ECT Lead Nurse in Exmouth

Devon Partnership NHS Trust invites applications for an ECT Clinic Manager / Administering ECT Lead Nurse to join the Devon ECT Team. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated nurse to provide clinical leadership within a specialist service delivering high-quality Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). The Devon ECT Team supports patients aged 18 years and above from across Devon, including individuals receiving care on our inpatient wards. The successful applicant will play a key role in ensuring safe, effective, and patient-centred delivery of ECT in line with national guidance and best practice. The main ECT clinic is based at Exmouth Hospital; however treatments are, at times, offered within District General Hospitals across Devon, requiring flexibility and the ability to travel as part of the role.

Job Responsibilities

• To manage the ECT service for Devon excluding Plymouth.
• To act as Lead ECT Nurse, delivering and coordinating ECT treatment for individuals requiring ECT, working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• To provide visible clinical leadership and day-to-day management of the ECT team, promoting high standards of professional practice and accountability.
• To support a positive learning culture within the team, encouraging continuous professional development, reflective practice, supervision and education.
• To develop and maintain effective working partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including medical staff, inpatient services, community teams, anaesthetics and acute hospital services.
• To ensure care is delivered in line with national guidance, ECTAS standards, Trust policies and clinical governance frameworks.
• To promote person-centred care, working in partnership with people using the service, their carers and families, ensuring dignity, consent, and involvement in care and treatment decisions.
• To contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit and evaluation to enhance patient outcomes and service effectiveness.

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• To have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Work in partnership with health and social care professionals and other stakeholders, maintaining effective communication that benefits patients, their families and carers.
• Work collaboratively with safeguarding teams across Devon and Torbay.
• Ensure close liaison with other health care staff and commissioning officers regarding referral criteria into the services and quality standards.
• Act as a point of contact for those seeking information about the ECT team or wanting to refer to it.
• Coordinate and investigate complaints and grievances and identify performance management issues within the team, promoting improvement in practice and learning.
• Be effective, clear and accurate when using all forms of communication throughout the organisation, adapting style to context and recipient.
• Organise and facilitate Team Meetings and participate in Trust-wide meetings, ensuring effective cascading of information to the area of responsibility.
• Ensure effective methods and systems to facilitate communication with all MDT members and wider networks.

Analytical And Judgemental Skills

• Undertake complex decision making across risk management, financial management, referral flow and capacity.
• Make sound judgements in a timely manner and consider a range of options requiring analysis or interpretation.
• Deal independently with routine business matters and use initiative in the absence of a directorate management team to ensure urgent matters are addressed.
• Handle confidential, commercial, and urgent information with good analytical skills and sound judgement.

Planning And Organisational Skills

• Ensure service delivery activity meets agreed quality and performance standards and service level agreements.
• Lead on business continuity planning for the service and ensure adequate staff cover for safe practice.
• Develop and maintain effective staff rostering systems within budget and governance requirements.
• Implement and evaluate systems to monitor risk, cleanliness and infection control.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

• Promote and develop high standards of clinical care.
• Monitor and support clinical performance, care plans and risk assessments for the team.
• Maintain clinical governance standards and health & safety within the ECT remit, including risk assessments and risk management plans.
• Ensure robust risk management systems and appropriate safeguarding actions as required.
• Lead meetings related to clinical management of high-risk clients and participate in risk management meetings with statutory roles assigned to other agencies.
• Ensure the role of carers is understood and acknowledged in care.
• Ensure compliance with legal frameworks and legislation in practice.

Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Assist the ECT team and individuals to negotiate changes in policy/practice to meet ongoing developments.
• Participate in maintenance of current services and future developments within ECT.
• Actively participate in audits and quality improvement projects; promote evidence-based practice and research.
• Comment on and contribute to Trust Clinical Policies within responsibility; participate in quality improvement activities and policy reviews.

Finance, Equipment And Other Resources

• Manage the designated budget for the Team and ensure appropriate skill mix within budget.
• Inform Line Manager promptly of overspend or budget concerns; authorize payments within agreed levels.
• Establish efficient working conditions and optimal use of staff, supplies, equipment and services within the ECT Team.

Human Resources

• Line manage the staff in the ECT Team; provide supervision and nurture a positive learning culture.
• Develop and empower junior staff; coordinate recruitment and retention initiatives.
• Set clear performance objectives aligned with Trust appraisal processes and manage performance; investigate complaints and incidents as required.
• Ensure effective implementation of Trust Policies (Complaints, Disciplinary Procedures, Sickness Absence) and ECTAS compliance; ensure staff training aligns with ECTAS and DPT requirements.
• Maintain and monitor staff training, time management, and flexible working where possible.

Information Resources and Administrative Duties

• Ensure clinical/care records (written and electronic) are accurate and compliant with requirements.
• Maintain data records for performance management and provide accurate statistical returns.
• Utilise and support development of integrated IT systems; contribute to multi-disciplinary client records and dashboard data reviews.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (RMN / LD / RGN).
• Educated to Diploma Level. Degree level education or equivalent experience.
• IT skills and evidence of an up-to-date professional portfolio and personal development plan.
• Knowledge of NICE Guidance relevant to ECT and awareness of Royal College Standards including ECTAS.
• Knowledge of Consent to Treatment requirements and indications/contraindications for ECT; understanding of mechanism of action.
• Leadership experience; ability to coordinate and lead a multi-professional team; strong professional accountability and conduct knowledge.
• Ability to deliver clinical, managerial and performance supervision; risk assessment and management skills.
• Commitment to Health and Safety; compassionate leadership; effective time management; flexible working ability; capable of heavy clinical duties within ECT; enhanced DBS required.

Desirable

• Post-registration qualification in ECT.
• Experience in audit relating to ECT; CDP in ECT; involvement in policy reviews and supervising doctors in training in ECT practice.
• Ability to drive and work from multiple Devon locations.

Other

• This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure to check for any previous criminal convictions.
• Applicants must have current UK professional registration.

Employer details: Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Exmouth Hospital, Claremont Grove, Exmouth, EX82JN. Website: https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/