Community Nurse Practitioner

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond. We are committed to providing high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for the care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission rates our services as ‘good’. We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers. The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special. As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job Overview

The post-holder will be expected to carry out an assessment and formulate a plan of care for service users who are experiencing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia or challenging behaviour in the context of mental illness. They will coordinate a defined caseload comprising people with a diagnosis of dementia who are experiencing Behavioural and Psychological symptoms associated with the illness. This will include developing and evaluating care plans in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team. The post will have a key role in providing time-limited support to people with dementia, their carers and relatives, and will liaise with colleagues within primary care, community health and social care services, voluntary organisations and the wider mental health of older adults service, as appropriate.

Communications and Working Relationships

• People with dementia and their carers
• Multi-disciplinary team colleagues
• Private residential and nursing homes and day centres
• Community, day & in-patient services within the MHOA directorate

Main Duties of the Job

• To promote a holistic, person-centred assessment and formulation framework to local authority and private providers of older people’s care to support direct care staff in implementing the plan of care.
• To ensure that the care offered is evidence-based.
• To undertake comprehensive outcome monitoring of all referrals you see and your wider caseload.
• To coordinate a clinical caseload of service users with dementia, who could also experience comorbidity.
• To work in partnership with social care to provide information that can contribute to a review of service users' needs as required.
• To participate in Mental Health Act Assessments of service users as required.
• To effectively assess and manage complex psychiatric and physical health risks as required.

To develop and facilitate education/training opportunities to enhance the knowledge of private providers of residential/Nursing home care and to develop skills to promote positive care of service users with dementia, resulting in enhanced quality of life. Make use of practice-based training opportunities to increase the skills of staff working with clients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia or challenging behaviour in the context of mental illness. To work in a consultation role with service users, carers and staff. To provide consultation and supervision to stakeholders and associated professionals about behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia or challenging behaviour in the context of mental illness issues, whilst utilising a team approach to support this work.

• To maintain accurate clinical documentation as per the Trust policy.
• To input data concerning clinical activity and ensure that entries are accurate and timely.
• To provide written reports as requested.
• Ensure effective verbal and written communication with all staff, service users, and carers to maximise user and carer involvement in the delivery of care and treatment.
• Liaise as required with other disciplines and organisations to ensure that all issues affecting client care are managed and communicated to a high standard.

To work in a manner that supports effective partnership working with all services that will enhance service user and carer interventions. Engage in joint clinical work with King's Health Partners. Act as a team resource for other agencies in the field of mental health and dementia care. Act as a role model and mentor to junior members of staff and learners. Develop effective relationships with key stakeholders in the in-patient unit and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies in the borough and operate in a way that promotes collaborative working. Ensure that service user and carer views are incorporated into the development of the service. Participate in setting standards and writing policies/protocols. Keep abreast of latest developments/guidance in dementia care and mental health.

• Contribute to clinical audit and outcome measures with the support of the MDT.
• Keep up to date with information and policy documents including legislation such as CPA, MCA, MHA, Health & Social Care Act and national policy that informs practice.
• Participate in audit and research.
• Attend meetings, forums and working groups as appropriate.

To ensure anti-discriminatory practice and value diversity, to actively support a team approach in promoting the workplace as a learning environment, ensuring best practice. To respond to complaints by other parties in line with the Trust policy. Ensure the confidentiality of information is always maintained in accordance with Trust policies and the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.

• To receive regular managerial supervision from the line manager and participate in the Trust appraisal system and PDP.
• Acknowledge their own limitations and identify their training and development needs with their line manager.
• Make effective use of supervision with their line manager on a regular and agreed basis, using reflective practice and recognising the emotional and mental effort required to fulfil the post.
• Manage own time efficiently.
• Undertake training and development as required in line with the responsibilities of the post and Trust policy.
• Account for one's own professional practice in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, and maintain the requirements for regular re-registration.

The requirements of all mental health legislation are met, with particular regard to the Mental Health Act 1983 (including amendments and Code of Practice) and Community Care Legislation (e.g. CPA, Supervision Registers and Supervised Discharge etc, and Child and Adult Protection). The post-holder will be responsible for taking immediate action to deal with any problem which might affect the service user, visitor or staff safety. This will involve liaison with the relevant Health and Safety Co-ordinator. All written and electronically stored information is accessible only to authorised personnel and is stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

Person Specification

• Qualifications: Registered Mental Health Nurse/Occupation Therapist ENB 998/Mentorship/Other relevant teaching qualification.
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Further training relevant to Older Adult Mental Health care.

Experience

• Community experience that is evidenced through the standard gateway.
• Experience of assessment and casework which meets the needs of older adults with mental health problems who are supported in the community.
• Experience of assessing and managing complex risk issues in the context of community work with people who have mental health problems.
• Experience of working with other client groups and of using a variety of models/approaches to care.

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of current issues in the care of older people with acute mental health problems within the community.
• Ability to manage own time effectively and to produce pieces of work on time and to a high standard.
• Recognition of own limitations, strengths and weaknesses and an ability to seek advice when necessary.
• Ability to gain easily the trust, confidence and respect of clients, their relatives and staff of a variety of levels and disciplines.
• Knowledge and/or experience of dementia care mapping, person centred care, working with diagnostic tools for memory problems and dementia.
• Training in psychological interventions.

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights.

We aim to put this commitment into practice by embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice. Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment. We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity.