Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Management responsibilities

·         To lead and support the Clinical Team Leaders (community and inpatients) in effectively managing the nursing services across the designated clinical areas using professional judgement, interpretation and analysis of the range of options available in resolving patient, organisational and staffing issues.

·         To maximise opportunities to recruit and retain staff, ensuring the appropriate use of skills and skill mix. To recognise and value diversity in the workforce.

·         To ensure that appraisal and personal development plans are in place for all nursing staff in the designated clinical areas to ensure that specific learning outcomes are tailored to meet individual development needs.

·         To analyse data and statistics and produce action plans to manage sickness and absence, discipline and grievance as required for nursing staff across the designated clinical areas.

·         To ensure the efficient and effective use of resources across the designated clinical areas and work with staff to manage budgets.

·         To ensure the health and safety of patients, visitors and staff by monitoring all untoward incidents and ensuring risk management policies are implemented.

·         In collaboration with other senior managers be responsible for policy development and implementation for the Directorate and have regular involvement in policy development for the Trust.

·         To assist in developing and implementing nursing policies across the Directorate.

·         To be able to interpret and apply Trust and national policies in a forensic context.

·         To have delegated financial responsibility for all nursing and physical resources within the nursing service across the designated clinical areas.

·         In conjunction with others be responsible for the investigation of serious untoward incidents and complaints including auditing and learning from them.

·         To carry out management investigations and conduct hearings in relation to HR issues such as disciplinary and grievances.

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 Leadership

·         To lead and clinically support nursing staff across the designated clinical areas to ensure the implementation of clinical effectiveness using evidence-based practice. To provide professional leadership to a group of senior nurses in clinical and managerial positions across those areas.

·         To ensure staff have access to clinical supervision and encourage reflective practice, ensuring an educational framework is in place for all staff.

·         To promote a positive learning environment and secure appropriate learning resources for staff.

·         To work collaboratively with senior staff and the Trust Learning and Development Department to ensure that all staff are trained and developed to their full potential to meet the demands of the service.

·         To support staff development through induction, preceptorship, appraisal, personal development including clinical supervision, reflective practice and peer review as appropriate.

·         In conjunction with senior nurses to produce an annual training and development plan, identifying a range of traditional and innovative learning opportunities to support training.

·         To lead on and participate in training events locally, Trust wide and nationally.

·         To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to nursing staff, relatives, carers, other health and care professionals and the voluntary sector to promote understanding of forensic mental health care.

·         To demonstrate compassion and emotional maturity whilst supporting staff and patients through distressing events.

Clinical

·         To provide clinical input into operational decision making for staff and ensure that clinical quality is always at the forefront of these decisions.

·         To act as a professional consultant to nursing staff and other professionals on forensic nursing matters

·         To ensure clinical practice is patient-centred, dynamic and research based in accordance with professional bodies guidance and Trust policies.

·         To assist nursing teams in the designated areas to meet clinical governance standards.

·         In conjunction with the In-patient Services Manager (Lead Nurse) to ensure that safe systems are in place across the directorate for management of critical incidents such as violence or abscond.

·         To be trained in the Safe & Therapeutic Management of Violence & Aggression techniques and lead staff in their application.

·         To maintain an agreed direct clinical workload with users in order to keep up to date and lead by example.

·         To take a lead role in promoting nursing skills and input into patient care at the MDT level.

·         In conjunction with Clinical Team Leaders to lead and support nursing colleagues with presentation and case discussion at clinical team meetings through regular attendance and monitoring of standards.

Research

·         To foster an environment where clinical practice is research/evidence based and encourage staff to undertake audit to ensure that this is effective.

·         To identify and disseminate relevant research

·         To audit and monitor performance against local and national guidelines and standards, both professional and clinical.

·         To initiate or undertake, as directed, the collection of data for use in service audit and research projects and where appropriate use the results to support changes in practice.

·         To be directly involved in a small amount of research.

·         To participate in audit and data collection in establishing clinical outcomes and to inform decision making in relation to future provision and planning of community forensic services

Communication

·         To communicate information, (oral and written), including complex, sensitive or contentious issues in such a way that is understandable to a range of audiences.

·         To use a range of communication skills to communicate effectively with nursing staff, users, relatives, carers and other health and care professionals and the voluntary sector to promote understanding of forensic mental health care. 

·         To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with nursing and MDT colleagues across health and social care and voluntary sectors to ensure delivery of a coordinated service. This includes managing and reconciling conflicting views.

·         To actively promote the involvement of service users in all aspects of their care.

·         To develop communication and liaison systems both internally and with other services and agencies.

·         To network with other forensic services nationally.

·         To maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation in line with professional, legal and Trust requirements.

·         To communicate operational, clinical and policy issues in the form of reports and letters and presentations to a variety of audiences.

·         To act as an advisor on professional and clinical issues and work and negotiate with the other operational managers, to influence and implement the use of evidence-based practice.