Nursing Associate

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 4 Nursing Associate , to join the West End Primary Care Network (PCN) at the South Westminster Community Mental Health Hub at 190 Vauxhall Bridge Road based in Victoria, Central London. The West End PCN provides care to a diverse group of services users, who experience a range of mental health challenges.

Band 4 Nursing Associates work closely with people who use our Services, their families, friends and carers and play an important contribution in how people experience our services. Band 4 Nursing Associates are expected to:

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and be accountable to the registered nurses they work with
• Be accountable as professionals registered with the NMC and work to the Code for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates
• Promote health and prevent ill health
• Provide and monitor care
• Work to improve safety and the quality of care

As a Nursing Associate you may be expected to practice any of the skills listed in the NMC Standards of Proficiency skills annexes or be responsible for the care delivered to a number of service users but you will always be supervised by a registered nurse and receive support from the wider multi-disciplinary team. We believe that the best health care is delivered by multi-disciplinary teams working well together and in partnership with other teams and services to provide seamless care.

Main duties of the job
The post-holder will be responsible for delivering a high standard of care, including various physical health checks to service users under the care of the South Westminster Community Mental Health Hub.

The post-holder will also be expected to support the wider team to ensure that we can deliver excellent care to our service users.

About us
The West End PCN mental health team is made up of highly motivated and passionate staff with extensive experience and expertise in mental health. The team is friendly, committed and dedicated to continually developing the role of the Nursing Associate.

Central and North West London NHS Trust expects all Band 4 Nursing Associates to act in a way which shows you understand our core values and are willing to put them into practice with service users, their friends, family and carers and also other staff members.

As a Band 4 Nursing Associate we expect you to show COMPASSION, contribute to a caring and kind environment and recognise that what you do and say helps can make the lives of others better

We expect you to RESPECT everyone and acknowledge and welcome people's differences rather than ignore them or see them as problematic.

We expect you to EMPOWER others and continually try to provide information, resources and support to help others make their own decisions and meet their own needs.

We expect you to work in PARTNERSHIP and behave in a way that shows that you recognise that commissioners and users of our services are the people who generate and pay for our work.

Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:

• Undertake clinical tasks (when competent) including venepuncture and ECGs
• Develop understanding of caring for individuals with particular conditions relevant to place of work
• Perform and record physical health clinical observations as required
• To act as champion in physical health in the community teams
• Demonstrate good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act / Deprivation of Liberties and applies principles to everyday practice seeking advice / guidance from the Registered Nurse or registered care professional as required.
• To support the CMHT to carry out physical health checks and interventions
• To work in collaboration with the Physical Health Lead Nurse
• To identify and record physical health care needs within care plans under the direction of the RMN
• To administer medication as agreed within NMC Standards and CNWL Medicines Policy following completion of medication competency test as per policy
• To support the delivery of groups as required
• To actively engage patients as allocated
• To attend and participate in MDT reviews
• To write relevant sections within reports for social and healthcare provision under supervision
• To conduct audits as directed by the Team Manager
• Signposting patients and carers to supportive services
• Promote health and prevent ill health
• Working to the standards set out in the NMC Code for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates
• Recognise issues relating to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults and report any problems or raise concerns to the appropriate registered care professionals (including raising a safeguarding alert)
• Escalating safety concerns (including completing Datix) and by doing so acting as effective advocates for those who use our services
• Supervise, help training and delegate to other members of the team e.g. Health Care Assistants

Qualifications
Essential

• Qualified Nursing Associate or Healthcare Assistant willing to undertaking Nursing Associate Training
• Evidence of personal development in previous employment
• NMC Pin / Or wiling to undertake relevant training to obtain Pin
• Numeracy and Literacy skills required to keep accurate records

Desirable

• Care certificate or equivalent

Experience
Essential

• Previous experience working in a health or social care setting
• Experience of liaising with other agencies

Desirable

• Experience of working within a mental health community team

Skills and Knowledge
Essential

• Able to talk to people about sensitive issues in a supportive manner but also challenge others assertively where necessary.
• Speaking face to face but also by telephone, you will communicate with the multi-disciplinary team, update others in the team and use handover effectively.
• Able to maintain accurate, timely, concise and legible clinical records both electronic and handwritten which adhere to the CNWL policies.
• Able to work as part of a team
• Able to work on own initiative
• Ability to communicate in a variety of settings with patients of varying levels of understanding
• Able to deal with sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy
• Ability to develop effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues in the Healthcare setting
• Willingness to undertake further training in areas such as phlebotomy and ECG
• Able to maintain electronic patient records.
• Good working ability to use Microsoft Word and Excel
• You are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Health Care and Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England.
• Contribute to the implementation of care plans by helping to assess patients, develop, implement and evaluate a care plan.
• Able to work on your own but follow the directions of care plans and registered staff
• Accept responsibility for decisions / actions and recognize the limits of your role.
• Obtain consent and understand how the Mental Capacity Act impacts on your work and the people you are working with problems and their carers

Desirable

• Honest, trustworthy and reliable
• An understanding and positive regard for the needs and rights of people with mental health
• Ability to manage stress and work under pressure

Caring skills
Essential

• You are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Health Care and Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England.
• Contribute to the implementation of care plans by helping to assess patients, develop, implement and evaluate a care plan.
• Able to work on your own but follow the directions of care plans and registered staff.
• Accept responsibility for decisions / actions and recognize the limits of your role.
• Obtain consent and understand how the Mental Capacity Act impacts on your work and the people you are working with.

Desirable

• Experience carrying an individual caseload

Attitudes, aptitudes, and personal characteristics
Desirable

• Willingness to learn and develop; recognises the need for flexibility
• Able to work well within a multi-disciplinary team

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).