Senior Community Nurse / District Nurse

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About Us

EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:

• We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
• We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.

EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values

Our Vision

"To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care".

Our Purpose

"We care for people every day. What we do together, matters".

Our Values

• We Care
• We Learn
• We Empower

Our strategic objectives

• We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
• We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
• We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
• We will help our communities to thrive.

Our services

• Mental Health Services
• Community Health Services
• Learning Disabilities Services
• Social Care

Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.

Job overview

YOU WILL REQUIRE A UK DRIVING LICENSE AND ACCESS TO A CAR TO APPLY FOR THIS POST.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Nurse to work as a Band 6 District Nurse/Senior Community Nurse as part of our friendly and dynamic multi-disciplinary care team.

You must be an enthusiastic individual with excellent leadership and communication skills and motivation in your approach to care delivery to ensure we maintain a high quality service for our patients in the changing environment of community services.

You will need to demonstrate the ability to manage a caseload and to lead the day to day management of the team of community staff nurses whilst supporting, directing and teaching junior team members in all aspects of care delivery. You will also need to work as part of a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency team, liaising closely with our Primary Care Networks and Neighbourhood Teams as part of the out of hospital model of care.

The community nursing service is commissioned to provide services between 7am and 11pm, seven days a week, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Applicants will be required to work a shift pattern within these hours as part of the role although flexibility can be discussed.

Flexible working is considered within all applications.

Main duties of the job

The post holder carries continuing responsibility for the caseload, incorporating the assessment of care, including complex needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care. She/he is responsible for the overall management of the caseload, including the supervision and deployment of staff within his/her sphere of responsibility. The role encompasses treatment, advice and teaching within professional competence of the post holder.

The post holder will be responsible for providing highly skilled nursing care to the residents of West Essex, promoting the health of the population and reducing the effects of ill health and disability and maximising the individual's potential for independence. She/he will work closely with General Practices, Social Services and other statutory and non-statutory services to meet the needs of the local population using public health information to support service development.

The main focus will be on integration and implementation of the Out of Hospital model to ensure the service is of the highest quality, implementing and monitoring the clinical and management strategy for the service

The post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner within the Community Nursing Team supporting the delivery of care and supporting patients own homes working in collaboration with system partners and as part of the Primary Care Networks and Neighbourhood Teams as part of the out of hospital model of care

Working for our organisation

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical/Professional Duties

• Undertake comprehensive and complex assessment of patient/family needs in conjunction with the patient, family/carer and hospitals which includes discharge planning
• Initiates palliative care packages with multi-agency providers in collaboration with primary, secondary sectors and patient/family
• To provide a comprehensive service to patients in a variety of community settings including patients' own homes, GP Surgeries, Clinics, residential homes and community hospital
• Is aware of current evidence based approaches to patient care and demonstrates this in practice
• Frequently provide support to patients and their families when they are emotionally distressed as a result of terminal illness
• Frequently required to deliver complex and distressing information to both patients/family/carers
• Lead/contribute to the development and review of guidelines/policies
• Lead and contribute to audit programmes and disseminate/apply findings
• Assess the need for service aids and equipment and ensure that those provided are used appropriately and safely
• Report to the Integrated Clinical Manager any deficiency in the provision of service aids, equipment and staff
• Maintain accurate nursing records that exist contemporaneously in accordance with NMC guidelines and local policy
• Responsible for the development and allocation of teaching programmes/practice placement for all pre and post registration nurses and others
• To undertake Continuing Healthcare Assessments and be the link nurse with the Continuing Healthcare Team

Patient/Client Care

• Work in partnership with the patient to achieve optimum levels of self-care. Demonstrate, teach and supervise the nursing care that families can undertake safely, advising as necessary. Documenting on the care plan accordingly
• Advise the family on prevention of illness and accidents. Foster and support a self-management approach to care where appropriate.

Communication Skills

• Organise patient care with other Health Care Professionals, Statutory and/or Voluntary Agencies co-ordinating these through case conferences
• Work closely with General Practice and other relevant professionals in identifying health needs of the practice population, and develop services in response to those needs

Education and Research

• Attend relevant education and training programmes to maintain personal/professional development and meet NMC requirements
• Undertake the role of preceptorship/mentorship as required
• Engage in Nurse Prescribing following V100/V300 qualification and NMC registration and ensure safe prescribing practice within professional and Trust guidelines/policies
• Lead the team in the development of the skills necessary to deliver the core Community Services
• Participate in team, Locality and Trust initiatives as required with specific focus on the Nursing Strategy and other relevant modernisation agenda
• Reflect on practice regularly and plan personal/professional development in order to achieve growth and development. Access Clinical Supervision to enhance reflective practice.

Managerial Responsibilities

• Undertakes risk management in a variety of unpredictable and unavoidable working conditions. For example may involve taking appropriate precautions when dealing with chemotherapy drugs, bodily fluids, threatening patients and unhygienic conditions which may constitute a health risk.
• Ensure that Service Aids and Equipment are used in accordance with manufacturer's guidance and to notify all known hazards to appropriate personnel
• The District Nurse/Senior Community Nurse will ensure that in their absence team members are aware of the nominated District Nurse/Senior Community Nurse who will support the caseload and the team
• The District Nurse/Senior Community Nurse will delegate responsibility to the appropriate community nurse within the team to undertake and manage the workload of the teams and any Trust objectives
• Provide relevant support to other Community Nursing teams in the absence of the District Nurse/Senior Community Nurse
• Report on all incidents and untoward occurrences and implement recommendations
• Manage informal complaints and implement the recommendations following formal complaints
• Meet with team members daily to plan, delegate and evaluate patient care and to review and adjust allocation of work accordingly
• Arrange in conjunction with the Clinical Team Lead, Induction Programmes for new members of staff
• Attend relevant meetings to support the team and locality
• Meet with team members on a regular basis to disseminate Trust information
• Ensure statistical returns for the whole team are completed within agreed times scale by self and team members
• Be responsible for the development of the team through individual staff professional/personal development reviews, supervision and team meetings
• Implement appropriate operational frameworks and objectives as agreed by the team and locality or the professional forum

Information Management

• Input data and information accurately.

Policy/Service Development

• Ensure all trust policies and procedures are implemented by staff, recommending and negotiating changes as necessary.

Freedom To Act

• The post holder will at times be required to work unsupervised.

Effort and Environment

• Manage work load effectively.
• Ensure that the environment is safe and is an area that is conducive for learning and for patient care.

Competence

• You are responsible for limiting your actions to those which you feel competent to undertake. If you have any doubts about your competence during the course of your duties you should immediately speak to your line manager/supervisor.

Registered Health Professional

• Must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which incorporates the Scope of Professional Practice and the Guidelines for Professional Practice
• All registered nurses will be required to provide evidence of relevant registration(s) as required. Failure to do so may lead to disciplinary
• Responsible for ensuring that the Community Nurse Team work within relevant Trust guidelines/Policies and ensuring agreed standards of practice are achieved

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

In addition to the above duties you will also be expected to perform the below key activities in line with your job role;

• Complete mandatory training in line with Trust policy and procedure
• To participate in the staff appraisal process and to undertake for any staff you manage
• To keep yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy
• To provide management supervision where appropriate
• You will be expected to work collaboratively with key partner organisations, service users, carers, clinicians and other practitioners within the multi-disciplinary team in delivering services; providing a 7-day a week for 365 days a year working shifts, where appropriate and operationally required.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered General Nurse

Desirable criteria

• District Nurse Qualification
• Non-Medical Prescribing

Skills

Essential criteria

• Compression Bandaging SKilss
• Palliative Care experience
• Catheter care experience
• Wound management

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience at Band 6
• Prescribing skills
• Continuing Healthcare knowledge

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered 'suitable alternative employment' to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

Equal Opportunities Employer

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email epunft.recruitment.adverts@nhs.net and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Covid Vaccination

Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.

If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing epunft.cv19hr@nhs.net.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 728.5KB)
• Person Specification (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Why Join The NHS Pension Scheme (PDF, 91.3KB)
• EPUT Pledge - Step into Health (PDF, 211.0KB)
• Candidate Privacy Policy (PDF, 336.6KB)
• Right to Work Information (PDF, 293.6KB)
• Employer Recognition Scheme - Gold Award (PDF, 27.7KB)
• Trust Vision and Values (PDF, 168.9KB)
• Values of the NHS Pension (PDF, 151.3KB)
• EPUT Staff Benefits (PDF, 89.3KB)