Senior Learning Disability Nurse Practitioner inHoniton inHoniton PUBLISHED TUE 7 JAN 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Nurse to join our Specialist Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities in East Devon working 32 hours per week.

The role is for a senior nurse practitioner, working alongside and supporting the wider Multi-Disciplinary Team.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking Learning Disability Nurse to join our team. In return, we offer a supportive team environment that encourages personal and professional growth, with opportunities to further develop your knowledge and skills. Based within a Trust which values work-life balance, allowing flexibility to maintain a fulfilling career whilst also prioritising your wellbeing.

The successful applicant would work collaboratively with other professionals within the MDT to provide holistic assessment and intervention, underpinned by evidence based practice, to support people with learning disabilities who are experiencing distress. Excellent communication skills and a person-centred approach to care is essential. A working knowledge of Positive Behaviour Support would be advantageous. Being a community nursing role the ability to work autonomously, alongside strong partnership skills, is required.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is looking to become a recognised centre of excellence and expertise. The successful applicant should hold the Trust's values and have the competencies and confidence to inspire and involve staff to help reach this target.

The post holder is required to work within a Multidisciplinary Team and with adults with a learning disability and associated complex health needs.

The post holder will be responsible for taking on appropriate assessment of a person's needs and undertaking interventions that aim to improve their quality of life and achieve positive outcomes. This will include planning how to do this alongside other professionals within the team.

The Post holder may be asked to provide education, knowledge, guidance and support to student nurses and unqualified staff in the team and provide support to clients and their families.

About us

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

• Contribute to the teams engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including staff, service users, their carers and other statutory and voluntary sector agencies.
• Impart complex and sensitive information to :

1. Patients and families/carers re assessment, care planning, treatment and review
2. Multi-disciplinary teams to ensure the provision of consistent well coordinated care
3. Primary care teams regarding client care
4. External agencies also involved in the provision of care e.g.: voluntary and private sector, police, social services, housing, employment etc.
5. Service user/carer groups

• Liaise with a wide range of other professionals and agencies.

• Contribute to the safe and effective day to day operations of the service including the handling of clinical enquires.
• Present information some of which may be contentious to patients and their families/carers.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• Practice in a way that actively minimises dependency and promotes recovery.
• Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable for service users and carers, working to the principles of the functions policy implementation guidelines and practice in line with the standards and values set out in them.
• Aim to uphold the principles and approach of CPA, whether people are formally in CPA or not.
• Work co-operatively with staff colleagues including accepting staff recent assessment of the client, if the client is transferred to them, in order to minimise the disruption to the client.
• Ensure a duty of care to your patients and clients, who are entitled to receive safe and competent care. The Service User wishes, feelings, values and beliefs should be taken into consideration as well as the views of the people close to them.
• Take personal accountability for your own practice. This means that you are answerable for your actions and omissions, regardless of advice or directions form another professional.
• Ensure that you remain professionally competent by participating in your own and others clinical supervision.

Planning and Organisational Skills

• Attend management and professional meetings as directed by their line manager and professional lead.
• Responsible for planning and co-ordinating own day to day work load in collaboration with the needs of the service users and the wider needs of the service.
• Plan and organise case conferences liaising with other agencies as required to meet the needs of their clients
• Ensure that interventions are planned and care plans developed in an integrated and co-ordinated manner particularly where dependent on other external agencies.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment & Therapy

• Maintain a caseload of appropriate clients.
• Responsible for developing care packages including assessing, planning, intervention and evaluation. Ensuring active involvement of service users and their carers.
• Triage referrals by assessing and advising on eligibility criteria.
• Provide specialist advice to referrers/other multi-disciplinary staff and care providers in relation to the care of the client.

• To participate in reviews in accordance with Care Programme Approach and ensure the completion of relevant CPA documentation.
• To promote medication concordance and administer medication as required according to relevant policies and in accordance with NMC and other applicable guidelines.

• Participate in safeguarding children to level 3 as set out in Safeguarding children and young people: roles and competencies for Health Care staff.
• To co-ordinate the care of an individual on the case load where appropriate

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

• Participate in programmes of audit and research within the team and implement the findings.
• Contribute to professional clinical governance arrangements in order to ensure the quality of the service provided.
• Participate in the development of Specialist Learning Disability Services.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• Responsible for care of own equipment.
• Where appropriate handles or processes cash or patients valuables

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

• Provide information, education and advice to carers, families and providers.

• Supervise junior qualified staff in the process of triage and assessment.
• Provide clinical supervision for a number of staff.
• Periodically co-ordinate the activity of the team and facilitate team meetings.
• Mentor students allocated to the team.
• Take a clinical lead in the absence of the team leader.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

• Ensure timely, accurate, clear and concise records are maintained in accordance with trust policy on all activities undertaken.
• To provide supervision and leadership for band 3/4/5 staff where appropriate.

Responsibility for Research and Development

• When appropriate assist with research programmes within the Trust, service and team.

Freedom to Act

• To work under the direction of the team manager but able to work autonomously using own initiative where necessary.
• Responsible for fulfilling responsibilities as outlined in the job description and professionally accountable for all actions undertaken.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

• To comply with any reasonable request from the team manager or other senior clinical staff.

Review of this Job Description

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of changing service needs. This job description is to be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.