Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen, and we are looking for an enthusiastic individual to manage the above unit.
The Psychiatric Decision Unit (PDU) is an integrated assessment suite that encompasses the Section 136 function and provides interim mental health care and assessment for patients referred from Crisis and Home Treatment Teams, Liaison Psychiatry Services, and Street Triage teams in partnership with the police and ambulance services. The PDU can assess patients up to a maximum of a 72-hour period and facilitate patient transfers in a timely and effective manner while maintaining the patient's dignity, safety, and satisfaction.
The aims of the service:
- Reducing demand on A&E departments by transferring people in a mental health crisis to an appropriate mental health assessment unit.
- Reducing protracted waits in A&E/Emergency assessment units for beds when not immediately available.
- Offering an enhanced period of assessment and reducing unnecessary admissions giving a better outcome to the service user and keeping expensive acute beds only for those who need to be detained under the Mental Health Act.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as the Unit Manager/Nurse Lead for the PDU and Health Based Place of Safety (HBPoS), i.e., s.136 Suite. They will be responsible for developing and leading both services and the team.
They will be responsible for establishing and developing the PDU in conjunction with the HBPoS. This will require working across the organisation and professional boundaries, to bring about improvement in the care and treatment of service users experiencing an acute mental health crisis and their families. They will develop an integrated and less fragmented approach to crisis care that helps maintain patients' physical and mental wellbeing. They will provide a consistent named clinical point of contact for service users, families, and health professionals.
The PDU is part of the transformation of the mental health urgent and acute care pathway in Southwest London. The service aims to reduce admissions through the provision of a more prolonged and informed assessment of needs/risk as well as enabling the right community support where feasible. The service recognises that informed decisions on whether hospital admission may be required or not are often affected by the circumstances of the assessment. The PDU offers a safe and stable environment through which an informed assessment can take place, and appropriate arrangements set up consequent with that assessment.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
About our location:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Management Responsibilities
- To play a pivotal role in influencing the effective clinical pathway development for the PDU/HBPoS across the acute and urgent care pathway through implementation, utilisation, and on-going evaluation to ensure improved patient and service outcomes.
- To provide expert clinical and operational leadership in the development and delivery of improved care pathways for service users experiencing acute mental health crisis and their carers
- Develop pathways, collaborative working and maintain links with interdependent services, including but not limited to: Crisis and Home Treatment Teams, RSTs/CMHTs, SPA Teams, Psychiatric Liaison Services, Street Triage Teams, Police, London Ambulance Services, Trainee Doctors, and Approved Mental Health Professionals, as well as non-clinical voluntary services
- Maintain and improve the quality of crisis planning, risk assessment and capacity assessments by providing clinical support and leadership to prevent crises and provide a coordinating role for all service users experiencing acute mental health crisis who attend the PDU/HBPoS
- Responding to adult acute mental health needs by planning, coordinating, and delivering specialist education and training to non-qualified and qualified nursing staff, community services, trainee doctors, Police and London Ambulance Service
- To clinically lead, supervise and manage the PDU non-qualified and qualified nursing team
- To develop and maintain compliance with service specific policies and guidelines
- Ensure service user and carer involvement in the development of the services to promote better health, social care, and medicines management
- To lead in the identification and adoption of innovative clinical practice models relating to crisis planning for adults experiencing acute mental health crisis
- To manage and support the delivery of holistic person-centred care planning and integration of management of physical and mental health
- To be sensitive to the psychological needs of self and staff involved in the frequently highly distressing circumstances of patients and families
- To audit the work set out in the job description to ensure achievement against set outcomes of the team
- Ensure all staff are supported to develop and maintain their professional development through training, Personal Development Reviews, coaching, mentoring and regular supervision
- To manage own personal resources and professional development to meet your work and personal objectives ensuring the maintenance of professional registration by portfolio and reflective practice
- To take responsibility for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children
- To provide out-of-hour cover as Manager on Call on rotational basis which may include nights and weekends
- To lead in the recruitment, selection, and retention of staff in the clinical area
- To investigate complaints, accidents, and critical incidents in accordance with agreed procedure and prepare timely reports
- To ensure effective implementation, dissemination and monitoring of all Directorate and Trust-wide policies
- To ensure the unit is adequately and safely staffed within the agreed budget and nursing resources are used efficiently to meet identified needs
- To participate in budget setting and report areas of concern to the Modern Matron
- Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, and contentious information, presenting information, to a wide range of stakeholders in a formal setting
- Nurtures key relationships and maintains networks internally and externally, including national networks
- Deputise for the Clinical Manager as required, expanding on knowledge, skills, and experience within personal professional development
Clinical/Professional
- To provide expert clinical leadership, professional advice, and promotion of best practice in the clinical management of service users experiencing acute mental health crisis
- To have specialist knowledge and expertise in acute mental health care, acting as a role model and expert clinician in the clinical setting
- To provide high level specialist assessment skills to deliver care to meet individuals needs/complex cases from both a clinical and an emotional perspective
- Ensures and facilitates daily reviews of clinical care through person centred plans
- To provide advice, tools and strategies to the individual, family and other health and social care professionals to improve quality of life of people experiencing acute mental health crisis
- To assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment/interventions and care for people experiencing acute mental health crisis, including fulfilling the role of an Independent Nurse Prescriber and having up to date knowledge of the medication pathway and processes
- Take a lead nursing role on clinical issues relating to the care of adults experiencing acute mental health crisis
- In collaboration with clinical colleagues, develop or introduce agreed clinical guidelines for best practice and ensure that all practice developments are evaluated
- To facilitate and/or support staff undertaking mental capacity assessments of all PDU service users to contribute to their crisis planning and consent
- To have up to date knowledge of the medication pathway and processes with the ability to prescribe/supervise nurse prescribers.
- To provide care, support, and advice to the highest possible standards within the advice contained in the NMC Code of Practice
Project and Information Management
- Provide clinical input and advice on project management processes
- Carry out post project reviews and ensure any lessons learned are incorporated into future project planning
- To work across internal and external boundaries to ensure appropriate levels of engagement and communication with key stakeholders in programmes and projects
- Work closely with project sponsors, project managers, stakeholders etc
- To use the Trusts management information systems and other sources of information on service structures, delivery, and performance to inform project planning and evaluation within the specified constraints of time and cost
Policy and Service Development
- Develop and review policies relating to HBPoS and Psychiatric Decision Units
- To raise clinical standards in line with Clinical Governance and CQC expectations, support and raise standards in the team through implementation of policies and guidance
- Lead the coordination and delivery of meetings, workshops and conferences related to promote the HBPoS/Psychiatric Decision Unit/Nurse Led Services
- To prepare high quality project reports for the urgent and acute management team, project boards, executive committees, and the Trust Board
- Identify and encourage improvement and innovation in the delivery of services moving towards the delivery of integrated services with inpatient and community services, the Local Authority, GPs, the Voluntary Sector, and other key partners
- To challenge current working practices and procedures to promote a culture of continuous improvement
- Help engender an environment where all staff are constantly seeking to make service improvements and deliver to their agreed individual and service objectives
- Allocate and monitor the progress and quality of work to ensure the required standard of performance is met
- Ensure robust systems are in place for capturing service users views on the quality of services provided and for involving patients relatives and their representative in the planning and development of services
- Support the development of a culture in which all staff are responsible for delivering high quality patient centred clinical and support services
Research and Development
- Ensure that systems are in place to collect appropriate data and related information
- Ensure that processes and procedures are in place to deliver the required internal and external performance and quality outcomes/targets
- Participate in the development of best practice guidance knowledge base to improve the care of adults experiencing mental health crisis, utilising research findings in the provision of clinical services
- Adapt and apply scientific research to the clinical specialty of adult and urgent mental health care
- Plan, develop and evaluate methods and processes for gathering, analysing, interpreting, and presenting data and information
- Deliver projects to comply with key performance indicators
- To undertake relevant research, data searches and publish as appropriate
Staff Management
- Responsible for the recruitment of the nursing workforce, chair of recruitment panels/assessment centres and acting as the recruiting officer
- Responsible for undertaking appraisal and personal development of those in the team including progressing any disciplinary or capability issues
- Develop close positive working relationships, to support an effective matrix approach to achieve NHS objectives
- To support, motivate and develop staff within the team to ensure that they can deliver the new responsibilities of the NHS strategy
- To ensure staff comply with mandatory training and undertake service-related training
- To ensure that clinical areas receive regular educational audits and are equipped to provide high quality training to students on placement
Training and Development:
- Maintain personal clinical competence through regular direct clinical involvement and delivery of clinical care
- To undertake mandatory and statutory training (MAST) as required by Trust policy
- To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal (PADR)
- To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP)
- To ensure the Trust and local induction training is completed for all new staff and that a preceptorship programme is in place for newly qualified staff
- To receive both clinical and managerial supervision. Develop and implement supervision and development reviews on the unit. Counsel, advise and initiate action where necessary in all matters relating to staff wellbeing
Person Specification
Training and Qualifcations
Essential
- RMN (current NMC registration)
- ENB 998 or equivalent
- Evidence of post qualification training/education
- Ongoing evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Development at Diploma or Degree level
- Management qualifications
- Training in providing supervision
- RGN qualification
Experience
Essential
- oDemonstrable experience of working at Band 6
- oExperience of working with adults with Mental Health problems
- oExperience of working within a multidisciplinary team
- oExperience of working as a Clinical Supervisor
- oExperience of implementing and monitoring standards of care
- oExperience of recruitment and selection of staff
- oExperience of managing and monitoring budgets
Desirable
- oExperience of managing non clinical staff and other professionals
- oExperience of implementing significant changes in working practices
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants .
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website .
Employer details
Employer name
South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
Address
Springfield Hospital
Tooting
SW17 7DJ