Community Assistant Practitioner - Diabetes

Praising NCH&C’s “compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels”, the CQC observed that our staff are well supported to make positive changes and innovations.

The trust offers a range of flexibility, including flexible working patterns, and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.

We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community.

Job overview

We are a team of highly skilled, motivated individuals, each offering their own areas of expertise and we pride ourselves on delivering high standards of care at all times, while embracing change and innovation. As a team we are consistently looking at ways to improve the delivery of care we provide and educational support to other health care providers.

Please Specify within your application your 1^st and 2^nd preference for North Norfolk or Norwich.

• You will work within the Diabetes Team providing knowledge and skills.
• You will be managing your own caseload assigned by the Diabetes Specialist Nurse.
• You will be responsible for carrying out diabetes reviews, venepuncture, foot checks, education, and continuous glucose monitoring and application.
• The role will include health education to the service users, their families, carers', and other agencies involved in their care management.
• The role requires flexible working.
• The successful candidate will hold a full UK driving license and have access to their own vehicle as you will be required to travel independently around the county.
• To contribute to the delivery of high standards of health care to patients within their own homes, care homes, the travelling community and in clinics, by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating packages of care.
• To work under the supervision of Diabetes Specialist Nurse to assess and review patients with diabetes to optimise treatment regimes, including but not exclusive to, educating in insulin self-management, supporting assessment through use of Libre device and undertaking diabetic foot checks.

Working for our organisation

Apply now to join an organisation that has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest possible rating and the first stand-alone NHS community trust in the country to be awarded the title.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

The post holder will:

1. Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
2. Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
3. Apply competency-based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed treatment/care plan.
4. Modify and progress intervention / treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
5. Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
6. Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
7. Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
8. Make basic judgements on patients’ response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
9. Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented in personal work diary.
10. Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
11. Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
12. Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patient’s co-operation in their treatment/care/management plan.
13. Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately.
14. To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
15. Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
16. Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
17. Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers, passive exercises.
18. Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
19. Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
20. Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
21. Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required.
22. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
23. Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general house keeping tasks.
24. Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
25. Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
26. Demonstrate basic IT and standard keyboard skills.

Professional

The post holder will:

1. To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at and participation in staff meetings, training sessions, courses and reflective practice.
2. To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee, maintaining a dynamic personal development plan.
3. To demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situations.
4. To provide peer support to other carers.
5. To develop competencies to enhance practice and ability to meet needs of patients and the service.

1. To establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers, incorporating motivation, encouragement and confidence building.
2. To demonstrate an ability to communicate with patients/carers with complex needs, using clear and effective verbal/non-verbal communication.
3. To gather and collate information to enable co-ordinator to plan interventions/liaison with others.
4. To provide direct feedback to professionals as appropriate, and in a clear and concise way.
5. To contribute to accurate and timely patient records, including data collection.
6. To communicate and share information with DN’s, GP’s and SW’s as necessary.
7. Be able to communicate effectively with patients/relatives with communication difficulties i.e. deafness, blindness, learning difficulties.
8. To provide feedback to co-ordinator in a clear and concise way.

Organisational

The post holder will:

1. Undertake mandatory training as required.
2. Participate in a Personal Development Review process.
3. Undertake Personal Development Plans for more junior staff members.
4. Take part in clinical supervision as per Trust Policy.
5. Follow Trust policies, and local procedures.
6. Ensure absence reporting is undertaken as determined by Team Leader and Trust Policy.
7. Contribute to clinical audit as required
8. Complete the staff survey as required.
9. Complete risk assessments and incident forms as required.

• May be required to undertake surveys or audits, as necessary to own work; may occasionally participate in R&D, clinical trials or equipment testing.

• Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Rigorous recruitment checks are carried out and where applicable to the role successful applicants will be required to undertake a criminal records check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

• Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust staff are responsible for protecting themselves and others against infection risks. All staff regardless of whether clinical or not are expected to comply with current infection control policies and procedures and to report any problems with regard to this to their managers. All staff undertaking patient care activities must attend infection control training and updates as required by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.

Health and Safety

1. To ensure that the Trust’s Health and Safety Policies are understood and observed and that procedures are followed.
2. To ensure the appropriate use of equipment and facilities and the environment is maintained in good order.
3. To take the necessary precautions to safeguard the welfare and safety of themselves, patients, staff and visitors, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
4. To undertake appropriate Health and Safety training to support safe working practice including, where appropriate, its management.

General

1. Maintain appropriate patient and clinical records in line with the Trusts policies and procedures, and in line with the agreed service specification.
2. The post holder will be expected to participate in an annual appraisal of their work where the job description will be reviewed and objectives set. In line with the annual personal development plan the post holder will be expected to undertake any training or development required to fulfil their role.
3. Ensure that all patients, clients and colleagues are treated at all times in an equitable manner, respecting diversity and showing an understanding of diversity in the workplace.
4. The post holder must carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Policies, Procedures and Schemes and must ensure that equality is promoted at all times.

Person specification

Qualifications

• NVQ 3 or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Foundation degree programme or equivalent demonstrable knowledge and skills acquired
• Experience of working in health setting or social care setting
• Good general education

Other

• Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language
• Must have a full UK driving license and have access to a vehicle
• Be able to kneel, bend & stoop, and work in cramped environments, manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg and manoeuvre patients using handling aids
• Professional apperance
• Able to manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg
• Able to manoeuvre patients using handling aids
• Be reliable

Personal and People Development

• Ability to manage stressful situations
• A team player
• Awareness of own limitations
• Good organisational skills
• Open to change and development

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

• Knowledge of additional specialist areas through in-house training & short courses
• Good communication skills
• Highly motivated

• Experience of working in a community setting
• Knowledge of multi-disciplinary team roles

Communication

• Tact & Diplomacy
• Ability to use own initiative
• Empathy and sensitivity
• Able to communicate effectively using the English language in both verbal and written forms

Experience

• Experience of working with people, in the statutory/voluntary/private sector
• Evidence of ongoing learning
• Experience of working with people at the End of life
• Literacy skills

• Experience of working with people within their own homes

Personal Attibutes / Behaviours

• Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults
• Able to show initiative
• Able to work alone
• Assertive
• Good listening skills

All sites are Smoke Free.

If you are an applicant from outside the UK and do not already hold a self-gained right to work, we recommend you check the Home Office eligibility requirements before making an application.

Please note: Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for some job roles, and this will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any job application on the Trac recruitment system.

Redeployment - Please note that in the first instance priority for this vacancy will be given to NCH&C staff who are on the Trusts Redeployment Register.

However if you are registered with the update service this may not be required.

Closing and Interview Dates -This vacancy may close early if sufficient applicants are received.

Data Protection - A privacy notice detailing how we will handle your data is attached to this advert as a document. Your application will be transferred to our recruitment management system (Trac) once the advert has closed and you will receive notification then detailing how Trac will handle your data.