Job responsibilities
COMMUNITY
DENTAL SERVICES
Job Description
Post: Senior Dental Officer - Prisons
A
flexible approach to base is necessary to balance the clinical input required across
other HMP sites as part of service development. According to service need, care
may be required at HMP sites across Suffolk, Norfolk & Hertfordshire and
other CDS locations.
Responsible to: Prison Operational Manager
Accountable
to: Chief Operations Officer
ROLE SUMMARY: The post is essentially that of a senior clinician
providing assessment and oral care for prisoners (hereafter referred to as patients).
RELATIONSHIPS: Work in conjunction with the Chief Operations Officer,
Senior Dental Officers, Dental Officers
and Dental Therapists. Liaise with colleagues
in other prison establishments, Community Dental Service, Heads of Healthcare
in prison establishments and Prison Governors.
PRINCIPAL
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1.
To
provide a full range of oral healthcare, screening and preventive care to patients
of the Community Dental Services. Client groups are mainly adult males. Comprehensive clinical assessment of patients
is required, as patients often move from one establishment to another or may
leave and return. Comprehensive clinical records are essential as transfer of
information is often requested and litigation claims are common. Whenever
possible, all treatment to achieve dental fitness is carried out on site by liaison
with other professionals by telephone, email or telemedicine as appropriate (referrals
for treatment outside of HMPs are not encouraged and will be in exceptional
circumstances only).
This
will include:
- Providing comprehensive assessment and
care of patients with urgent dental care needs including accountability with other
dental team members for emergency waiting list prioritisation and management.
- Providing comprehensive assessment and
care of patients for routine care, including accountability with other
dental team members for routine dental care waiting list prioritisation
and management. This also includes awareness of items of dental care that
are excluded or not appropriate to provide in certain circumstances.
- Ensure oral health advice is
embedded in all aspects of care according to advice in Delivering Better
Oral Health. Making Every Contact
Count, is another important principle around smoking cessation and other
health behaviours.
- When established, utilise dental
software programmes to record dental care and ensure system one receives dental
records.
- Using appropriate local
anaesthesia, and patient management approaches to pain control and anxiety
during dental treatment. Clinicians need proficient behaviour management techniques
and conflict resolution skills to manage unpredictable patients.
- Awareness of clinical management, more
relevant to Prisons, such as complications of substance abuse and dental
care.
- Undertake annual mandatory training
relevant to Prison settings, such as Personal Protection Training and
Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) training.
- Providing routine and surgical
extractions. Clinicians need to be proficient with dental extractions to reduce
external referrals where possible.
- Providing a selection of
appropriate restorative or prosthetic replacement of teeth in an effective
way. Where patients move to other
establishments, clinicians must facilitate transfer of dental laboratory
work.
- Operate and help develop team
dentistry within the Service involving dental therapists/hygienists and
dental nurses in delivering patient care and ensure that the Service operates
efficiently and effectively.
2. Assist the Chief Operations Officer in the
management, monitoring, evaluation and development of the Prison Dental
Service. This includes the day to day
management of employees, treatment waiting lists and facilities, health and
safety, clinic budgets and quality of the Services, in particular in relation
to clinical governance. The postholder
will be part of a line management team.
3. Participate in and provide in-service training
and continuing education for other members of the Service. Provide clinical
supervision for dentists and dental therapists.
4. Participate in Clinical Governance,
programmes of clinical audit, peer review and other quality initiatives. Undertake in-service training as required and
demonstrate and record a commitment to continuing dental education.
5. Produce and maintain accurate records of dental
care provided complying with CDS’s Record Keeping Policies. Complete accurately appropriate NHS forms (eg
FP17 forms) and transmission of claims to BSA.
6. Produce and maintain accurate management
records using computer systems where appropriate.
7. The post holder may be asked to undertake
duties in other prison sites or clinics within the Service and other health
service establishments when required for holiday or sickness relief or
temporary redeployment.
8. The post holder should always be aware of
security within the department and establishment, and work within the set
guidelines to ensure that security is maintained in a manner sensitive to patients’
needs.
9. The postholder must ensure that they have an
appropriate awareness of the Local Security Strategy (LSS) and in any event of
uncertainty seek clarification from a Security Manager.
10. Ensure
that the department complies with the security requirements of the prison, the
physical security of the environment and the safe custody of healthcare
equipment in the department is maintained.
11.
Assume personal responsibility for the security of issued keys and radios.
KEY OUTCOMES:
1. Assessment and clinical dental care provided
appropriately to a high standard for patients of the Community Dental Service and
recognised Professional Standards.
2. Work with wider clinical team to ensure
effective management of key performance indicators for the prison service,
including activity targets and quality indicators.
4. Actively participate in and contribute to
CDS clinical governance and peer review activities.
5.
Training, advice and support to the service
and other members of the dental team.
