Community Learning Disabilities Nurse

Choose Well - Choose WWL

Job overview

This may include challenging behaviour, forensic needs, autism, mental health needs, terminal illness, communication needs, sexual health and health promotion needs. To be highly skilled at managing challenging behaviour of client and their family members at times of distress and crisis.

This post is open to qualified Learning Disability practitioners with substantial NHS Band 5 experience.

This is a permanent part time post (30 hours) to be worked across Monday to Friday.

Main duties of the job

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 ageing 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.

Working for our organisation

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

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

• 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.

• 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.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse Learning Disability (Part 5 or Part 14 NMC Register) or BSc (Hons) Learning Disability Nursing and Social Work
• Mentorship qualifications or willing to undertake training

• BSc (Hons) Community Specialist Learning Disability Nursing or relevant Degree.
• Specialist Practitioner (Learning Disability)
• Health needs assessment for people with learning disabilities
• Mental capacity act training

Experience

• Significant post registration experience of working with children / adults with a Learning Disability
• Experience of working within a Multi-disciplinary Service / Team
• Experience and understanding of ordinary life models
• Demonstrate the ability to undertake ongoing theoretical / practical professional development according to Service needs.
• Ability to work in partnership with other agencies and positively influence others service delivery
• Experience of undertaking specialist assessments in relation to unmet health needs, mental health.

• Experience of project management / service improvement
• Experience of liaison with primary and secondary care to meet the health needs of people with learning disabilities
• Experience of implementing reasonable adjustments Experience of working in a Community team

Skills

• Assessment, planning, information analysis, intervention, evaluation of package of care.
• To be able to communicate effectively with patients who have expressive and receptive communication difficulties due to their learning disability.
• Self-motivated and good time management skills. An ability to organise and prioritise workload to ensure safe practice
• Implement policies and proposed changes to practice for own area
• Ability to organise & delegate to qualified/unqualified staff, Pre/Post Registration Nursing Students & in day to day practice.
• Ability to deliver training to staff, carers & wider services. To prepare and have presentation skills.
• To be able to communicate with families and carers, where highly sensitive information is provided and received.
• Ability to ensure safe practice, by clarifying level of role within organisation & seeking appropriate supervision & direction as required.

Knowledge

• • Knowledge of the safeguarding process
• • Knowledge of Learning Disability Team’s role and function
• • Awareness of current professional nursing issues and Regional, National Health Policy
• • Knowledge of Transforming Care Agenda and how this relates to the Learning Disabled population
• • Knowledge of implementing de-escalation techniques.
• • Specialist knowledge across range of procedures underpinned by theory

• Knowledge of current local and national guidance with regards to health needs assessment of people with learning disabilities.

Additional

• • Be able to travel independently around the borough
• • The ability to work flexibly in accordance with client and service needs
• • Awareness and experience of break away & De-escalation Techniques
• • Administration of Clinical Nursing Procedures e.g. blood pressure, etc.
• • Assessment of individual client Risk Assessment and adherence to Risk Management Guidelines
• • Exposure to verbal and physical aggression
• • Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation

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Recruitment Information for Candidates

Our Trust prefers candidates to submit applications online. Please contact the Recruitment Team on 01942 244000 if you have difficulty applying online.

The Trust reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated closing date if there is a high volume of applications.

We endeavour to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by email or SMS text message.

Guidance on Completing Your Application

Applications are scored against the person specification, therefore we recommend that you use the supporting information section of your application form to demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role, providing illustrative examples where possible.

On-Call

Please note that some roles may require you to participate in an on-call rota, if the role is predominantly operational.

Continuous Service

WWL has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. and will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester Local Authority or NHS organisation, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority; giving you access to our service-related benefits.