We are currently looking for a Band 6 Senior Community Practitioner to work in the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale areas of North Yorkshire.

Job Title:	Community Senior Practitioner
Band:	6
Locality:	As designated (D&D, Tees or NY)
Service:	Adult Mental Health
Accountable to:	Locality Manager or Assistant Locality Manager (where applicable)
Responsible to:	Community Team Manager
Responsible for:	Day to day supervision of the clinical team

Job Summary
To improve the lives of people with mental ill health by minimising the impact of their condition through the delivery of excellent services to promote recovery and well-being.
To be compassionate in meeting the needs of patients and their carers.
To work as part of a community team which may be integrated, working collaboratively and in partnership with local authority services.
To be professionally accountable and responsible for patient care, undertaking a range of clinical/therapeutic interventions in patients’ homes and other community settings.
To act as lead professional or care co-ordinator as appropriate.
To promote social inclusion, community access and participation through the provision of patient care.
To facilitate others in the team to develop competence by providing leadership, day to day supervision, clinical advice and clinical supervision to registered healthcare professionals as appropriate, associate practitioners, community support workers and students.
To be committed to and take a lead role in activities integral to the Trust’s Quality Improvement System.
To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental ill health.
To promote at all times a positive image of the Adult Mental Health Service and the wider Trust.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities, Patient Contact
Promotes and maintains safety, privacy and dignity of all patients in the delivery of patient centred care, recognising and respecting differences including spiritual and cultural beliefs
Takes steps to obtain patient consent to care and treatment in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act, ensuring that patients who lack mental capacity remain at the centre of decision-making and are fully safeguarded.
Acts, wherever applicable, in accordance with the Mental Health Act and associated policies and procedures.

Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of patient harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical practice, reporting all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the patient. Responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk.
Responsible for ensuring the highest professional standards and attitudes towards the care of patients are maintained at all times and that care is delivered in accordance with evidence based practice by all members of the team. Patients have a range of mental health conditions, may demonstrate behaviours that challenge and may have difficult family situations of relevance.
Provides clinical advice on complex issues to other members of the clinical team and staff from other disciplines.
Responsible for the initial assessment of new patients on a rota basis.
Has responsibility for own caseload of complex patients and takes responsibility as lead professional or care co-ordinator as appropriate.
Assesses patients including those with complex needs and develops, implements and evaluates intervention plans as part of the multi-disciplinary team, with the involvement of the patient and where appropriate, their carer.
Ensures intervention plans are based on current risk assessment, evidence based practice, critical thinking and whole system support requirements that take account of relevant physical, social, cultural, psychological, spiritual, genetic and environmental factors.
Undertakes risk assessments in accordance with the Trust’s Clinical Risk Assessment and Management Policy, devising and implementing actions and intervention plans which take the risk formulation fully into account.
May be required to accompany and provide support to patients within a variety of community settings, dependent on current risk assessment. This may include social inclusion/community integration/transfer to and from appropriate areas e.g. acute hospitals, police stations etc.
Where professionally appropriate may be responsible for the safe transport and administration of medicines in accordance with Trust policy, legal requirements and NMC guidance, Administers intramuscular injections. May be a non-medical prescriber.
Supports individual patients and their families/carers in the community, providing advice and liaising with other support services to co-ordinate individual support packages.
Provides health education and advice on health promotion to patients and their carers.
Responsible for decision making and coordination in a crisis situation, where necessary seeking advice and guidance from other relevant professionals.
Carries out venepuncture as required, if trained.

Demonstrates safe moving and handling of patients using equipment as required.
Demonstrates safe breakaway techniques in the management of violence and aggression as required.
Where appropriate and with authorisation, acts as an advocate for patients/carers.
Attends Mental Health Act tribunals.
Participates in the duty rota as required.

Administrative Responsibilities
Undertakes administrative tasks in relation to own work
Uses Microsoft Office applications
Uses Trust-approved electronic systems as required e.g. ESR, Datix, CRS, IIC etc.

Responsibility for Information Systems
Responsible for the maintenance of accurate and comprehensive patient records by self and others, using PARIS, or other electronic systems approved by the Trust, in accordance with the Trust and professional record keeping standards.
Uses clustering tools, related assessments and other performance measures accurately, as a key part of the Payment by Results system to facilitate clinical reporting, monitoring and improvement activities.
Writes reports for Mental Health Act tribunals as required.

Responsibility for Planning/Organising & Strategic/Business Development
Plans own and others workload, managing competing demands to ensure care is delivered according to clinical priority.
Delegates tasks to members of the clinical team whose competence has been established whilst maintaining professional accountability and ensuring their work meets required care standards.
Undertakes care co-ordination.
Plans training and appraisals for members of the clinical team.
Contributes to the business planning process as a member of the team.

Policy Development
As a member of working groups, proactively engages in or leads the development of local policies and procedures.
Responsible for ensuring robust implementation, monitoring and evaluation of new or revised policies and procedures in the workplace.
As a member of working groups, may contribute to the development of policies which impact across other services.

Service Development, Project Management
Uses the techniques of the Trust’s Quality Improvement System to facilitate continual safety and quality improvement activities as part of the community team or special interest group.
May participate in or lead local projects to develop services to meet the changing needs of the patient group.
May participate in service improvement projects which impact across other services.
Financial Responsibilities
May handle patient cash or cheques in the course of community activities.
Monitors and requests re-ordering of stock as required.
May be an authorised signatory for petty cash expenditure.
Drafts applications for Continuing Health Care Funding (for authorisation by others). Attends Continuing Healthcare panels with the team manager. Supports patients in accessing alternative funding streams.

Responsibility for Physical Resources, Estates, Hotel Services
Ensures all equipment is used safely and effectively by self and staff, following manufacturer’s instructions, and immediately reporting any defects in accordance with local procedures.
Ensures that available resources are used efficiently and effectively by self and staff.
Responsible for the safe custody and storage of drugs in accordance with Trust policies, as applicable.

Research and Audit
Keeps up to date with new developments in the field, evaluating available research and disseminating information to inform evidenced based practice.
Maintains a personal professional portfolio of learning activity in compliance with registering body requirements.
Leads practice development initiatives within the team.
In conjunction with the team manager, sets and monitors quality standards for clinical work, reports outcomes and proposes action plans to address areas of concern, facilitating implementation and evaluation of agreed action plans.
Participates in and may lead research projects and complex audits using research methodology.

Staff Management, Training and Development, HR
Demonstrates clinical leadership through personal practice.
Responsible for day to day supervision of the clinical team including work allocation, checking record keeping and quality of care delivered and providing clinical advice and guidance as required.
Provides clinical supervision to members of the clinical team as professionally appropriate.
Provides preceptorship / mentorship to team members as appropriate.
May participate in the recruitment and selection of staff in the clinical team, following appropriate training.
Participates in the induction of new staff to the clinical area.
Provides training to all members of the clinical team, monitoring and evaluating learning outcomes, providing feedback and assessing competencies to facilitate learning in practice. Sign-off mentor / clinical educator for students as professionally appropriate
Provides training in relation to own work to GPs, statutory, private and voluntary providers of care and other primary care agencies as appropriate.

Communication
Communicates in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and their individual communication needs are met.
Communications with patients must at all times be safe (appropriate) in content,
effective and respectful and made compassionately and positively to minimise anxiety and distress related to their health and well-being.

Ensures that effective communication systems are maintained within the team and strengthens partnership links with GPs, social workers, local authorities, statutory, private and voluntary independent providers of care and other primary care agencies, attending multidisciplinary and other meetings as required.
Uses appropriate communication methods to ensure effective therapeutic engagement with patients including the giving and receiving of complex or sensitive information where understanding may be limited.
Communicates complex and sensitive information regarding patients’ needs and progress accurately and in a timely manner to their carers/relatives as appropriate having due regard for confidentiality at all times
Responsible for ensuring that communication with the public is professional and courteous at all times.
Resolves informal complaints effectively, avoiding escalation where possible and informs the team manager in a timely manner.
Participates in professional forums and special interest groups. May be a local team lead for an area of special interest.

Analysis and Judgement
Analyses and interprets a range of complex facts and situations when assessing patient conditions in order to develop appropriate intervention plans or to determine the best course of action in particular circumstances. Judgements may be required where there exists a range of options.
Decides when to escalate issues to more senior staff
Is aware of own limitations and scope of practice.
Responds appropriately to crisis situations, where necessary seeking advice and guidance from other senior professionals. Implements prescribed strategies/interventions to manage the crisis effectively and informs relevant staff in a timely manner.
Uses judgement when providing advice and guidance on complex clinical cases to other members of the clinical team and staff from other disciplines.
Responsible for maintaining appropriate boundaries with patients.

Personal Responsibilities
The post holder must:
Comply with the terms of the contract of employment, the Staff Compact and the Trust’s Statement of Values and Behaviours.
Be aware of, comply with and keep up to date with all Trust Policies and Procedures and other communications relevant to the role.
Maintain registration with the appropriate professional body where applicable and comply with the relevant code of conduct and standards of professional practice.
Fully participate in management, clinical and professional supervision sessions relevant to the role, as required by the Trust.
Fully participate in annual appraisal and appraisal reviews.
Maintain up to date knowledge and competency in the skills required to perform safely and effectively in the role. Undertake relevant training (including statutory and mandatory training) and be responsible for personal development agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the AFC Knowledge and Skills Framework.

General
The post holder must:
Comply with the Trust’s Information Governance Policies and maintain confidentiality of information at all times in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
Comply with the Trust’s Health and Safety Policy and risk management procedures and report as necessary any untoward incident or hazardous event in accordance with local procedure.
Carry out the duties of the post with due regard to the Equality and Diversity Policy.
Comply with the Trust’s Infection Control Policies as appropriate to the role.
Comply with the Safeguarding of Children and Adults policies and protocols as appropriate to the role.
Comply with the Behaviours that Challenge Policy as appropriate to the role.

Other requirements
The post holder may be required to undertake duties not specified in the job description, but which are commensurate with the role and/or band as required by
service need.

The post holder may be required to work in locations other than those specified in the job description as required by service need.
The post holder may be required to work flexible hours as required by service need.
There may be a requirement to change the job description in light of developing service needs.

Person Specification 

	Essential	Desirable
Qualifications	·      Current professional registration with an approved professional body.  ·      Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.  ·      For registered nurses: MIP, FLIP, ENB 998 Teaching & Assessing in Clinical Practice or City & Guilds 730 Teaching in Adult Education. Must be achieved within agreed timescale.  ·      Recognised sign-off mentor, clinical educator or equivalent. Must be achieved within agreed timescale.  ·      Key skills in literacy, numeracy and ITQ level 2 (or equivalent)	·     Leadership or management qualification  ·      Post-graduate qualification in a relevant area
Experience	·      Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a care environment.  ·      Working collaboratively with service users and their families/carers.  ·      Providing clinical supervision to individuals or groups as professionally appropriate.  ·      Mentoring or facilitating students on practice placement.  ·      Working in a multi-disciplinary team  ·      Quality improvement activities	·     Leadership or management experience  ·      Significant experience working with people with mental ill health in a community environment.
Knowledge	·      Demonstrable knowledge to post-graduate level of evidence-based practice in caring for patients in the designated field.  ·      Understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act).  ·      Care Programme Approach and its application in practice.  ·      Detailed understanding of Safeguarding and its application in practice.	·   The Trust’s Quality Improvement System (QIS)

 

	·      Clinical Risk Assessment and Management and its application in practice.  ·      Clinical Governance and its application in practice.  ·      Research and development methodology.  ·      Understanding of psychological models of care and treatment.
Skills	Must be able to:  ·      Provide leadership and monitor, co-ordinate and prioritise the activities of a team. ·      Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively to patients, carers/families and all members of the multidisciplinary team.  ·      Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake lead professional / care co-ordinator responsibilities  ·      Provide effective clinical supervision, teaching, training and assessing in clinical practice.  ·      Write reports.  ·      Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional settings.  ·      Use approved breakaway techniques.	·      Competency in venepuncture
Personal Attributes	·      Able to work in accordance with the Staff Compact and Trust Values and Behaviours.  ·      Compassionate in meeting the needs of vulnerable people and their families and carers.  ·      Able to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in distressing and challenging circumstances. ·      Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team  ·      Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently  ·      Committed to continual quality and service improvement  ·      Self-aware and committed to professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision
Other Requirements	·      Ability to travel independently in accordance with Trust policies and service need.  ·      This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check.

To stay safe in your job search and flexible work, we recommend that you visit JobsAware (www.jobsaware.co.uk), a non-profit, joint industry and law enforcement organisation working to combat labour market abuse. Visit the JobsAware website for information and to get free, expert advice for safer work.

We’re here to help – call us now 0191 284 7001