Job summary
Purpose of the role:

To provide dedicated physical-health monitoring and intervention within the community mental health team, supporting people with severe mental illness to receive timely, holistic physical healthcare.

Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities

• Deliver and support the running and organisation of physical health clinics within Riviera Community Mental Health Team.
• Complete routine physical-health monitoring, including:

• Blood pressure and pulse
• Weight, BMI and waist circumference
• Blood glucose/HbA1c
• Lipid profiles
• ECGs where trained and appropriate

• Smoking, alcohol and lifestyle assessments
• Support physical-health monitoring for patients prescribed antipsychotic medication, including depot medication.
• Identify abnormal results and escalate appropriately to the registered clinician, GP or other healthcare professional.
• Provide brief health-promotion interventions around diet, exercise, smoking cessation and cardiovascular risk.
• Support patients to attend physical-health appointments and overcome barriers to accessing primary care.
• Maintain accurate clinical documentation and ensure results are recorded on relevant systems.
• Follow up outstanding investigations and referrals.
• Support recall systems so that patients receive their physical-health checks within required timeframes.
• Assist with audits and data collection relating to physical-health performance.
• Work alongside nurses, doctors, pharmacists, healthcare assistants and primary-care colleagues.
• Undertake delegated clinical interventions within their competence and scope of practice.

About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose
The role of the Nursing Associate is to work as part of the multidisciplinary team, delivering evidence based health and social care that focuses on the holistic needs of people using services.
The Nursing Associate works independently under the leadership of registered nurses, working within the sphere of nursing and care and within all aspects of the nursing process (Health Education England 2018).

• Monitoring the condition and health needs of people within their care continually in partnership with people, families and carers. Contributing to ongoing assessments and recognising when it is necessary to refer to others for re-assessment.
• Supporting people to improve and maintain their mental, physical, and behavioural health and wellbeing.
• Providing nursing care that is person-centred, safe and compassionate
• Improving the quality of care by contributing to the continuous monitoring of people's experience of care, identifying risks to safety or experience and taking appropriate action with peoples best interests, needs and preferences first.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Nursing Associate Foundation Degree qualification.
• Registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
• Level 3 NVQ/QCF qualification or equivalent (2 A Levels).
• GCSE Grade A-C in Maths & English or Functional level 2 Maths & English Language or equivalent.
• Qualified in Phlebotomy or happy to work towards this

Experience
Essential

• Experience of and the ability to work effectively as a team player under appropriate supervision, and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of providing and receiving complex, sensitive information.

Desirable

• Previous experience working in a range of different mental health care settings.
• Working with people with challenging behaviour and complex health needs.
• Conducts clinical tasks within Nursing Associate scope of practice to a high level of competency.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.