Clinical Nurse Specialist for Community Team and ICT

EATING DISORDER SPECIALIST PRACTITIONER – COMMUNITY TEAM & ICT

The post-holder will have a base at Vincent Square Eating Disorders Service main base in central London and will also spend time at the satellite clinic at Harrow on the Hill, when required. To work with the Community & Intensive Community Treatment (ICT) Teams, Multidisciplinary Team, collaborating with Doctors, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Family Workers, Inpatient and Day Programme Teams. In addition, there will be liaison with community Mental Health Teams, Primary Care Teams, and Medical and Psychiatric Wards.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust, we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues, and of course patients and service users when working in our healthcare settings.

The post holder will be working in the Adult eating disorders community & ICT teams which are part of the wider outpatient service. The team is made up of highly experienced nurses, occupational therapists, dieticians, nursing associates, and consultant psychiatrists. It is an opportunity for a clinician to further their practice and experience within a specialist setting.

The ICT pathway is an 8-week programme that offers additional support to patients receiving outpatient treatment, so that they can safely achieve their treatment goals or avoid admission. Whilst on ICT, the applicant will be responsible for physical health monitoring. Within ICT, there are regular reviews that provide an opportunity for staff and patients to meet and set/review goals for treatment. As part of the role, there would be an expectation to complete meal support and behavioural experiments to support patients in working towards their identified goals. Within this role, you would be expected to work closely with the MDT and attend a weekly team meeting to review all cases on the programme, to ensure interventions remain relevant throughout treatment.

The community team is an integral part of the wider eating disorders service acting as ‘front of house’ for all stakeholders, doing regular specialist assessment of patients referred to the eating disorder service and managing a small caseload of patients with a range of severe and enduring eating disorders within a personal recovery model.

The candidate will require a good level of post-qualification experience of working with patients with an eating disorder within a ward or community setting. You will need to be a motivated, empathic, skilled, and dedicated individual.

You will be well supported in your role by a friendly, dynamic MDT as well as receive regular line management and clinical supervision in various forms. Your primary base will be in vibrant South Kensington in Central London and you will also be required to work at the satellite clinic at Harrow on the Hill, when required.

Vincent Square Eating Disorders Service is the specialist service provider for patients living in the boroughs of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Brent, and Harrow. In addition, the service accepts national referrals for specialist in-patient and day-patient care.

Flexible Working Policy:
Since Covid-19 we have adjusted our working practices and staff typically work from home up to 1 day per week. We know staff have lives outside of work and want to promote balance. We take flexible working seriously, allowing staff to pick working hours as long as they fit with Team capacity. You will be given your own remote working system via laptops and phones to support this.

To process all new referrals by triaging them daily based on clinical risk, for the designated boroughs.

1. To undertake specialist eating disorder assessment (at the central London clinic and the satellite clinic at Harrow on the Hill).
2. To provide treatment for patients suitable for the Community Service, who often present with severe and enduring eating disorders, using a supportive clinical management model.
3. To provide nursing contact of the Intensive Community Treatment pathway. Involvement in reviews and care planning for those on the pathway.
4. To provide advice to referring agents on how to access the eating disorders service.
5. To advise other teams about management of eating disorders as part of service users’ package of care, when there are other significant psychiatric or medical co-morbidities.
6. Monitoring of physical health (as appropriate to discipline) and mental health issues related to patients with eating disorders.
7. Ensure practice is in accordance with the relevant Code of Professional Conduct and Mental Health Legislation, which incorporates and respects differences in respect of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, culture, and disability.
8. Participate as an active member of the team, accountable for your practice, and work in partnership with other health care professionals, patients, and others in the delivery of care.
9. Plan, prioritise and manage the delivery of assessment of referrals to the clinic from psychiatric and medical service.
10. To offer support and advice on suitable treatments for those seriously ill patients awaiting outpatient/in-patient admission to professional staff and to families and carers.
11. To participate in the running of a personal recovery focused group for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders.
12. To organise own schedule, maintaining daily contact with the Community Team Lead and ICT team about any issues as they arise.
13. To liaise with the Community Team Lead, ICT manager Clinical Nurse Manager, Ward Manager, Day Patient Nurse, Service Manager, and Consultant Psychiatrist about priorities on waiting list for admission.
14. Always act in a manner as to promote and safeguard the interests and wellbeing of patients, visitors, and colleagues.
15. To participate in mandatory staff group.

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