Community Learning Disability Nurse Practitioner | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in Knowsley

Are you a Nurse Practitioner with a passion for delivering outstanding care that brings the 6 Cs (care, compassion, commitment, courage, communication and competence) to life? Whether you are already an experienced registered learning disability nurse or looking for an exciting opportunity in community LD services following your preceptorship completion, we would like to hear from you.

The post holder will be required to deliver evidence-based health and behavioural assessments and interventions to adults with a learning disability who have complex and challenging needs. You will be working in a multi-disciplinary context with the expectation to be person-centred, creative and innovative in meeting the health needs of individuals whilst offering support to families and carers.

There will be an opportunity to work across a range of settings and with a range of provided services, with guidance from a Senior Nurse. The team also offers regular opportunities for continuing professional development and clinical supervision.

The post-holder will be responsible for the assessment of health care needs and the development and evaluation of Care Plans for individuals referred to the Service. The post-holder will have responsibility for prioritising and managing a supervised caseload delegated by the Team Manager/Clinical Lead and be responsible and accountable both professionally and legally for all aspects of clinical and non-clinical activity in the service area, ensuring a high standard of clinical care is delivered to people with learning disabilities under their management.

The post-holder will be required to work in diverse environments away from the main area and not directly supervised but will be under the guidance of a Senior Nurse.

Clinical Duties:

• To actively promote and ensure that all aspects of clinical care offered to people with learning disabilities are of a high clinical standard and evidence-based in line with professional codes of conduct and local policies and procedures.
• To liaise with other members of the Learning Disability Team and other agencies, families and carers to support the development of Health Action Plans for people with learning disabilities incorporating specialist individual treatment plans and goals.
• To evaluate regularly and modify the aims and goals in consultation and agreement with the person with learning disabilities and carers.
• To take responsibility for the safe administration of medication to service users ensuring that NMC Regulations are adhered to.
• To facilitate access to generic services where possible and to act as a link person for Primary Care Health Services.
• To carry out specific Nursing interventions for people with more complex needs in terms of health, mental health, epilepsy and challenging behaviour.
• To regularly evaluate progress using appropriate outcome measures and change care programmes.
• To develop and monitor written information for patients and their families and/or carers.
• To provide written or verbal information and reports to the multi-disciplinary/multi-agency team and other external agencies as required.
• To identify the need for referral to other professions and agencies as required.
• To be aware of psycho-social issues, cultural and social differences and consider the implications of these when formulating a care programme.
• To ensure that professional practice promotes social inclusion and is person-centred at all times and to attend planning meetings and case conferences, as required.
• To develop risk management plans for clients on your own caseload.
• To carry out intake assessments.

Professional Responsibilities:

• To be responsible for clinical record keeping in accordance with NMC Guidelines, Trust and Department standards for documentation and legal requirements.
• To plan, co-ordinate, deliver and evaluate the Service to clients within the clinical area on a day-to-day basis, and to assist the MDT in the planning and developing of the Service, introducing new and innovating pathways within the Team.
• To promote health for people with learning disabilities by education and training sessions.
• To participate in the Learning Disabilities Directorate On-call Service.
• In exceptional circumstances to co-operate with reasonable requests from more senior staff to vary your area of work to meet unplanned clinical need.

People Management:

• To support the education of junior staff and students, offering clinical support and teaching as appropriate.
• To manage the client and family/carers expectations and changing emotional needs using reassurance and negotiation skills to persuade and motivate.
• To ensure that work is conducted in accordance with Trust Equality & Diversity Strategy, and to contribute to its development.

Resource Management:

• To be responsible for the correct and safe use of equipment and the physical environment in accordance with Health and Safety regulations.

Leadership:

• To be a point of contact for liaison between home and all other agencies involved in clients care, and to assess, advise and direct carers and other professions, offering clinical and non-clinical teaching and advice.

Communication:

• To communicate effectively, both verbally and non-verbally, with people with learning disabilities and their carers.
• To impart or discuss complex information both verbally and in writing, regarding health information and/or prognosis, treatment plans and expected goals in an appropriate format and to refer to other professionals or agencies as required.
• To communicate effectively clinical information in order to gain informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack ability to consent to treatment in discussion with the Team Leader.
• To use appropriate communication skills to gain co-operation with a programme where there may be barriers to understanding e.g. language difficulties, challenging behaviour.
• To make use of I.T. systems to collect, collate and utilise data and information for people with learning disabilities, carers and families and other professionals and provide service statistics, being fully aware of the Confidentiality Policy of the Trust and to apply it to all areas of work.
• To record and maintain up to date, accurate written reports as per Trust, Departmental and NMC Standards and Policies and to provide information regarding activity as required by the Service.

Research and Audit:

• To undertake evidence-based audit and user feedback projects to further improve their and the Team’s practice.
• To contribute to the continuing development of clear evidence-based treatment pathways by attending relevant nursing forums and in-service training.
• To undertake as directed the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects.

Education and Training:

• To be responsible for own personal educational and experiential learning, keeping up to date with relevant practice within evidence-based framework.
• To be responsible for maintaining their own competency to practice through Continuing Professional Development activities and maintain a portfolio, which reflects personal development, adhering to the principles of reflective practice.
• To participate in tutorials, individual training sessions, post-graduate lectures and external courses as identified in their individual personal development plan.
• To undertake mandatory training as identified by the Trust and ensure that all actions are in line with training.