Community Forensic Psychiatric Nurse - Milton Keynes

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• Physical Health Skills – Knowledge of common physical health conditions and their management, and an ability to monitor physical health conditions and wellbeing
• Knowledge of medications and their effects, including side effects and the management of side effects, including maintaining the safe custody and control of medication and administering and monitoring medication prescribed to service users.
• Discuss medication with service user and carers and offer information and advice.
• Work with patients who exhibit negative symptoms such as poor motivation
• Assisting patients to meet their activities of daily living and helping them to attain their optimum functional level
• Demonstrate a high level of personal skill and expertise in the delivery of care through individual and group work
• To liaise closely with the Forensic Pathway in-patient wards to support transition of care to the community.
• Have a comprehensive knowledge of existing resources available in the community and demonstrate effective use of these resources.
• Play a vital role in crisis intervention and be a link figure to the multi-disciplinary team operating in the Forensic Service.
• To work collaboratively and in partnership with other disciplines and agencies in meeting the needs of the patients, including consultation with partner agencies to support them with difficult to manage patients in risk formulation.
• Develop care plans to meet individual patient and their family/carers needs that are focussed on strengths, outcome based and promote service user empowerment to manage their health as much as possible.
• Demonstrate and develop excellent relational security skills for the purpose of robust risk assessment and management.
• Manage and prioritise clinical time and caseload effectively. Keep a diary of all visits, journeys and assessments on a daily basis and regularly update the team administrator any future activity.
• To demonstrate effective communication skills with people in an age appropriate way and those whose understanding may be impaired

General Provision of care and interventions

• Provide a comprehensive high standard of care to patients in the community, with the flexibility to work across the service’s geographical area when necessary.
• To carry out the role of Care Co-ordinator to an allocated number of service users and take responsibility for ensuring that patients care is assessed, planned, implemented and reviewed as part of the Care Programme Approach.
• To initiate and maintain good links with local authorities of the area of origin of ECR patients within the service.
• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team contributing to needs and risk assessments and planning of care and risk management as part of the Care Programme Approach.
• Participate in MDT caseload meetings and discuss clinical cases which may have implications for others on policy/departmental strategy etc.
• To ensure that recording data and information is managed in accordance with agreed protocols and to the required standards of both Social Care and NHS organisations and that records are safely kept within Caldicott principles.
• To work closely with a range of agencies including MAPPA, Ministry of Justice, probation, Victim Liaison Service, AMHTS and others to ensure there is a high standard of Multi-agency working and that this is represented within a service user’s treatment plan and care pathway.
• To produce reports for a variety of purposes and within the required deadlines, such as MHRT and section 117 after care.
• To work at all times with regard to the Department’s Equal Opportunities policies, and to support and promote anti-discriminatory practise and initiatives.

Education

• Use reflective practice in enhancing clinical work.
• Provide supervision and support as required to other team members.
• Keep abreast of relevant legislative policies and best practices guidelines and ensure that they are implemented and operated correctly.
• Participate in clinical audit and research so that practice and skills are enhanced.

Other

• Be aware of the legal and statutory implications of visiting patients in their place of residence in the community.
• Act as an advocate for the patient’s needs and rights. 
• Act in the role of an ‘Appropriate Adult’, representing the interests of the patients within the legal system, when required.
• Take an active role in the formulation of nursing procedures and practices for patient care in the community.
• Have a working knowledge of policies and legislation relating to health, safety and security for health care staff. 
• Be fully conversant with the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Code of Practice.
• To apply highly specialist skills and knowledge in order to establish professional competence and fitness to practice.
• To travel out of area when required.

Clinical Governance:

• To collect and present statistical and performance related information as required.
• To initiate and participate in clinical governance and audit activities as required by the service and Trust.
• In conjunction with the SCFT Manager to establish and monitor professional and clinical standards and to take action to raise standards where necessary.
• To participate in and support research projects in the Trust and to develop individual research initiatives as appropriate and agreed with the Team Manager.
• In conjunction with clinical colleagues, to evaluate the service provision.
• To take a role in the development of evidence-based services and specialist programmes for this care group.
• To develop and provide a quality needs led service as part of the multi-disciplinary team in order to meet the needs of service users.

These duties are not meant to be exhaustive. The postholder will therefore be expected to adopt a flexible attitude as duties may have to be varied (after discussion) and in keeping with the general profile of the post, dependent on the needs of the Service.