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Location

Ashford, Kent | United Kingdom

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Job description

Learning Disability and Autism Specialist Practitioner

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Applicants welcomed from social work, nursing or allied health professional backgrounds. Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 18.75 hours per week (Mon-Fri 9-5) Job ref 344-0669COR

Site Trust Wide (based at William Harvey Hospital, Ashford) Town Ashford Salary £43,742 - £50,056 Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 11/03/2024 23:59

Job overview

To take a lead role for Learning Disability and Autism within the Trust. The post holder will empower patients to be heard and support informed consent, by using the Learning disability register and communication tools. To provide a specialist advisory service relevant to The Care Act 2014, to all staff disciplines within the Trust, the Deputy Chief Nurse and Head of Adult Safeguarding.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will act as a clinical nurse specialist and professional lead, who will demonstrate expertise, specialist knowledge, education and support to health care professionals and patients and liaise with agencies associated with the Trust. Act as a resource to empower staff, service users, patients and carers to access appropriate services and support a reduced length of stay.

Postholder will be responsible for contributing to the on-going development of clinical practice, research and standards of care, including development of policies, protocols and guidelines, in collaboration with multidisciplinary colleagues on direct support to people with complex needs. Also, ensuring the safety and well-being of services users, and always working in a manner that promotes dignity and human rights through the adoption of person centred care principles.

Promote personalised and safe care as part of a prevention strategy. Use learning to improve care. Empower patients to be heard and support informed consent, supporting the implementation of the Autism, Mental Capacity, Deprivation of liberty, and Equality Acts along with implementing learning from local and national agenda’s including LeDeR, safeguarding adult reviews etc. across the Trust with Lead Nurses, Senior Matrons and Matrons. 

Working for our organisation

Our values

Everything we do is underpinned by our values: People feel  cared for,  safe ,  respected  and confident we are making a difference . 

The post holder is required to uphold and model the Trust values in everything they do.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

• To provide training to frontline health professionals in relation to Learning Disability, Autism, Adult Protection, Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty to promote good practice and ensure that staff are aware of their responsibilities.
• To provide expert and specialist advice and support to staff members for patients with a Learning Disability or Autism, mental capacity assessments and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• To support and advise staff on issues related to Learning Disability and Autism, including participating in strategy meetings, case conferences and advice on advocacy.
• To support and advise staff how to present verbal and written reports to strategy meetings and case conferences.
• To attend any court proceeding, where needed, in association with the Trust legal department.
• To participate in working groups in order to achieve the Trust’s duty in relation to Learning Disability and Autism and the Mental Capacity Act.
• To work closely with the other designated professionals in supporting all activities necessary to ensure that the Trust meets its responsibilities in Learning Disability and Autism.
• Demonstrate that people with Learning Disability and Autism and their relatives/carers are involved in decisions affecting their care and wellbeing and in-service development. When relatives or carers are absent, ensure the IMCA service is engaged in a timely manner.

Service Improvement

• Provide oversight on Learning Disability and Autism training provision.
• Work with the Lead for Safeguarding to devise, implement and update the Trust’s Training Needs Analysis and Training Plan.
• To lead on the development and implementation of plans and activities with other agencies to raise awareness of Learning Disability and Autism.
• Participate in clinical supervision.

Co-ordination and Communication

• To liaise with service managers on Learning Disability and Autism issues to ensure consistency across the organisation, providing complex advice and information.
• Ensure a culture of acceptance and understanding by all health professionals of their responsibilities for people with a Learning Disability or Autism.
• Disseminate the learning from all types of serious case reviews and assist in the implementation of review recommendations for the Trust, including support and advice in developing improvements to policy and process where necessary in partnership with the all age safeguarding team.

Audit, Monitoring and Evaluation

• To assist with the audit, monitoring, analysis and evaluation of complex facts or situations relating to Learning Disability and Autism systems and services in order to improve the quality and clinical effectiveness of care for patients and their families.
• To oversee the numbers of patients with a Learning Disability or Autism using EKHUFT services.
• Work with other professionals to arrange, develop and co-ordinate complex systems of audit in order to monitor the agreed local policies and procedures.
• Assist with the collection of data in any Serious Case Reviews.
• Disseminate the learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews, Serious Case Reviews, LeDeR and Hospital Structured Judgement Reviews and assist in the implementation of recommendations for Health.
• To undertake other duties commensurate with this grade of post as appropriate

in agreement with the relevant Line Manager.

Management

• Provide a visible, authoritative and effective presence for all the Trust’s teams for assistance, guidance, specialist support and an effective role model for staff.
• Maintain effective working relationships and communication with all members of the multi professional team. Communicate complex information in appropriate formats for all staff.
• To ensure effective communication with all Learning Disability and Autism stake holding agencies through meetings and liaison. This includes the ICB, Community Health, Kent County Council and the Kent Police Constabulary.
• To work in partnership with the ICB, Strategic Health Authority and other statutory agencies concerning the strategic development of nursing/AHP services.
• Identify own development needs and maintain the knowledge and skills necessary to perform role effectively.
• Participate in annual appraisal with the Head of Adult Safeguarding and agreed to follow the development plan.
• Critically reflect on own performance through clinical supervision, coaching or mentoring.
• Work within the professional body, Code of Practice and all Trust policies and guidelines.
• Keep abreast of professional issues in professional practice, research and the NHS.

Personal Development

• Undertake own personal development activities through the pursuit of relevant professional and academic study Personal Development
• To keep abreast of current professional issues and maintain the knowledge and skills necessary to perform your role effectively.
• Develop and maintain a professional portfolio.
• Ensure compliance with professional expectations as outlined in the NMC Code of Professional Conduct.
• To participate in an annual appraisal with relevant reviews and to follow your personal development plan as agreed with your line manager.

Person specification

Experience

• 5 Years post qualification experience in a Learning Disability or Autism focused role
• 2 Years Experience in a leadership role
• Previous experience in acute hospital trust

Knowledge

• Educated to degree level or working towards
• Working knowledge of national policy and frameworks pertaining to Learning Disability and Autism

Skills

• Able to deliver training to large groups.

Filmed in William Harvey and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospitals, the ‘We are the NHS’ campaign highlights the extraordinary work that staff across EKHUFT do every single day. As one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a population of over one million people, EKHUFT was perfectly placed to demonstrate the care, cutting-edge treatments, research, innovations and life-saving operations that the campaign needed.

There are lots of great opportunities at East Kent Hospitals, where staff are caring and put patients first, innovation flourishes and you can develop your career. We’re on an exciting journey of transformation. With a new Medical School at the centre of our community, a focus on research, clinical leadership and making our trust a rewarding and friendly place to work,
there’s never been a better time to join us. To find out more about east Kent visit our website at. The Trust fully supports the SAS Doctors Charter and is committed to their development through its CPD Framework.

We’ll close this job advert once we’ve received sufficient applications which may be before the closing date so please apply as soon as possible. We only accept online applications. If you have any difficulty with this please contact our Resourcing Team on 01227 866450 who are happy to help.

We have a relocation policy for eligible candidates, parking available at Trust sites but we encourage other options, like car sharing or public transport.

The Trust is committed to supporting flexible working to fulfil our pledge as part of The Trust’s People Strategy to help staff to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Please speak with your Recruiting Manager for further information on how this can be managed alongside department expectations and requirements.

The ability to converse easily and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for all customer facing roles.

Most positions require a Disclosure and Barring check and will be exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Posts working regularly or unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults require an enhanced check.

Applicants for eligible roles requiring Tier 2 sponsorship must meet UK Visas and Immigration eligibility criteria.

We operate a no-smoking policy on all our sites and grounds.

You can search for and apply for roles directly on our website.

If you are applying via NHS Jobs your application will be sent to our recruitment system TRAC. All subsequent information will be generated from TRAC so you won’t be able to see the progress of your application or receive messages through NHS Jobs and we won’t be able to respond to e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to us transferring your application and details to our system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records. Good luck with your application, we’ll contact you via email so please check your junk/spam folders.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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