Enhanced Care Practitioner inAcross ELHT Sites inAcross ELHT Sites PUBLISHED FRI 10 JAN 2025

The role of the Enhanced Care Support Practitioner is to support the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care in the Trust Wide delivery of the Enhanced Care Standard Operating Procedure. The role also includes supporting the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care in the management and supervision of the Enhanced Care Support Workers and deputising in the absence of the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care. The role also includes providing effective leadership, expertise, advice and support to ward teams providing Enhanced care to patients who are at risk of harm secondary to cognitive disturbance and resultant vulnerability.

To provide clinical expertise in developing strategies to support clinical management of patients assessed as requiring enhanced care and to support value added enhanced care which is therapeutic for individual patients and to support ward teams in implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of those interventions. To implement the ELHT Standard Operating Procedure for Enhanced Care and to monitor and support compliance via delivery and audit activity. Ensure that the care being provided has appropriate safeguards to protect patients from abuse and ensuring that the process offers the patient choice and support to make decisions about their safety and well-being. Ensure the appropriate application of assessment and treatment tools that will ensure an appropriate level of intervention so that patients who present with behaviours that challenged due to cognitive impairment i.e. Learning Disability, Autism, Dementia, Delirium, Mental Health receive the most appropriate specialist care.

About us

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust we have a new and exciting opportunity for a Registered Nurse Child/Adult, Mental Health or Learning Disability or Registered Allied Health Professional/Social Worker with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to support in leading a brand-new Enhanced Care Support Team. The role of the Enhanced Care Practitioner will be to support the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care in delivering the requirements of Enhanced Care to those patients Trust Wide, who require additional enhanced care during their hospital attendance. This will include patients who present with Dementia, Delirium, Learning Disabilities, Autism and Mental Health. The team are support by a number of Enhanced Care Support Workers (ECSW) who deliver direct care to patients. The role of the Enhanced Care Practitioner is to support the ECSW in undertaking their role. This includes allocation of ECSW, reviewing and assessing patients to ensure the appropriate level of enhanced care is in place, developing patient centred care plans, supporting staff Trust Wide in developing their knowledge and skills in the delivery of enhanced care. This includes the use of distraction and de-escalation techniques through therapeutic interventions to support patients to feel safe and improve their hospital experience in the least restrictive way. Part of the role will include the line management of the ESCWs, including undertaking clinical supervision, appraisals, sickness reviews, roster management etc. With the support of the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care, the role will also include the development of policies and pathways, training, investigation and management of incidents and audit activity. We are looking for a practitioner who has a high level of knowledge and experience of caring for patients across vulnerable groups and is passionate about ensuring vulnerable patients feel safe, supported and cared for in what can be a challenging and distressing time. The successful candidate will be hardworking, able to professionally challenge and be able to work both autonomously and as part of a team. If the above sounds like you, please get in touch to discuss this exciting opportunity in more detail.