About this role
Job summary
To provide skilled clinical and care support as an integral member of the Primary Care Network Enhanced Health in Care Homes multidisciplinary team. The post holder will work alongside GPs, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, care coordinators, care home staff, dietician and wider community services to support proactive, personalised and coordinated care for residents of nursing and residential care homes including those registered for people with learning disabilities and mental health issues.
The post holder will undertake a defined range of delegated clinical interventions following appropriate training and competency assessment, support ward rounds and multidisciplinary reviews, contribute to personalised care and support planning, monitor residents condition, recognise deterioration or changes from baseline and escalate concerns promptly to an appropriate registered clinician.
Main duties of the job
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Prepare for planned care home ward rounds by collating relevant resident information, recent observations, outstanding actions and care home concerns.
- Contribute to personalised care and support plans by gathering information relating to mobility, function, nutrition, hydration, continence, skin integrity, cognition and general wellbeing.
- Undertake and accurately record a range of delegated clinical observations following training and competency assessment, which may include blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, temperature, oxygen saturation, weight and blood glucose.
- Recognise and report changes from a residents normal baseline, including changes in physical health, cognition, mobility, weight and risk of malnutrition, nutrition, hydration or general wellbeing.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
- Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care, Clinical Healthcare Support or equivalent knowledge and experience
- Experience of providing direct care or clinical support in an NHS setting.
- Able to undertake delegated clinical observations and interventions following training and competency assessment.
About us
PICS is the employer for this role. We collaborate with patients and partners to design and deliver clinically robust health and social care solution through Community Services, Out of Hospital Services, GP Practices, and Primary Care Networks. Find out more about us: http://picsnhs.org.uk/.
Benefits of working for PICS
We offer a comprehensive package which includes
- NHS Pension 2015 Scheme (subject to eligibility)
- Alternative government-based scheme (subject to eligibility)
- Competitive leave entitlement that includes maternity, paternity and adoption leave, study leave allowance, and sickness provisions
- Access to education and training opportunities, depending on your role (CPPE Pharmacy, NHS England Roadmap for First Contact Practitioners, apprenticeship schemes, support professional development)
- Working in a multi-disciplinary team with support from a wide variety of professionals
- A flexible approach to a work-life balance
- Cycle to work scheme (subject to eligibility)
- Access to Blue Light Card scheme
- All staff events and conferences
- Staff engagement (Wellbeing Group, EDI Network, Staff Focus group)
- Free parking across many sites
- Personalised induction into the company and job role
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Ward Round and MDT Support
- Prepare for planned care home ward rounds by collating relevant resident information, recent observations, outstanding actions and care home concerns.
- Support clinicians during ward rounds by obtaining delegated observations, gathering relevant information and ensuring agreed actions are recorded accurately.
- Assist with follow-up of actions arising from ward rounds and multidisciplinary reviews, within the boundaries of the role.
- Identify residents who may require review and escalate concerns to the appropriate clinician.
- Support effective communication between the PCN team and care home staff following reviews.
Personalised Care and Support Planning
- Contribute to personalised care and support plans by gathering information relating to mobility, function, nutrition, hydration, continence, skin integrity, cognition and general wellbeing.
- Support review and updating of care plans under the direction of a registered clinician.
- Help ensure that agreed plans, interventions and escalation arrangements are clearly communicated to care home staff.
- Support residents and, where appropriate, families and carers to understand agreed care plans and next steps.
Clinical Observations and Delegated Interventions
- Undertake and accurately record a range of delegated clinical observations following training and competency assessment, which may include blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, temperature, oxygen saturation, weight and blood glucose.
- Where required, screen residents for risk of malnutrition using the MUST tool, and act according to local pathways under the guidance of the care home clinical leads.
- To signpost to / provide care home staff with appropriate existing resources to support The Food First Approach for managing malnutrition
- Undertake venepuncture, urinalysis, specimen collection and ECG recording where trained, competent and authorised to do so.
- Support basic wound observation and simple dressings in accordance with local protocols and delegated care plans.
- Support continence and catheter-related care where this forms part of the agreed competency framework.
- Undertake other clearly defined clinical support tasks appropriate to Band 3, subject to training, competency assessment, supervision and local policy.
Recognition of Deterioration and Escalation
- Recognise and report changes from a residents normal baseline, including changes in physical health, cognition, mobility, weight and risk of malnutrition, nutrition, hydration or general wellbeing.
- Use agreed observation and deterioration tools, such as NEWS2 or locally approved alternatives, where this is part of the service model.
- Escalate abnormal findings, clinical concerns or deterioration promptly to an appropriate registered clinician.
- Understand the limits of own role and competence and seek advice when a residents needs fall outside agreed protocols or delegated care.
Frailty, Falls and Functional Support
- Support frailty monitoring and identification of changes in mobility, function, falls risk, nutrition, hydration and pressure risk.
- Support the occupational therapist and physiotherapist by reinforcing agreed mobility, rehabilitation and falls-prevention programmes.
- Observe and report changes in residents ability to transfer, mobilise or complete activities of daily living.
- Check that agreed equipment or aids are available and being used appropriately, reporting concerns to the relevant clinician.
- Support post-fall follow-up by using structured frameworks to gather clinical intelligence, undertaking delegated observations and helping implement agreed prevention plans.
Long-Term Conditions and Preventative Care
- Support planned monitoring of residents with long-term conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, COPD and heart failure, within agreed pathways.
- Support blood glucose monitoring and other delegated diabetes-related care following competency assessment.
- Contribute to health promotion and prevention activity, including hydration, nutrition, oral health, falls prevention, physical activity and vaccination promotion.
- Support proactive identification of residents at risk of deterioration or avoidable hospital admission.
End of Life and Anticipatory Care
- Support the multidisciplinary team in delivering compassionate, person-centred end-of-life care within the scope of the role.
- Contribute to comfort-focused monitoring and report changes promptly to a registered clinician.
- Help ensure that relevant advance care planning documentation and agreed escalation plans are accessible to the care home team.
- Communicate sensitively and respectfully with residents, families and care home staff.
Hospital Discharge and Admission Avoidance
- Support residents returning to the care home following hospital admission by checking that agreed follow-up actions are in place.
- Undertake delegated observations and monitoring following discharge and report any concerns.
- Identify changes in mobility, function, cognition or general health following discharge and escalate appropriately.
- Support timely collection of information required by clinicians to inform decisions about treatment, review or escalation, including planned review of new or amended oral nutritional supplement prescriptions.
Communication and Care Coordination
- Act as a practical link between care homes and the PCN Care Home Team, supporting continuity of information and follow-up.
- Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and confidential clinical records using the appropriate electronic clinical system.
- Communicate effectively with residents, families, carers and health and care professionals.
- Support referral and follow-up processes within the limits of the role.
- Promote collaborative working and constructive relationships with care home teams.
Quality, Safety and Governance
- Work in accordance with clinical governance, safeguarding, infection prevention and control, health and safety, information governance and confidentiality requirements.
- Participate in audit, service evaluation and quality improvement activity relevant to the EHCH service.
- Contribute to monitoring of service outcomes such as falls, hospital admissions, vaccination uptake and completion of care planning actions.
- Report incidents, risks and concerns in accordance with organisational procedures.
- Participate in supervision, appraisal, mandatory training and competency review.
Pre-Visit Advance Care Planning (ReSPECT & GSF) Support
- Complete pre-visit preparation using the GSF Proactive Flags framework, speaking with carers and using care home records to identify and flag any decline over the past month in a residents falls frequency, nutrition/swallowing, mobility, or infection/admission rates.
- Assist registered clinicians with initial and annual reviews of RESPECT forms by checking for and highlighting availability of historic documentation such as older ReSPECT forms, DNACPR and Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) paperwork available on SystmOne (S1).
- Act as a point of contact for families during the pre-review phase, sharing official RESPECT information leaflets and booking consultation slots directly into the clinicians diary or issuing SystmOne booking links.
- Summarise pre-visit observational findings to brief the Band 7 clinician ahead of formal annual care plan reviews.
Person Specification
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your knowledge and skills are suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.
Qualifications
Essential
- Please provide details of your CPD, using examples where necessary.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Please provide details for why you would be a great fit for this role and why you have decided to apply.
Experience
Essential
- Please provide detailed information of how you feel that your experience is suitable for this role; please provide examples to support your application referring to the job description and person specification for guidance.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
Primary Integrated Community Services
Address
Nottingham West PCN
Nottingham
NG9 1GA
United Kingdom
Employer's website
http://picsnhs.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)