Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key results from the job holder

• To be a full and active member of a multidisciplinary all age service which focuses upon the health care needs of children, young people and adults who have a learning disability and unmet health needs.  This may include challenging behaviour, forensic needs, autism, mental health needs, terminal illness, communication needs, sexual health and health promotion needs. 
• The nurse will have a specific focus on providing specialised nursing assessments, planning intervention and evaluation of programmes of care for those individuals who require specialist support to access health services, those individuals who may be at risk of developing early aging conditions, those children, young people and adults who present with significant behavioural challenges and high dependency needs to themselves, their families and carers and services, and young people between the ages of 14 to 25 who are transitioning from children’s to adult services.
• To support primary care to manage appropriate cases within the primary care setting in collaboration with the Locality Hub services and to support appropriate referral to secondary services, under the direction of the Senior Management team.
• To effectively support the all age service model for children, young people and adults with Learning Disabilities.
• To provide formal, on-going clinical supervision and caseload management supervision to junior and less experienced community learning disability staff and students, as directed.
• To maintain effective case management of a clinical caseload within the Community Learning Disability Team in line with recommendations
•  To carry out all relevant forms of care without direct supervision and may be required to demonstrate procedures to and supervise and teach qualified and / or unqualified staff and pre-registration Nursing Students
• To accept responsibility for own professional practice as an accountable practitioner.
• To undertake Breakaway/Physical Intervention Techniques (Restrictive Physical Intervention) according to the Community Learning Disability Service Policy.
• To participate in the service Referral and Initial Assessment Process and Procedure
• To participate as an effective member of the MDT, undertaking referrals, direct liaison with Primary Care and Locality Hub to ensure identified needs of service users and their carer’s are met in a timely manner and in the most appropriate setting.
• Facilitate and maintain effective liaison with parents, other health professionals, social workers, primary care teams and any other relevant services to ensure intervention is consistent and co-ordinated, providing person centred care.
• To have responsibility and be professionally accountable for all aspects of assessment, implementation, evaluation for client specialist caseload, this would include requirement to undertake analysis of complex facts/situations directly related to client care.  Identify unmet health needs and undertake interventions/signpost to relevant services. Delegate as necessary to unqualified staff and refer onwards as per individual client need.
• To promote client self-care and independence towards an individual’s maximum optimal potential.
• To develop and deliver specific individualised focused training to staff / carers (paid/unpaid) / families and services that have a significant role in the delivery of care for the individual
• To participate in and assist in the co-ordination of supporting clients within a working week according to individual client’s needs.
• Maintain clear, comprehensive and contemporaneous clinical records on all patients in response to personally generated clinical observations, in accordance with professional standards and Trust policies.
• To be highly skilled at managing challenging behaviour of client and their family members at times of distress and crisis.
• To undertake safe practice by the assessment/implementation/evaluation of effective client Risk Assessment/Management.

Planning and Organisational Duties

•  To support the Learning Disability Senior Management Team in delivering the teams core functions
• To ensure safe practice by clarifying level of authority in role and seeking appropriate supervision and direction
• To adhere/practice as per the Community Learning Disability Service and Trust Policies Procedures, Protocols and provide comments on possible developments that involve the Community Learning Disability Team.
• To report financial and physical resource needs to the Senior Management Team.
• To be responsible for personal input of data to Systm1 (client activity) as per Service and Trust Policy.
• To ensure written communications are meaningful, relevant and timely in line with Service, Trust and Professional Guidelines and Practices.
• To accept responsibility for own professional practice as an accountable practitioner within Clinical Audit activity/research and development as agreed within the Service/ Trust.
• To demonstrate commitment to personal/professional development within Trust Clinical Governance Framework.
• To reflect on and evaluate on personal professional practice and client outcome experiences.
• To receive Clinical supervision, Care Management & appraisal from your Senior Manager

Communications and Key Working Relationships

• To plan and co-ordinate and lead client focused Multi-agency Meetings as required
• To be a full and active member of the multi-professional team including Nursing, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Assistant Practitioners, Nursing Associates, Support Workers, Apprentices and Admin. To work in partnership with Social Care, Council Services Secondary Care, Third Sector and Primary Care in the delivery of an integrated service that facilitates the wellbeing of service users.
• Prepare and present clinical reports as required.

Responsibility for Finance

• To be responsible for ensuring the effective selection and use of all treatment resources available both in the community.
• To operate efficiently and minimise waste of resources across all spheres of work.
• To advise the Team Leader on ordering, monitoring and maintaining equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties, and to adhere to departmental policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through, teaching, training and supervision of practice.

Responsibility for Human Resources

• To participate in the staff appraisal scheme and Personal Development Review (PDR) as both appraiser and appraisee.

Responsibility for Health & Safety

• Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 – the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. 

Responsibility for Teaching

• Deliver Service/organisational training to qualified/non-qualified staff as required.
• Assist in the facilitation of a supportive learning environment which enables the Team, Pre-registration students and the Nurse to develop.
• Act as preceptor/mentor and support other trained staff / nursing and therapy students accessing the wider service.
• Participate within the Induction Programme for new starters to the Team.
• Develop, review and update clinical assessments using research based evidence for use within recall clinic and as part of assessment process for all individuals identified in service.
• Update personal skills and attend study days relevant to own practice.
• Promote the Trust as a learning organisation.