Detailed job description and main responsibilities

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
CLINICAL/MANAGERIAL

To provide clinical advice, expertise and leadership to all staff.

To ensure that the service users care plan is developed to meet the assessed need of  the individual and to monitor the care/plans developed for service users by staff to  ensure that they are appropriate and of a high standard.

Liaise with family members, carers and significant others with regards to the assessment and treatment of service users. 

To be the first point of contact for service users and carers that have concerns regarding their care and make every effort to resolve their concerns sensitively and promptly.

Monitor and work with the team to ensure that service user risk is managed appropriately and that risk management plans are of a high quality.

To direct and supervise all staff in order to ensure delivery of a high standard of care to service users. 

To take the lead in setting standards for care based on sound research findings and to ensure that the ward team maintains high standards. 

To lead the systematic monitoring and evaluation of service users under the care of the ward team. 

To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills gained through qualification and experience to impart sensitive information e.g./ diagnosis or

Symptoms to service users and their families and to offer support to other staff to do this. 

To ensure that team resources are managed appropriately to maximise care and efficient work patterns. This will include tasks such as management of attendance, annual leave and the use of extra resources. 

To use skills gained through qualification and experience to communicate with members of your team in the implementation of change and in the interest of good, cohesive team working.

To check understanding of information where there are often barriers to effective communications due to distress or psychiatric symptoms in service users or where there is resistance in staff. This may include situations where English is not the first  language. 

To liaise with other professionals offering services within the ward to ensure good communication and high standards of service user care.

 To use skills gained through experience to give and receive information to other individuals with regards to a service users care in reviews and multi-disciplinary meetings. These individuals may be external to the Trust. 

To have an in-depth knowledge of the Mental Health act and to support staff involved in the application of the Mental Health Act, ensuring that they are aware of and fulfilling their duties. Ensure that service users are aware of their rights under the Mental Health Act and that they are exercised appropriately. 

Liaise with other professionals providing a service the team the ward to ensure a high quality of service delivery. 

To monitor the provision of a range of therapeutic activities for service users by appropriate guidance and supervision of the team. 

To ensure that all relevant information with regards to a service users care, and treatment is documented accurately and legibly into the health care record. 

Supervise and monitor the entries made by team members through performance management and audit. 

Provide reports and statistical returns to a variety of Trust departments as requested.

To co-ordinate the provision of teaching sessions in order to pass on knowledge and skills. 

To assist in the implementation of change or new systems within the area. 

To use skills gained through qualification and experience to assess and monitor the physical/mental health of service users, seeking an opinion from other professionals where appropriate. 

To use skills gained through training and experience to de-escalate situations where service users become physically or verbally aggressive. 

To use skills gained through experience to deal with team members who become angry, hostile or distressed. 

To ensure that team members get appropriate support following violent incidents and to ensure any identified actions arising from such incidents are implemented. 

Ensure that all incidents are documented as per trust policy and that any follow-up action is taken.

To lead service user reviews ensuring that the team has all the relevant information on which to base their clinical decisions. 

To ensure that the team develop care plans that enable service users to reach and maintain their optimum level of health and independence.

To take responsibility for ensuring the safe administration of medication to service users where appropriate ensuring that the Nursing Midwifery Council regulations are followed.