TRIAGE CLINICAL EXPERT PRACTITIONER

Job responsibilities

REPORTS TO

pSPA & Referrals Hub Manager

Head of Community Services

RESPONSIBLE FOR

Deputising for pSPA & Referrals Hub Manager as appropriate

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Chief Executive Officer, Directors, Board of Trustees, Medical Staff, Heads of Service.

All Hospice staff and volunteers, Members of the Public, Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Acute Trusts, Primary and Community Services, Local Authority, Public Health, Other Local Hospices.

Statutory Bodies and Other Organisations.

JOB SUMMARY

Main Purpose

The post holder is responsible and accountable within the Referrals Hub and will

Promote and monitor safe and effective practice.

Enhance the service user experience.

Provide effective support to Referrals Assistant and Referrals & Admissions Coordinators

Contribute to the delivery of the organisations objectives and strategy.

To work leading on incoming referrals to the referral's hub providing high standards of clinical triage/assessment & specialist palliative care, advice and support to individuals, relatives and carers, being a role model to other members of the team & signposting referrals for other services as appropriate.

Using advanced listening and communication skills, clinical expertise to prioritise and guide symptom management of individuals referred to Hospice services

The Triage Clinical Expert Practitioner will work pro-actively across all services areas within Saint Francis Hospice (SFH) ensuring that all processes are in place for an individuals referral to SFH Services and that access to services is appropriate and in real time. The post holder will work closely with Community Services, Ward, Therapies /Family & Individual Support Services, and OrangeLine ensuring that all are informed and working in collaboration for the best outcome for the referred service user.

Main Duties

Champion the Hospice values to provide effective clinical and professional leadership in conjunction with pSPA & Referrals Hub Manager for the whole team within the Referrals Hub to address the needs of individuals, their families and carers.

To promote multi-professional working.

To work leading on incoming referrals to the referral's hub providing high standards of clinical triage/assessment & specialist palliative care, advice and support to individuals, relatives and carers, being a role model to other members of the team & signposting referrals for other services as appropriate.

To support Service manager to facilitate team professional development, expert practice and ensure the highest possible standard of care.

To support the day-to-day incoming referrals in close consultation with the Referral's Hub team, SCCS team leaders and wider teams throughout SFH as well as external referrers.

To work collaboratively with the primary care team to provide high quality specialist support, advice and symptom control to individuals with specialist complex palliative care needs and their carers in their primary care setting.

To support the Community Team Managers /Head of Community Services in monitoring and maintaining quality nursing practice in accordance with national and local standards/guidelines.

Support and engage with Referral Hub developments and respond to all Referral Hub objectives and service delivery goals and opportunities, in line with Hospice strategy.

To be able to work flexibly across a 7-day service as indicated by service need and demand as the Referral Hub further develops in line with strategic direction.

Leadership and Operational Management

To support and deputise an effective, innovative team.

To identify opportunities for service development in liaison with the pSPA & Referrals Hub Manager /Community Team Managers & Head of Community Services.

To attend internal and external Multidisciplinary Teams for liaison of potential admissions and discharges back to services.

To ensure relevant parties are kept informed regarding the complex management of referrals.

To actively monitor key performance indicators regarding referrals for SFH ensuring compliance and reporting any variances to line manager & Head of Community Services.

To ensure that the Referrals Hub is always staffed safely in collaboration with line manager and within allocated resources for the duty rota in line with SCCS to ensure consistency.

To contribute for Referrals HR activity including involvement in recruitment and selection of staff, orientation and induction of new staff as appropriate

To contribute towards budget setting process as requested

To undertake delegated duties from the pSPA & Referrals Hub Manager / Head of Community Services in relation to nursing and clinical issues.

To support the appraisal system and undertake staff appraisals if requested with support from pSPA & Referrals Hub Manager

Contribute to reports as required for internal use and for external use regarding referral demand and outcomes.

Contribute to ensure Referral Hub service compliance with all Health and Safety requirements.

Contribute to local, regional and national forums for specialist palliative care services as a Referrals Hub representative as directed

Develop and maintain working relationships with other Local Hospices, Acute Trusts, Primary Care, Community Services and Local Authority Services to ensure joint service planning as appropriate.

To ensure that the Referrals Hub provides an excellent learning environment for staff and those on placement and ensure that knowledge is shared.

To promote the development of Referrals Hub nursing and administrative support through reflective practice and ensure other support mechanisms are in place.

To work alongside the Service Manager to identify and meet the development needs of staff, through induction, orientation, appraisal and learning/support following incident.

To participate in education programmes, internal and external, as required.

To be responsible for monitoring/support of the clinical staff competency framework.

Attend internal Management Group meetings and other internal meetings relevant to the Triage Clinical Expert Practitioner role as delegated and ensure appropriate information is fed back to the Service Manager & Referrals Hub Team.

Professional Responsibilities

To support the Referrals Hub by example-team work, collaboration, inspiration and direction.

To keep abreast of required development/knowledge related to nursing and specialist palliative and end of life care and ensure application of theory to practice.

To understand the importance of own professional accountability and recognise individual responsibility for personal and professional development in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct.

To identify own development needs and initiate a plan to meet those needs.

To receive reflective practice/one to one supervision for own personal and professional development.

To facilitate quality initiatives both for the Referrals Hub and from a perspective across the hospice.

To adhere to the policies and conditions of service of SFH.

To understand that the Referrals Hub clinical specialist role may change as the service develops, but only with discussion between the pSPA& Referrals Hub Manager, Head of Community Services and Director of Care and Community.

Research and Audit

To participate in research and audit as appropriate

To identify opportunities for research and audit of practice.

Governance and Quality Assurance

To assist and support with responding, reporting, investigating and learning with regards to concerns, complaints and incidents in liaison with the Head of Nursing, Quality and Assurance.

To support and contribute the Referrals Hub manages safeguarding in line with policy, process and escalation, with documented reference to Safeguarding Leads.

To assist with follow- up of recommendations from internal audits.

To ensure and support that national and local policies and procedures are adhered to by all staff and in accordance with the Regulations and Standards of the Care Quality Commission and Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC).

Other Requirements

Essential

• Demonstrable experience in palliative care.
• Ability to maintain and understand the importance of confidentiality.
• Willingness to take on new responsibilities and respond positively to change.
• Willingness to work flexibly across a 7-day service to accommodate service requirements.

Experience

Essential

• Mentoring and supervising senior level nursing posts.
• Experience of supporting and developing others through an appraisal process; manage others promoting fairness and teamwork.
• Experience of service redesign and implementation.
• Experience of working with/developing palliative care services.

Desirable

• Experience of coordinating an effective duty rota and resourcing a service to meet changing levels of individual needs/complexity.
• Experience of working within the NHS or Local Government and in particular implementing service policies and procedures.

Skills Abilities Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal presentation.
• Excellent organisational/time management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to communicate effectively at all levels across a range of situations, including difficult and complex conversations.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise constantly changing, high volume workloads experience and ability to work to deadlines.
• Proven ability to make clinical decisions at all levels of complexity, to work on own initiative and accept responsibility.
• Advanced palliative symptom control knowledge and complex case management.
• Ability to work alone and as part of a team.
• Working knowledge of IT - inclusive of excel, access, word and power point.
• Knowledge of key Palliative Care and service provision levers.
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of hospice work coupled with enthusiasm and commitment to the work of the Hospice.
• Ability to command the confidence and credibility of clinicians and managers.
• Able to think operationally and strategically.
• Adaptable, flexible and able to handle uncertainty.
• Able to engage with, motivate others.
• Ability to provide clinical supervision as appropriate.

Desirable

• Knowledge of existing NHS and Local Authority structure/strategy

Responsibilities

Desirable

• Is able to demonstrate experience and knowledge of policy and service development implementation.

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified clinical professional (nursing/other) with current registration and evidence of PIN/Registration.
• Significant clinical senior level experience Band 6/7.
• Degree or equivalent experience in relevant specialist palliative care area of work.
• Evidence of knowledge and practical application of team management of change.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
• In depth knowledge and understanding of the CQC registered service requirements for hospice service delivery.
• Evidence of senior role development or willingness to work towards

SFH Values

Essential

• Compassionate we are a caring team, kind to each other and put the needs of individuals and their loved ones at the heart of what we do.
• Collaborative we value working in partnership across our communities and are proactive about nurturing relationships with our stakeholders.
• Creative we are forward-thinking, adaptable in our changing world and embrace change and innovative ways of working

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).