Community Learning Disability Nurse

Overview

The Cambridgeshire Learning Disability Partnership (LDP) provides an integrated health and social care service for adults with Learning Disabilities living in Cambridgeshire. The LDP aims to ensure the assessment and provision of person-centred specialist health and social care services that promote an individual\’s right to choice, independence, health and wellbeing, and enables them to reach their full potential. We are recruiting 3 enthusiastic Band 5 Community Learning Disability Nurses to work across Cambridgeshire within Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT).

CPFT is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver NHS services in the community and across inpatient, primary care and community settings, including mental health, learning disabilities, primary care, social care, and research. We are an equal opportunities employer inviting applications from all sectors of the community.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the delivery of specialist Learning Disability (LD) nursing services under the guidance of a senior Nurse.
• With support from a senior Nurse, work with identified service users to assess, identify and treat health needs of adults with a learning disability.
• Travel independently around the county to meet strict time deadlines and hold a full UK driving licence (vehicle required; public transport is not considered reliable for this role).
• Prioritise and maintain a caseload with the support of the senior nurse.
• Participate in the assessment, identification, treatment and management of specialist health and nursing needs of the LD population (including risk assessment, complex conditions such as challenging behaviour, forensic issues, palliative care, mental health, epilepsy, etc.).
• Provide advice and support to service users, carers and partner agencies regarding people with learning disability.
• Liaise and communicate effectively with other professionals in the MDT, LDP, and external agencies (e.g., Older People’s teams, Mental Health Teams, Drug and Alcohol, Palliative and Children’s Services) to provide specialist LD advice as necessary.
• Implement and evaluate specialist programmes of care to support health care for individuals or groups with LD and complex needs.
• Understand the needs of the service user group, including times of crisis (e.g., placement breakdowns, mental/physical health relapses, challenging behaviours).
• Acknowledge and adapt to a person’s communication needs in all interactions.
• Apply knowledge of multidisciplinary working with parents with learning disability.
• Work in service users’ homes and diverse community settings where conditions may pose risks, including lone working.
• Under supervision, write timely professional reports/records and action plans in line with professional guidelines and CPFT/County Council record-keeping policies.
• Provide nursing advice related to individual case work to professionals within the LDP.
• Contribute to reducing health inequalities for people with LD by working with partners in primary and secondary care.
• Develop an understanding of local health needs and respond to changes in care provision as outlined in government initiatives.

Qualifications and Experience

• You will have experience relevant to working in a community-based role, supporting people with learning disabilities.
• As an autonomous practitioner, you will manage a caseload providing assessment and interventions for the health needs of adults with a learning disability.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of working with adults with a learning disability; willingness to undertake appropriate post-registration training.
• Understanding of Health and Social Care policy and legislation relevant to the LD service user group in relation to your professional practice.
• Knowledge of multidisciplinary working with parents with learning disability.

Other Information

We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date if we receive a sufficient number of applications. If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including DBS (where appropriate), references and Occupational Health. You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS) for additional hours. If offered, information will be transferred to TRAC and into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Applicants should bring identity documents to the interview as listed in the invitation.