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Memory Nurse

Employer
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Location
Watford
Salary
£32,306 to £39,027 a year per annum pro rata
Closing date
11 Aug 2022

View more

Profession
Nurse
Grade
Band 6
Hours
Full Time
Due to exploring new options to provide assessment of dementia for people within Hertfordshire, we are looking to recruit Mental Health Nurses to work in our Early Memory Diagnosis and Support Service (EMDASS) until 31st March 2023.

We have one post based in Watford and one post based in Stevenage. Our Watford team have clinics in Hertsmere Borough, Three Rivers District and Watford Borough. Our Stevenage team have clinics in North Hertfordshire District and Stevenage Borough.

Main duties of the job

As part of the EMDASS team you will work with a range of other professionals including Psychiatrists, Occupational Therapists and Psychologists to assess individuals with memory problems and early stage dementia. Your work will use your expert clinical assessment skills within a clinic setting or in people's own homes to assist with the assessment of dementia. The work will also involve the support of individuals who have recently been diagnosed with dementia. As a team we regularly hold teaching and reflective sessions and look to embed an open culture of learning through our governance. You will have regular supervision, and an appraisal that looks to support your development.

As this is a fixed term/ secondment until the end of March 2023, it would be an ideal opportunity for Nurses that wish to explore whether a career in a dementia diagnosis is for you.

If you are passionate about caring for people with dementia in the community, we are the right team for you.

The core hours for the team are Monday to Friday 9-5. We may be able to offer flexible working patterns.

Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just fivemental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.

The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Our Trust values are:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!

Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?

Then please read on...

Job description Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

The post holder is required to take responsibility for the assessment of care needs (including assessment of cognition), the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care and the setting of standards of care and management within EMDASS, including liaison with other agencies and, where appropriate, the supervision, development and teaching of staff and/or students. The post holder will act as care co-ordinator to a case load of service users, ensuring the care plan is met at all times. To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.

As a staff member you are representatives of Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) and play a vital role in fostering positive relationships and communication between the Mental Health Trust and not only the service users and their carers and relatives, but also other agencies, charities and providers.

All staff should comply with the Trusts Anti-Discriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct and Equality and Diversity.

Job Responsibilities:

The post holder will:
  • Be responsible for the full assessment of care needs and risk assessment of service users presenting with cognitive problem. Following this the post holder will discuss their findings in the multidisciplinary team meeting and be responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, without direct supervision (though clinical supervision is implemented as per policy to support you)
  • To be named care coordinator, and act accordingly when applying care
  • To manage one self in a professional manner, responding to requests, enquiries etc in a timely fashion
  • To respond to any crisis that a service user may advise of, with the aim of promoting independent living in the community, utilising the Community Team as required
  • Work with the philosophy to support service users to remain in their own home
  • Administer and/ or supervise medications as required. To have a sound knowledge of medications and their desired and undesired effects, and be able to readily advise people and their families
  • Be required to provide education sessions for all professions (including partner agencies) formally and informally
  • Be required to provide education, advise and guidance to service users and their carers and families
  • Provide a range of clinical interventions and treatments appropriate to the individuals needs
  • Participate fully in providing quality care in line with local and national guidelines
  • Act as a role model in providing a service for people with mental health problems
  • Initiate and participate in audit/research projects associated with the service
  • Be required to challenge practice that compromises or challenges high quality care to older peopl
  • To advise Team Manager of any resource short falls
  • To partake in continuing professional development that will also benefit the development and quality of the service (including non medical prescribing
  • Remain updated with local and national guidelines and policies
  • Partake in home visits as a lone worker, or with other professionals such as Consultant Psychiatrist, Specialty Doctors, Social Workers etc
  • Partake in clinical and management supervision

Working Relationships and Communication Requirements of the Job

Working relationships
  • As the post holder will be working within the community most of the time, they will need to be establishing and maintaining positive relationships with people, agencies, charities and other providers whom also provide services to Older People in that community area. These relationships are vital and team members should bear in mind that they will be representing HPFT
  • Close working relationships should be developed with other parts of HPFT notably Crisis teams, Intensive Outreach Team and SMHTOPs; as well as Hertfordshire County Councils Health and Community Services.

Communication requirements

The post holder will
  • Have high level of competency to receive and give clinical information verbally and in writing from/ to those receiving care, their families/carers and professional colleagues
  • Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills, self-awareness and empathy in all communications
  • Ensure adherence to all aspects of patient confidentiality, documentation and record keeping according to Trust and national guidelines
  • Will have the ability to communicate clearly and sensitively in complex and emotional situations
  • Will have an ability to negotiate and problem solve in contentious and /or antagonistic situations where agreement is required. When agreement cannot be reached to communicate clear and rationale decision
  • Will have the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues within the all agencies whom they encounter to the benefit of the client and the service.

Clinical Responsibility

In addition to Job Responsibilities above, the post holder will
  • Carry out specialist mental health, social care and cognitive assessments. Develop, implement, evaluate and document specialist care. This will include frequent requirement for intense concentration
  • Devise care plans that promote patients independent living in the communit
  • Complete risk assessments that are clear, concise and detail plans to safely manage any risks that are identifie
  • Use a variety of clinical skills appropriate to the needs of the individual and the clinical setting in which they are seen.
  • To provide ongoing interventions for people where assessment indicates this to be relevant to their needs
  • Where indicated by assessment to discharge with appropriate care provisions and follow-up, with future review dates booked as appropriate
  • Demonstrate a high standard of record keeping and documentation with adherence to Trust policie
  • Work with colleagues to develop and promote the services philosophy, framework of care delivery and strategic objectives
  • Contribute to Mental Health/ Dementia strategy discussions/steering groups when requested by senior management
  • Work with colleagues to develop and demonstrate clinical expertise and high standards of mental health practice
  • Deliver care that is person centred reflecting current best practice, and challenges practice that may be detrimental to older people receiving high quality care
  • Demonstrate extensive understanding of the legal and ethical issues in providing dementia care. In particular having a good knowledge of the National Dementia Strategy
  • Complete PREP as defined by NMC.

Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility

The post holder will:
  • Plan and organise their diaries, prioritise duties, and coordinate the care of the service users for whom they are allocated
  • Give due regard to the health and safety, well-being and interests of those who come in to contact with the team professionally
  • Supervise, monitor and appraise the performance of staff and/ or service, as requested by the Team Manager.

Financial responsibility
  • Report any activity that may be fraudulent
  • Be responsible for the completion of own extra duty and expenses claims.

Service Development and Improvement
  • Ensure that all policies applicable to EMDASS are implemented
  • To comment upon and propose changes to working practices and procedures relevant to EMDASS, and where requested by the Team Manager, implement changes.
  • To propose ideas for, and if accepted, complete audits relevant to the improvement of the teams clinical practice.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

The post holder will
  • Have extensive working knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity act, National Dementia Strategy and National Service Frameworks for Older People and Mental Health. The post holder will also have an understanding of the Safeguarding Adults procedures
  • Be required to make judgements involving highly complex facts and or situations which require analysis
  • Make judgements where the situation is not straightforward such as those where information is limited or difficult to obtain
  • Make judgements as to the best course of action where there are a range of options availabl
  • Assess or interpret information to make a judgement.
  • Make judgements where expert opinion may differ or be conflicting.

Planning and Organisational Skills

The post holder will
  • Demonstrate the ability to prioritise and organise case/ work load on a day to day basis
  • Ensure that the client is given high quality care at all times
  • Where necessary request assistance from colleagues
  • Represent the EMDASS at meetings etc as delegated by the Team Manager
  • When staff/students are attached to the team ensure that learning is facilitated to meet their needs.

Physical Working Conditions and Environment

The post holder will
  • Need to be able to drive to meetings /training off site and occasionally as required cover for colleagues on other sites.
  • Be required to spend increased amounts of time in the car driving to peoples own homes in order to undertake assessment/ intervention (this may include out of county locations)
  • Be able to input information using computer keyboard.
  • Be able to restrain people as necessary and maintain training for such as per HPFT policies/procedures.
  • Be able to work in an environment that is at times extremely busy and demanding.

Information Resources

The post holder will
  • Be expected to maintain a record of hours worked and to time owing monthly.
  • Maintain up to date electronic records of people that the post holder has had contact with.
  • Audit activity as required.


Person Specification KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE Essential
  • Degree, diploma or equivelant in Nursing (Mental Health Nursing)
  • Registration with Nursing and Midwifery C

    Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

    367-EAN-6210

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