Perinatal Specialist Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Communication/Relationship Skills

To lead and present complex, sensitive and challenging clinical and professional communication processes that may impact on service users, carers, staff, the perinatal team, the organisation, partner agencies and members of the public, where there are barriers to understanding

Excellent communication skills, engaging as part of a team with equal independency. Participating in peer support, supervisions, MDT meetings, internal and external meetings

To ensure collaborative and interprofessional working with other agencies and services in the local community supporting women, and their families

To communicate complex information to service users and carers regarding personal, psycho-social problems in an empathic and supportive way. This will involve using a range of inter-personal skills in situations that can be emotional, and require a sensitive approach.

To support the Perinatal Mental Health Team Leader with the implementation of care pathways/ care bundles, and provide effective professional and managerial communication with all staff in own area of responsibility

Personal, Professional Development

To maintain, as part of continual professional development, up to date specialist clinical knowledge/skills in this clinical field, using information to effect change in practice and ensuring the effective dissemination of new knowledge

Work closely with the Perinatal Mental Health Team Leader to provide evidence based nursing advice to peers and junior staff

Maintain and demonstrate specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of clinical interventions, procedures and practices relevant to the clinical area

Analysis, Problem Solving and Service Planning

To assess, plan and advise on complex challenging and high risk clinical situations to ensure safety of Service users, carers, staff and the general public

Regularly deal with difficult situations, using complex problem solving expertise to interpret, analyse and resolve the situation to a satisfactory outcome

Demonstrate specialist skills in assessing the needs of Service users and their carers, based on the analysis of complex facts and situations. Interventions will be planned on the assessment and interpretation of this information

Planning and Organisational Skills

To plan care for Service users e.g. organising appointments, treatments, interventions, care and treatment reviews

Responsible for managing and prioritising own workload, balancing the needs of Service users and service requirements/competing priorities.

Physical Skills

Maintain up to date training and knowledge of violence and aggression

Up to date competency in medication knowledge to offer service user information in conjunction with Specialist Doctors advice.

Patient Care

Develops and maintains the service users control over decision making, assess the service users commitment to the jointly determined plan of care, and fosters personal responsibility for health.

Deliver care interventions and specialist advice in a variety of settings, that promote patient flexibility and choice, and which are sensitive to cultural preferences

Develops specialised programmes of care. Provides specialist advice and support to Service users and their families regarding treatments, diagnosis, therapeutic interventions and options available to them.

To act as Key worker for Service users, as well as working jointly with other Navigo community mental health teams, to provide specialist perinatal add on care.

Policy and Service Development Implementation

To contribute to the implementation of policy and practice, informing the Perinatal Mental Health Team Leader of any barriers to implementation within own area of responsibility/specialism

To assist the Perinatal Mental Health Team Leader operational managers and other colleagues with policy, protocol, service/practice development implementation and change e.g. Clinical Governance, business planning, nursing strategy

Evaluates Service users responses to the health care provided and the effectiveness of the care

Responsible for Human Resources

To provide regular structured supervision and performance development reviews (PDRs) for nursing staff in own area of responsibility

Responsible for identifying and addressing nursing practice issues are addressed in own area of responsibility e.g. poor performance, fitness for practice, competency, work related stress and support the Perinatal Mental Health Team Leader on the development of action plans to address these

To provide preceptorship for newly registered nurses as and when required to do so

Contribute to the recruitment, appointment and retention of nurses within own area of responsibility

Be a practising mentor/on the live register of mentors

Qualifications

Essential

• Part III or 13 of NMC live register
• Qualified/ registered degree in Mental health nursing, social care or Occupational therapy
• Post registration/graduate diploma or equivalent experience in related work area, to demonstrate advanced level of practice
• Demonstrable experience of mentoring pre-registration students

Desirable

• Evidence of CPD or experiential learning at an advanced level e.g. Post graduate/Masters level
• Post registration/graduate diploma or equivalent experience in related work area, to demonstrate advanced level of practice
• Leadership training/qualification/experience

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) relevant to the clinical area at specialist level of care
• Evidence of development of specialist practice nursing skills and able to demonstrate the impact of this on practice change/development
• Evidence of promoting/supporting active user/carer involvement/participation
• acting as Key worker.

Desirable

• Working knowledge of Trust policies and procedures in order to effectively lead and manage others
• Development of specialist/advanced level of practice skills and able to demonstrate the impact of this on practice change/development

Experience

Essential

• Ability to conduct a mental health/ psycho-social assessment and risk assessment with service users
• Effective inter-personal skills and experience in supervising and mentoring
• Able to demonstrate effective communication skills
• Good time management skills
• Work within the culture of improving working lives and working time directive
• Ability to demonstrate ethical values and attitudes within a culture of equality and diversity

Desirable

• Ability to lead and motivate staff to embrace change
• Demonstrable experience of working in the specific field where the post is held
• Development of specialist/advanced level of practice skills and able to demonstrate the impact of this on practice change/development
• Leadership/management experience which has had a positive impact and created change within the service delivery/practice
• Professional networking locally
• Ability to effectively Chair meetings

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).