Job overview

Do you have an interest in working in the field of learning disabilities and/or mental health and would like a new challenge? The Specialist Mental Health in Learning Disabilities Team in the Borough of Bexley is looking to recruit a motivated and enthusiastic full time learning disability/mental health nurse specialist to join the team.

The team consists of psychiatrists and specialist nurses, and work closely with specialist challenging behaviour teams and psychology. We are fully integrated within the adult Bexley Learning Disability Community Team.

This is a community-based nursing post with an emphasis on clinical work, providing specialist assessment and intervention in the management of people with learning disabilities and additional mental health needs; in partnership with service-users, their families, carers and other generic community health and social care providers. Caseloads consist mainly of people with functional mental health problems, and a smaller group of people with challenging behaviour or dementia.

The posts also involve carrying out clinical supervision and teaching staff and/or students.

The successful candidates will be an RNLD or RMN with experience working with people who have a learning disability and additional mental health problems.

If you would like more information about this exciting opportunity, or would like to arrange a visit, please call Kerry Taylor on 02082693331, or Jill Davies, Clinical Lead for MH in LD on 02038 895113.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide high quality specialist nursing services that reflect the needs of adults with learning disabilities who have mental health needs. 

• To manage a complex clinical caseload ensuring high standards of care that is flexible to the needs of the service user.
• When appropriate facilitate access to generic health services in accordance with individual needs.
• Actively contribute to the development and implementation of Policies, Procedures and Clinical Guidelines in the community setting particularly in areas associated with mental health and within the transforming care agenda.
• To be responsible for delivering specialist mental health assessment, (including risk assessment, formulation, diagnosis and management planning). Implementing and evaluating clinical care, keeping up to date with advances in nursing practice and mental health research and monitoring clinical performance.
• Develop formal links and working relationships with local community Adult Mental Health Teams, in patient service, Mental Health in Learning Disability In-Reach team and, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Bexley.
• To participate in the Care Programme Approach, and where appropriate act as Care Co-ordinator for patients on Enhanced CPA.
• Arrange Care and Treatment Reviews and/or Care and Education Treatment Reviews when appropriate, in line with national policy guidance.

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families.  This is strengthened by our new values:

• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care