Admiral Nurse in Abingdon

Admiral Nurses are specialist dementia nurses who offer expert practical, clinical and emotional support to families involved in the care of a person living with dementia with complex needs. This role is a continuation of a successful collaboration between Dementia UK and Age UK Oxfordshire, building on a two-year pilot. Age UK Oxfordshire has delivered the Dementia Oxfordshire service for over 10 years and embedded an Admiral Nurse in the service in 2023.

Main duties of the job

The Admiral Nurse will split their time equally:

• Supporting the Dementia Adviser team to manage complex cases, taking referrals from the Dementia Advisers and working alongside them to manage these complex cases.
• Taking a proactive role in educating and influencing the wider health and social care system in Oxfordshire to improve dementia care in the county.

We are looking for a skilled and experienced Registered Nurse (adult/mental health/learning disability) with a passion for, and significant demonstrable track record of, providing person-centred and relationship-centred dementia care with a strong sense of advocacy and equalities for this client group. Combining direct work with families with supporting the best practice of health and social care professionals, you will call upon your impressive knowledge of bio-psychosocial interventions to improve the experience and quality of life of families affected by dementia. The post holder will need to have the ability to work in a variety of settings, across a rural and urban geography. The role will include seeing carers and families individually, managing/supervising a team, running groups and providing education/training, as well as balancing a proxy-clinical caseload whilst also influencing the health and social care system in the county.

About us

Dementia UK will support you to maintain and strengthen your clinical and leadership expertise as a specialist Admiral Nurse through regular clinical supervision and practice and professional development opportunities. You'll become a welcome part of a network of Admiral Nurses and will have the opportunity to access relevant post-graduate training and develop professionally, informed by the Admiral Nurse Competency Framework.

Job responsibilities

The Admiral Nurse will guide and support the delivery of relationship-centred dementia care to improve the experience of carers/families affected by dementia with complex needs who are accessing Dementia Oxfordshire services. Support will be provided via a clinics model which will offer both one-off and repeat appointments for both Dementia Advisers and families in their care. The Admiral Nurse Clinic will be available for anyone within the defined area, who has been referred by a Dementia Adviser and meets the service criteria. The post holder will also work within the agreed setting/location to provide specialist advice and support as appropriate. The Admiral Nurse will also be responsible for developing and delivering an educational offer focused on Health and other professionals, complementing Dementia Oxfordshire's wider education offer, nominally splitting their time 50% clinic model 50% educational offer.

The post holder will:

• Provide consultancy, support and guidance to families living with Dementia.
• Provide consultancy, support and guidance to Dementia Oxfordshire DAs (Dementia Advisers) and YODAs (Young Onset Dementia Advisers).
• Work collaboratively with partners across health and social care, both statutory and voluntary sector when appropriate to support best practice in dementia care, offering education sessions on Dementia as opportunities present.
• Promote the use of the implementation of evidence-based dementia care and provide leadership in improving the experience of carers/families affected by dementia.
• Where appropriate, contribute to and support the delivery of key quality and performance indicators and evidence impact relating to the experience of families.
• Apply the Admiral Nurse Competency framework at a specialist, enhanced or advanced level including person-centred care, therapeutic skills, and triadic relationships, sharing knowledge, best practice and critical reflective practice.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Clinical

• Implement and support the development of the Admiral Nurse Service within Dementia Oxfordshire and the wider Age UK Oxfordshire organisation.
• Provide specialist nursing support to people with dementia, their families and carers, using the principles of the Admiral Nurse Assessment Framework for carers/families.
• Identify complexities of dementia using advanced communication, negotiation and diplomacy skills.
• Provide clinical leadership to Dementia Advisers and Young Onset Dementia Advisers on the care of people with dementia and their carers/families with complex care needs from peri-diagnosis to post bereavement support.
• Advise family carers and other health care professionals on the care of people with dementia with complex care needs.
• Contribute to the development of person-centred care plans for families who are caring for a person with dementia where appropriate.
• Work in a way that promotes relationship and family-centred approaches to care, which meet the physical and mental health needs of people with dementia, carers/families.
• Provide a range of advice on psychosocial interventions and emotional support to promote health and wellbeing for people with dementia and their carers/families.
• Support people with dementia, carers/families and staff and other health and social care professionals to understand and respond to changes in behaviour and relationships.
• Work in partnership with colleagues to provide support and information to families, including advance care planning, best interest decisions and end of life care.
• Provide guidance relating to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and that all legal requirements relating to Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007), and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (2009) are considered and adhered to in relation to patient care.

Education and Leadership

• Provide clinical leadership support and guidance to others on the delivery of evidence-based practice in dementia care within Dementia Oxfordshire.
• Advise and support on the development and delivery of work streams as part of the service dementia strategy, where appropriate.
• Facilitate and support the development and delivery of innovative dementia training and education to staff, to improve competence and confidence, in line with best practice and guidance.
• Work proactively with key local and national stakeholders to develop integrated care pathways and holistic models of care, through dissemination of specialist skills and knowledge where appropriate.
• Provide advice and support on complex care transitions for people with dementia and their carers/families to reduce the frequency of crisis situations (including people with young onset dementia).
• Ensure that the care delivered is in accordance with relevant local and national guidelines and all relevant Age UK Oxfordshire policies.
• Recognise the limits of own competency and the professional boundaries of this Clinic model post.
• Where Safeguarding concerns are present, the post holder will take appropriate and timely actions in line with Age UK Oxfordshire policies and procedures which may include referrals to other services.
• Ensure that clinical records are up to date and maintained and stored appropriately in line with local and national guidance.

Evaluation and Audit

• Collect and review quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate and audit the Admiral Nurse Service within Dementia Oxfordshire.
• Interpret and use data to make innovative recommendations for service improvement and development.
• Maintain clinical records using chosen data recording system and provide verbal and written feedback appropriately and as required.
• Support evaluation of workforce development in dementia to improve staff knowledge and skills across Age UK Oxfordshire.
• Ensure own data is recorded, relevant, accurate, and complete and captured in a timely manner.
• Liaise with Dementia UK Insights and Evaluation team where appropriate, to ensure that the impact and effectiveness of Admiral Nurse interventions are well evaluated.
• Be fully aware of and comply with all relevant data protection legislation including the UK GDPR, Data Protection Act (1998) and Caldicott Principles in relation to protecting the confidentiality of patient and service-user information and enabling appropriate information sharing.

Professional

• Ensure all nursing practice is carried out in accordance with the agreed policies and procedures of Age UK Oxfordshire and the NMC Code 2015.
• To attend and actively participate in practice development, clinical supervision, and continuing professional development, supported by Dementia UK and underpinned by the Admiral Nurse Competency Framework.
• Develop own competence through use of the Admiral Nurse Competency Framework and portfolio development using resources provided by Dementia UK.
• To maintain professional registration in line with NMC guidance, including revalidation.
• Contribute to and lead the development of policies, procedures and protocols relevant to dementia and Admiral Nursing within Age UK Oxfordshire, including the Standard Operational Policy.
• Ensure compliance with Age UK Oxfordshire clinical governance requirements, including all mandatory training.
• Participate in clinical supervision/mentoring/appraisals when required.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of evidence-based recommendations on supporting people with dementia and their carers/families.
• Be aware of current research related to dementia treatments/interventions and support people with dementia/carers/families to get involved in research where appropriate.

Managerial and Administrative role

• Management of the young onset team (3 Young Onset Dementia Advisers).
• To ensure the recording and investigation of all accidents, complaints, untoward incidents and losses in accordance with Age UK Oxfordshire policy.
• Identify and record risks to the Admiral Nurse service, escalating appropriately.
• Participate in the recruitment of service staff including Dementia Advisers and Young Onset Dementia Advisers.
• Participate in Advisory groups developing the Dementia Oxfordshire service and the Admiral Nurse role within that service at Age UK Oxfordshire.
• Lead, manage and develop the Admiral Nurse component of the Dementia Oxfordshire service, continuously seeking improvement opportunities in collaboration with the Advisory Group.

Person Specification

Values and Attributes

• Ability to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy.
• Ability to treat families affected by dementia with respect and dignity.
• Working together for people with dementia/carers.
• Demonstrates compassion and a caring nature.
• Demonstrates a commitment to quality of care.
• Demonstrates integrity and respect.

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to demonstrate the 6 Admiral Nurse competencies: person-centred care, therapeutic skills, triadic relationship centred working, sharing knowledge, critical reflective practice.
• Skills to enable clinical leadership, including: ability to influence change, ability to act as a decision maker and advocate, expert clinical practice, the ability to use appropriate information technology, including MS office software to enable efficient service delivery.
• Knowledge to enable clinical leadership, including an understanding of: Admiral Nursing and its application, relevant policies/national strategy in relation to dementia care, evidence-based practice in dementia and practical application within the relevant setting.
• Driving license and access to a car.
• Understanding of local/national skills and competency frameworks.

Experience

• Significant post-registration clinical experience of supporting people with dementia and their carers/families.
• Experience of completing holistic nursing assessments, providing bio-psychosocial interventions, working as an autonomous practitioner, professional supervision and development/mentoring of staff, audit/evaluation of clinical practice, collaborative/multi-agency working.
• Experience of facilitating and delivering training/development of staff.
• Experience in service specific setting.
• Experience of leading/managing a service.
• Experience of supporting practice development/quality improvement.
• Experience of service monitoring, reporting and evaluation.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (RN/RNMH/RNLD).
• Postgraduate qualification in relevant field, or evidence of specialist training/education within the field of dementia equivalent to this level.
• Evidence of continued professional development/training in relevant areas, including dementia and leadership.
• Further specialist training/education within the field of dementia equivalent to Master level.

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.

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working.