Job Description
We are currently looking for a Band 4 Assistant Practitioner to work in the Morpeth area.
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Assistant Practitioner will deliver elements of health and social care in domains that have previously only been within the remit of registered professionals.
They will contribute to the development and implementation of collaborative, needs based care plans. They will be skilled in taking appropriate action(s) to achieve the planned outcome guided by standard operating procedures and protocols.
They will deliver clinical care under in-direct supervision and guidance from a registered practitioner and as a lone worker where appropriate undertaking delegated tasks within competency boundaries.
They will provide support for registered nurses in the maintenance of a safe clinical environment providing excellent and effective person-centred nursing care
They are visible and accessible to patients, families and carers working together to ensure efficient, effective, and caring services.
They will contribute to achieving all performance indicators, essential standards and quality outcomes
They will support the induction, training, education and assessment of trainee or new assistant practitioners, students and clinical support workers. This may include leading and co-ordinating a team of support workers.
They will where appropriate undertake the on-going supervision and delegation of the routine work of support workers guided by standard operating procedures and protocols
They will actively promote service users health and well- being by planning and delivering therapeutic interventions to promote leisure, social and occupational activities, monitoring of physical health, psychological interventions as appropriate to the clinical area.
They will provide compassionate care that is based on empathy, kindness, respect and dignity.
COMMUNICATION & RELATIONSHIPS
Provide and receive complex difficult and sensitive information, which may be in a challenging and emotive atmosphere.
Communicate and collaborate with clinical nurse lead, ward manager, peers, medical staff, patients, families and carers, general public, external agencies, voluntary agencies, GP’s, other regional NHS Trusts.
Listen to services users and carers to promote and practise shared decision making
Collaborate with service user/carer groups and representatives to promote service improvement and development.
Contribute to ward meetings.
Prepare and present accurate reports both verbal and written.
Adopt and oversee accurate, robust and high standard of record keeping and validate own and junior staffs progress notes, once deemed competent to do so. Participate in multi-disciplinary reviews, daily reviews and handovers.
Communicate with service users and carers in order to positively develop therapeutic relationships
Develop effective interpersonal skills in managing conflict and resolution
Adopt a common sense approach to confidentiality
Promote and practice a culture of compassion where relationships are based on empathy, kindness, respect and dignity
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Foundation Degree, Higher Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care or a level 4 equivalent qualification such as a foundation degree in a relevant health related subject
Experience of working with service users with complex mental health needs or learning disabilities
Demonstrate an awareness of Mental Health legislation
Attend training relevant to the post to achieve competency
Complete the Assistant Practitioner Competency Assessment Document
PLANNING AND ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
Assist in coordinating daily routines and activities
Plan straightforward tasks and work guided by standard operating procedures and protocols
Organise own time on a daily basis ensuring the completion of delegated work
Contribute to the planning of the future delivery of inpatient services
Provide on-going supervision of routine work of others and make suggestions for improvements to outcomes
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PATIENT/CLIENT CARE
Deliver and maintain high standards of clinical care and contribute to achieving the Care Quality Commission Essential Standards. They will identify any circumstances or practices which may compromise standards, quality of care and/or patient safety and report to the ward manager.
Advocate and maintain a philosophy of care which is person/carer centred, maintaining dignity and independence and consistently right for that person at that time
Contribute to the implementation of care delivery systems and where appropriate supervise others in delivering therapeutic interventions to both individuals and groups.
Assist in the development of individual plans of care based on a person centred assessment.
Implement care plans for service users demonstrating ability to evaluate outcomes in terms of planned approaches used
Deliver therapeutic clinical based interventions and facilitate activities which meet individual needs embracing equality and diversity. The Assistant Practitioner role may encompass delivery of care to patients with more complex needs.
Carry out observations on patients, recognising, recording and reporting any adverse signs to registered practitioner
Support service users and carers following critical incidents and difficult situations
Adhere and contribute to risk management systems
Provide advice and guidance related to the promotion of service user’s health and well being
Inform qualified nurse of any changes that effect services users health and wellbeing.
Engage in regular family/carer contact/support to encourage collaborative decision making.
Challenge practice which may be out-dated or no longer appropriate by developing effective change management strategies to continuously improve practice and service provision.
Have courage to speak out challenge and act when things feel wrong.
Assist the service user to access appropriate community services
POLICY AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
Implement Trust policies
Contribute to achieving all required Trust Quality & Performance objectives
Maintain Health and Safety Standards using existing mechanisms e.g. Clinical Risk Assessment, Environmental Risk Assessment, Moving and Handling, COSHH.
Contribute to developing, delivering and maintaining the Ward Operational Policy.
Participate in a review of service provision.
FREEDOM TO ACT
Act within Trust Policies.
Work to the scope of practice set out in this job description and will be accountable for their own work as well as to their supervisor and their service users/ carers.
Be required to work without direct supervision and will also be expected to use own initiative with duties assigned by nurse in charge
Work within the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adults Social Care Workers in England
Be required to action certain critical / emergency situations in line with policy procedures without the guidance of the nurse in charge until assistance can be gained.
Use own discretion and judgement for problem solving, accessing support, advice and supervision from nurse in charge
WORKING CONDITIONS
Regular exposure to body fluids
Verbal aggression from service users can occur most days, several times per shift, depending on service user group
Physical aggression from service users is a potential hazard because of unpredictable nature of service user group.
The post holder may be required to work within different areas across the Trust
Exposure to constant and excessive noise.
SAFEGUARDING
Every employee has a responsibility for safeguarding and protecting adults and children from abuse, regardless of the setting in which the care takes place. It is every employee’s responsibility to be aware of relevant Trust Policies. All employees should take part in training in order to maintain their skills. Front line practitioners should access regular supervision and support in line with local procedures.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Contribute to maintaining a safe environment of care through effective risk management. Identify risks and develop appropriate strategies to manage the risks including responding appropriately to untoward/emergency situations.
TRUST CLINICAL GOVERNANCE STRATEGY
It is the responsibility of all health care professionals to play an active role in delivering the clinical governance agenda. There is a specific responsibility for individual health care professionals to be involved in auditing their own and their team’s clinical performance, and to engage in activities, which continuously improve, the quality of services they provide.
Information of a Confidential Nature or Access to Confidential Information
“To be aware of the nature of information dealt within the NHS and to work in a manner which ensures confidentiality and security of this information”
INFECTION CONTROL
All Trust staff (clinical and non-clinical, including locum and agency staff employed by external contractors) have a personal responsibility to ensure the risk of infection to themselves, service users and visitors is minimised by ensuring that they (1) are familiar and adhere to, current Trust policy and guidance on infection prevention and control, (2) participate in the Trusts induction programme and statutory/required training in infection prevention and control and (3) consider infection prevention and control as part of their appraisal and/or personal development plans’.
CALDICOTT RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Justify the purpose (s) of every proposed use or transfer – every proposed use or transfer of patient-identifiable information within an organisation should be clearly defined and scrutinised, with continuing uses regularly reviewed by an appropriate guardian.
- Don’t use it unless it is absolutely necessary – Patient-identifiable information should not be used unless there is no alternative, where this is the case permission should be obtained.
- Use the minimum necessary – Where use of patient-identifiable information is considered to be essential, each individual item of information should be justified with the aim of reducing identification.
- Access should be on a strict need-to-know basis – Only those individuals who need access to patient-identifiable information should have access to it, and they should only have access to the information items that they need to see.
- Everyone with access to it should be aware of their responsibilities – Action should be taken to ensure that those handling patient-identifiable information are aware of their responsibilities and obligations to respect patient confidentiality.
- Understand and comply with the law – Every use of patient-identifiable information must be lawful. Each department must have someone responsible for ensuring that the organisation complies with legal requirements.
ACCESS TO CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:
To be aware of the nature of information dealt with within the NHS, and to work in a manner which ensures confidentiality and security of this information.
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities of the post and the post holder may be requested to carry out any other duties appropriate to the grade or post.
The post may change over time to meet organisational requirements and the job description may be changed after consultation with the post holder at any time.
Salary: £21,892 – £24,157