Community Mental Health Nurse (Autonomous) – Part Time in Whitby

An exciting 12-month secondment opportunity has arisen for a kind, enthusiastic and self-motivated Band 5 Community Registered Nurse (part time - 22.5 hours per week) to join our friendly and dedicated colleagues at The Anchorage Clinic in Whitby. Whitby Community Mental Health and Memory Team provides mental health services and delivers care to older adults across Whitby town and the surrounding rural area.

This is an opportunity to work as part of a well-established multi-disciplinary team. As an autonomous nurse you will have a genuine interest in collaborative working with older people, carers and families experiencing functional mental health and memory problems. As a core member of the team, you will be responsible for your own caseload, providing care co-ordination and delivering intervention in the community with people who have mild to moderate level of need.

You will demonstrate excellent assessment skills, interpersonal, and team working skills and be able to work collaboratively with a range of statutory and third sector agencies. We need a person who can demonstrate passion and commitment to mental health issues, along with working flexibly as part of a team. You will receive regular support and supervision from the management and clinical leadership team.

This post is not open to Newly Registered Nurses; candidates must have their NMC registration in place and successfully completed the preceptorship programme in order to be considered.

As a named worker/care coordinator you will be expected to hold a case load of patients, to be able to deliver care to meet the identified patients needs autonomously and with the support from the MDT and support the patient journey from referral to discharge. In the role you will be responsible for making the initial contact to support service users and their families and carers in their understanding of the dementia care pathway.

You will undertake a detailed history using a holistic memory assessment framework, with the initial collation of all clinically relevant individual service user information (clinical history) and involving families and carers as part of our genuine commitment to co-creation. In this way you will promote positive experience and clinical outcomes from the beginning of the person's service journey.

There is a requirement to accurately record and document clinical discussions and assessment details on our patient record system and to ensure that all individual service user documentation is up to date and available to inform internal clinical meetings and aid consistent, safe and high quality decision making by members of the MDT and wider colleagues.

You will have an enthusiastic approach towards your own personal and professional development. In return, you will receive regular appraisal, clinical, management, caseload supervision and will benefit from the support of an experienced and committed multi-disciplinary leadership team.

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby. From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care -- our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. However, sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements, therefore, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position.

• Manage your own caseload, acting as named worker and coordinating care across services.
• Carry out non-complex assessments with patients experiencing memory loss or mild cognitive impairment.
• Complete comprehensive mental health and risk assessments for older adults using structured clinical assessment of a patient's current psychological functioning, covering appearance, behaviour, speech, mood, thought processes, and cognition.
• Develop, implement, and review person-centred care plans in collaboration with patients and carers.
• Identify, assess, and manage risks, including raising and progressing safeguarding concerns appropriately.
• Provide therapeutic support, including psycho-education and anxiety management strategies.
• Monitor mental health medication, including effectiveness, side effects and adherence, and liaise with prescribers e.g. lithium and antipsychotic medications.
• Work closely within the multidisciplinary team and liaise with external agencies such as GPs and social care.
• Support and involve carers, offering guidance and signposting where appropriate.
• Respond to changes in mental state, prioritising risk and contributing to crisis planning and escalate when appropriate.
• Maintain accurate, clear and timely clinical documentation in line with professional standards.

The team provides a planned needs lead service Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. This is a community-based role that requires frequent travel to various locations over a large geographical area, including areas that are not accessible by public transportation. Due to the nature of the role, it is essential that applicants are able to travel independently across the locality and have access to a suitable vehicle for business purposes. If necessary, adjustments can be considered in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Qualifications:

• Current professional registration with Nursing & Midwifery Council RNMH or RNLD (RNSC - CAMHS only) - RGN (If appropriate).
• To be recognised practice assessor / mentor or work towards in an agreed timescale.
• Trained Clinical Supervisor or work towards in an agreed timescale.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.

Experience:

• Working with people with mental ill health / learning disabilities.
• Working in a person centred therapeutic organisation.
• Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers.
• Working in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Working in partnership with other agencies.

Knowledge:

• Evidence based knowledge of best practice in caring for patients in the designated field.
• Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).
• Understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice.
• Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.
• Clinical Governance and its application in practice.
• Confident working knowledge of clinical medicines management, including administration of injections.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.