Out of Hours Community Palliative Care Team Lead

Out of Hours Community Palliative Care Team Lead An exciting new opportunity has arisen to join our Out of Hours (OOH) Community Palliative Care Responsive Team as the OOH Community Palliative Care Team Lead. The Out of Hours Community Palliative Care Team is now part of our established multi-disciplinary team, consisting of clinical nurse and paramedic specialists, senior hospice nurses and health care assistants providing responsive specialist support to patients and families with a life-threatening illness in our local community overnight. The successful applicant will lead the OOH community hospice nursing team, influencing the holistic care of patients and carers with end of life and specialist palliative care needs. This is a chance to make a real difference to peoples lives. You will work within the OOH Community Team providing specialist palliative care advice and support to patients in West Suffolk and Thetford. You will provide both clinical and day to day management to the OOHs Clinical Nurse/paramedic Specialists, Registered Nurses and Healthcare Assistants within the Community Team and be expected to support the ongoing development of the palliative care community responsive team. You will also work with the wider multi-disciplinary team providing face to face and telephone support, for the responsive needs of patients and participate in answering calls from our telephone advice line. Main duties of the job The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a high level of expertise both clinically and managerially, have excellent communication skills and the ability to work flexibly with consideration to the needs of the service. About us St Nicholas Hospice Care is a local charity providing help, advice and support to people in West Suffolk and Thetford who are living with long-term and life-threatening illnesses. Our services are not just for patients, but for their family and friends too. They include everything from specialist medical care to bereavement support and practical help. St Nicholas Hospice is dedicated to its vision that everyone in our communities has support, dignity and choice when facing dying, death and grief. Job responsibilities Clinical Through a reduced caseload: assess, plan, implement and evaluate specialist nursing/palliative care interventions for patients with highly complex palliative care needs Working autonomously, integrate theory and practice to develop plans of specialist and complex treatment and care, based upon clinical assessment Work with high level of autonomy to manage a caseload of patients, using clinical judgement and experience to identify outcomes and results Demonstrate high level knowledge and understanding of disease processes and integrate this knowledge into the assessment and management of patients Demonstrate high level knowledge and understanding of the psychological responses to terminal illness and develop skills to assess and manage these in practice, referring to specialist services, as required Comprehensively assess pain and other symptoms with the use of appropriate tools, ensuring an understanding of clinical history and physical examination to support clinical diagnosis Using high level clinical knowledge and experience ensure proactive anticipation of clinical need and the development of plans to support this Demonstrate extensive knowledge of therapeutic treatment methods and uses of medications to treat patients, with reference to relevant national guidance and protocols Demonstrate expertise of a range of therapeutic options, which may be available to support the management of symptoms, including medication and non-pharmacological measures such as complementary therapies Review and monitor interventions and management plans, including medication and non-pharmacological interventions, communicating appropriately with patients, carers and MDT colleagues regarding any changes made Use specialist expertise and clinical knowledge to effectively consider prescribed medication, working closely with MDT colleagues to effectively manage symptoms and ensure continuity of care In partnership with MDT members, review assessments in response to changing needs, ensuring that information about these changes are shared appropriately, including changes to patient priorities and wishes Support the autonomy and independence of patients, ensuring the provision of holistic and person centred care, with awareness of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act(2005) Demonstrate understanding of issues relating to safeguarding adults, and the ability to support and direct colleagues, as required Demonstrate advanced communication skills to respond to the needs of patient and families and to enable open discussion, including facilitating discussion around advance care plans, death and the dying process Demonstrate an ability to problem-solve, to enable patients and families to find resolution to their concerns, signposting to other professionals or services, as appropriate Work closely as part of the multi-disciplinary team by engaging in and leading on, regular clinical meetings, which support patient care and care planning, demonstrating support for learners and junior colleagues Act as a resource for junior colleagues Facilitate support for carers, recognising their value in the care of patients facing palliative and end of life care Demonstrate understanding of clinical risk and safeguarding concerns, and an ability to use clinical reasoning to mitigate or escalate this and to act as a resource to support junior colleagues Maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient records Provision of initial bereavement support and awareness of services for onward referral/signposting Actively participate in and deliver clinical supervision Leadership and management Provide full operational leadership within the OOH Community Hospice Team, including direct and indirect management of individuals and resources, including managing sickness absence, compassionate leave, study leave, return to work interviews and rosters Manage effective service delivery by anticipating need and priorities with available clinical resource and responding effectively to this, ensuring that changing clinical and operational priorities are managed, in partnership with West Suffolk Alliance systems and partner organisations Provide line management support to identified individuals Undertake staff development (incorporating delegated responsibility) for regular 1-2-1s, and annual appraisals Ensure staffing rota provides OOH Team nursing cover 365 days per year; providing adequate staffing and skill mix Proactively identify when shortfalls occur or are likely to occur, taking appropriate remedial action, escalating concerns to the Head of Nursing and Quality Work closely with the Head of Nursing and Quality to manage the OOH Community Palliative Care Team budget, within limits of Delegated Authority, leading the effective and efficient use of physical and financial resources, making recommendations regarding supplies, equipment and staff time Act as a role model demonstrating high standards of care and clinical leadership at all times Identify and manage performance issues including attendance, professional conduct, capability etc Collect and critically analyse and interpret data relating to clinical activity and staffing Ensure that systems are in place to predict, reduce, prevent and manage clinical risk Provide a clinical triage service, as required Work collaboratively with other services to support the continuum of care for patients across West Suffolk, including representing the Head of Nursing and Quality, when required Work autonomously to manage and develop palliative out-patient clinic sessions, in settings across West Suffolk and Thetford and support junior colleagues to gain confidence in these settings Lead on a one clinical team approach, having developed own skills to deliver care across settings to support business continuity Provide senior clinical support and advice during out of hours periods, in the absence of senior colleagues, escalating concerns outside role and responsibilities, as appropriate Act as a senior clinical resource for junior colleagues during out of hours periods, ensuring that clinical resource is allocated appropriately and clinical risk mitigated or escalated, as appropriate Use data to analyse clinical performance, activity and outcomes and lead on strategies to support quality improvement Seek patient feedback proactively and collate responses as per organisational guidance in order to develop services Participate in the Clinical On Call Manager rota, providing operational support and decision making for clinical teams Alongside senior colleagues, participate in performance and activity reviews which form part of the governance and assurance structure. Education and Research Review own training and education needs based on feedback from appraisal, audit and changes to national guidance Completion of opioid conversion workbook and supporting others in practice with safe practice Actively maintain current knowledge across specialist palliative care by reading and undertaking informal learning opportunities Plan and lead on the development and delivery of educational programmes to enhance the learning of others, including professionals, patients and carers Work with learners, acting as Practice Assessor, as appropriate, offering feedback to support practice Engage in regular Continued Professional Development opportunities to ensure that own clinical practice remains current Work towards achievement of additional Level 7 modules to support professional development Where possible, participate in research opportunities across palliative care Person Specification Qualifications * Adult Registered Nurse (active NMC registrant) * OR * Paramedic Registration (active HCPC registrant) * Relevant diploma or degree in Nursing * Level 7 Masters level study (e.g.: Advanced Communication Skills, Clinical Assessment) * Completion of Masters degree Skills and Abilities * Understanding of the value of multi-disciplinary team working * Significant experience of working autonomously * Robust understanding of own professional and clinical boundaries * Awareness of own emotional responses and ability to respond to these appropriately * Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance * Ability to motivate self and others and to lead by example * Able to recognise and consider professional and ethical issues, seeking support as appropriate * Driving licence, use of own car, business insurance Experience * Evidence of continued professional development * Significant post registration experience in palliative care or oncology * Significant knowledge and experience of palliative care caseload management 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. 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