Clinical Lead - Autism | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Knowsley

We are offering an opportunity for a registered nurse, AHP or social worker to join our multi-disciplinary team as clinical lead. We want to hear from you if you are highly committed to working with adults who are seeking a diagnosis of autism.

This post is based in Willis House, Merseyside within a multi-disciplinary team within the Trust based across Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington and Halton. The role will be to oversee the provision of expert, autonomous and highly specialist clinical practice within the MDT, which supports the staff to provide the highest quality care. The post holder will exercise advanced clinical expertise, levels of judgement, discretion and decision making in the delivery of clinical care. They will be responsible for delivering a high-quality Autism Service for service users and carers. The post holder will play a role in assuring a healthy and happy team as part of the Trust quality strategy.

The successful candidate will be expected to provide the following:

• Specialist assessment, advice on interventions and guidance on complex cases/post diagnostic cases.
• Be a point of contact for carers and service users, alongside the Team Manager.
• Provide advanced clinical skills and advice demonstrating a sound understanding of the issues related to the identification, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of service users who have significant mental health needs whilst under the autism service.
• Monitor and lead improvements to standards of care through development of care pathways and access to medical support, supervision of practice, clinical audit and evidence-based practice, teaching and supporting professional colleagues and the provision of skilled professional leadership.
• The post holder will work closely with the Team Manager in all aspects of their work.
• They will be expected to lead on certain identified projects and particular areas of work requiring clinical leadership.
• Post holders will be expected to participate fully in their personal development and review process in order to achieve the knowledge and skills identified on the Job (KSF) outline for this post, prior to the relevant KSF gateway, if appropriate.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands. We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so. Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

In addition to the above:

• Role model standards of care and behaviour through clinical practice.
• Be highly visible in the clinical areas.
• Contribute and lead the development of MDT.
• Act as a role model of standards of behaviour and professionalism, through commitment to the Integration of policies and procedures within role and workplace.
• Contribute to local clinical networks and speciality specific groups, working in partnership with other key professionals.
• Analyse relevant National policy, within area of expertise, advising on impact for service, leading the implementation of changes and evaluation of processes in partnership with the MDT.
• Maintain professional registration and practice through CPD.
• Maintain personal standards of conduct and behaviour consistent with Trust and professional guidelines.
• Allocate, coordinate, monitor and assess own workload and that of individuals or the service, ensuring resources are deployed appropriately.
• Ensure appropriate use of resources in order to meet service/service user needs.
• Identify gaps in service provision and work with the MDT to implement the change required to improve service provision.
• Participate in the implementation and delivery of the standards set within the Trust's Quality Strategy.
• Recognise and act as an advocate for service users, carers, service and organisations. Lead change as required and ensure resolution of conflict.

Clinical Practice

• Support practitioners in working with patients with ASC and complex mental health needs.
• Support with onward referrals to other mental health services. Providing support around safety plans and practitioners implementing these.
• Ensure evidence-based interventions are undertaken in line with best practice and guidance.
• Undertake advanced skills appropriate to role, ensuring clinical competencies are maintained.
• Provide advanced knowledge advice and support to service users and their carers/significant others.
• Identify local, demographic, cultural and environmental factors that influence the health and quality of life for service users with mental health needs who are under the Autism Service.
• Contribute to the coordination and effective management throughout the whole service user pathway.
• Incorporate advanced practice in line with the framework of the trust and NMC or other relevant professional body.
• Ensure vulnerable adult legislation is adhered to within own practice and service and providing supervision to others.
• Provide a visible clinical profile, having both an advisory and clinical input into service user's care.
• Prepare accurate and concise reports both verbally and written.
• Communicate and advocate for the needs of the service users’ groups effectively within the MDT and the trust and wider pathway.
• Deploy effective communication strategies to ensure that information and knowledge is imparted sensitively according to the needs of service users, carers, staff and students in training.
• Plan and manage own workload and the workload of the service, in a flexible manner, ensuring that service provision meets the needs of service users and carers.
• Keep relevant records and submit reports in a professionally acceptable manner.
• Promote a positive relationship with all stakeholders within the service.
• Contribute to the clinical governance process, including adverse incident reporting investigation and the management of complaints, as appropriate. Ensuring lessons learnt are disseminated to all relevant parties.
• Collect and collate data as required by the area of expertise in order to form internal and external professional and operational bodies.
• Relate complex communication processes to individual situation.

Education & Development

• Develop and deliver specific and relevant specialist teaching programmes for all disciplines and grades of staff, client group and carers within the Trust, to wider community agencies and communities of practice.
• Review and evaluate all teaching programmes and lead on the development of new programmes when a need is identified.
• Identify own development needs in line with service requirements within personal development plan.
• Develop and distribute educational leaflets in relevant formats, for staff, service users and carers relating to service and service user pathway.
• Ensure personal, peer support and clinical supervision needs are met.
• Act as a mentor/preceptor and resource person for all nursing and support staff as appropriate to the role.
• Provide clinical supervision both within and external to the organisation in order to support development of individuals and practice.
• Ensure mentorship training is updated annually.
• Ensure clinical environment is conducive to support the education and learning of all staff and students.
• Provide educational and training opportunities to pre-registration nursing students to ensure placements satisfy the relevant elements of their learning agreement.

Research & Development

• Evaluate clinical practice through audit of service, developing and managing strategies to address any shortfalls.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current research in all aspects of his/her work and to advise others on the implementation of relevant research findings.
• Initiate and/or become involved in research projects in response to identified needs.
• Disseminate results/research findings via local team and/or national/international publications.
• Implement research findings appropriate to practice.
• Promote the shared objectives of the multi-disciplinary team by working closely to ensure that the best practice is achieved and maintained.