the risk of asthma attacks and death)

Improve quality of life.

Develop and embed a whole system approach to improve environment, education, personalised care, preventative medicine and accuracy/ timeliness of diagnosis.

Job Summary

The postholder will support the Senior specialist CYP asthma practitioner to provide clinical advice and leadership in these respects:

They will work closely with the Senior Specialist CYP asthma practitioner to deliver the High-Risk asthma team deliverables

They will take a lead role in the implementation of a risk stratification process to identify those CYP most at risk of asthma attack working with Primary Care

To provide post asthma attack reviews within 2-3 working days in community settings

They will provide professional leadership role across the ICS inclusive of clinical governance and a commitment to high-quality, evidenced based practice.

They will help to ensure health colleagues treating CYP with asthma have access to the appropriate level of asthma training, contributing to the delivery of training and education.

They will help to facilitate improvements in patient pathways, policies, clinical standards, and quality of care.

The post holder will support the wider asthma network through attendance at regional and local meetings, delivering education to clinicians, families, schools etc.

They will have a key role in delivering the Asthma Friendly Schools programme, participate in network meetings and deliver a range of education sessions across the ICS.

They will work to deliver the commitments set out in the National Bundle of Care for CYP with Asthma and implement the BTS/NICE/SIGN joint guideline on asthma 2024.

Will understand and apply national guidelines and legislation relating to CYP asthma

They will support the Senior specialist with data collection and analysis

Will deputise for the Senior Specialist when and where appropriate

Will use advanced theoretical and practical knowledge to refer to other health disciplines, safeguarding and escalations of care as appropriate and to ensure appropriate referral systems are in place.

To maintain high professional standards, continuously promoting and developing quality improvement.

The postholder will be based in the community with strong links to primary and secondary care. They will work collaboratively with all members of the multidisciplinary team including general practitioners, practice nurses, paediatricians, and school nurses to deliver improvements in consistency and quality of care in the community. They will help to decrease outpatient activity, emergency department activity and primary care activity through better control and access to more specialist input in the community.

Key Working relationships

The Specialist CYP asthma practitioner will work closely with the Senior Specialist CYP Asthma Practitioner. They will work with key stakeholders to develop and improve the quality and value of healthcare services.

Key stakeholders would be but not limited to:

Primary Care

Secondary care

Community services 0-19 teams

CYP and families

Education

Surrey County Council -Public Health Team

NHSEI-CYP Regional and National teams

Health Innovation KSS

Clinical networks including South Thames Paediatric Network

Service Providers including NHS Trusts, Independent Contractors, Local Authorities and the Voluntary Sector.

Key result Areas

Reduce avoidable harm from asthma (improve control and reduce the risk of asthma attacks and death)

Reduce asthma related emergency care episodes

Improve quality of life

Develop and embed a whole system approach to improve environment, education, personalised care, preventative medicine and accuracy/ timeliness of diagnosis

The aim of these asthma practitioners is to provide targeted interventions to patients in Primary Care Networks (PCN). The work will be targeted towards the areas of highest need taking into account areas of highest deprivation and health inequalities.

2. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST:

Improving quality and outcomes

To liaise with the multi-disciplinary team in order to effect best possible care outcomes initiating and developing flexible and innovative approaches to meet the needs of the patients and their families

To play an integral role in the support of CYP asthma diagnosis pathways through the newly emerging diagnostic hubs.

Leading the implementation of a risk stratification tool to identify those CYP at most risk of an asthma exacerbation

Supporting escalation in ICS systems where asthma outcomes/pathways of care require improvement to meet national standards

Championing adherence to national guidelines and good practice

For children and young people who are admitted to hospital with asthma the post holder will help providers to facilitate safe discharge and follow up arrangements through post attack reviews.

To be aware of new products and protocols including Asthma medications and devices and to disseminate research findings as appropriate.

To collate and use data to help influence commissioning of future services.

Enabling Clinical Leadership

To promote up to date education and expert advice for health professionals, families and carers with regards to asthma

To assist the Senior specialised CYP asthma practitioner on delivery of the asthma care bundle for the ICS

Support the development of a network of ICS clinical leadership

To champion person centred care

Enabling patient and public involvement

To act as a champion for patients and their interests

To work within the ICS to involve patients, carers and citizens in the development of commissioning tools and resource

To embed patient and public involvement into the organisations decision making and practice at all levels

Promoting equality and reducing inequalities

To uphold organisational policies and principles on the promotion of equality

To create an inclusive working environment where diversity is valued, everyone can contribute, and everyday action ensure we meet our duty to uphold and promote equality

To facilitate partnership and cross boundary working

To develop excellent clinical partnerships across community, primary, secondary, and tertiary asthma healthcare

To work closely with clinical networks to deliver objectives

To model a collaborative and influencing style of working, negotiating with others to achieve the best outcomes

To promote innovation and research through leadership, promoting data scrutiny and evidence synthesis

Developing an excellent organisation

To actively support the development of individuals and the team through appraisal, personal development planning, coaching and mentoring

To work in partnership with others and as part of cross directorate teams to deliver successful outcomes

To support the organisations ways of working, model its values and champion the NHS Constitution

To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff within the team

To ensure compliance with all confidentiality and governance requirements within the system

To adhere to the NHS Managers Code of Conduct and any other relevant professional codes of conduct at all times

To ensure regular, productive and open communication with staff whom they lead

Other

Essential

• To have a valid drivers license and access to a vehicle.
• This role will involve significant travel across Surrey.
• This role may involve lone working.
• Flexible approach to service needs; Commitment to equality, diversity, and safeguarding.

Desirable

• Involvement in clinical networks

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level in a relevant scientific/nursing / allied health/pharmacy discipline or have relevant experience.

Desirable

• ARTP accredited Paediatric Spirometry and interpretation; Advanced Inhaler Technique trainer
• Prescribing Qualification.
• MSC in relevant field.
• Teaching qualification;

Values & Behaviours

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment to and focus on quality, promotes high standards to consistently improve patient outcomes.
• Demonstrably involves patients and the public in their work.
• Consistently puts patients at the heart of decision making.
• Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness.
• Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
• Uses evidence to make improvements, seeks out innovation.
• Actively develops themselves and others.
• Demonstrable commitment to focusing on both the mental and physical health of children and young people.
• Demonstrable commitment to partnership working with a range of external organisations.

Experience

Essential

• Specialist clinical skills, knowledge and expertise in the care and management of children with Asthma, minimum of tier 3 level as detailed in the National CYP Asthma Capability Framework.
• Must have a good knowledge of pharmacological treatment of asthma.
• Have experience of carrying out face to face CYP asthma reviews.
• Be able to complete a comprehensive respiratory assessment.
• Good understanding of health system dynamics.
• A good understanding of how to use data to improve quality and productivity.
• Some experience of working as a clinical leader.
• Works well as part of a team as well as independently.
• Experience of operating in the healthcare system.
• Experienced clinician with credibility and the ability to command the respect of all clinical and non-clinical professionals.
• Experience of developing, applying and reviewing an evidence-based approach to decision making.
• Experience of providing education sessions with multi-agency childrens workforce/professionals and other stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience of carrying out research and audit

Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Ability to prioritise workloa.d
• Ability to recognise own limits and work within own competence and professional skill set.
• Ability to offer constructive suggestions for service development/improvement.
• Use resourcefulness and judgment to navigate and negotiate across the NHS and the wider health, social care and educational landscape.
• The ability to build excellent collaboration across the healthcare system.
• Excellent leadership skills and the ability to build and motivate high performing teams.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills, negotiation, conflict management, feedback, partnership working, and coaching skills.
• Able to develop effective and mutually supportive relationships with key partners within and out with organisations.
• Competent IT skills with ability to create and deliver formal presentations to a range of stakeholders.

Desirable

• Ability to run searches and use software to extract patient data

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).