Learning Disability +/or Autism Liaison Nurse

Job responsibilities

Role summary

This is a post arising from recommendations and targets for health identified with Valuing People (2001), Valuing People Now (2009), Healthcare for All (2008) and NHSE&I Improvement Standards (2018).

Royal College of Nursing (RCN), (2021) reported that all services must make reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities. Learning disability nursing is clearly a reasonable adjustment that can ensure people with learning disabilities have equity in access to health and social care, and their human rights are upheld.

The postholder will actively promote the role of the liaison nurse role within the WCFT ensuring such information is also accessible to people with a learning disability +/or autism and their carers.

To raise the profile of the health care needs of people with a learning disability +/or autism across secondary care provision and to facilitate open and easy access for adults with learning disabilities +/or autism and their carers to the various departments within the WCFT.

The role involves close collaborative working with colleagues in both the hospital and community settings to help facilitate a smooth pathway through acute services to enable continuity for patients and their families/support workers when accessing both elective and emergency treatment. Planning effective care whilst in hospital,

and then assist with comprehensive discharge/aftercare arrangements for adult patients with a learning disability.

Key responsibilities

Actively promote the role of the liaison nurse role within the WCFT ensuring such information is also accessible to people with a learning disability +/or autism and their carers.

Identify barriers to accessing acute health care services, for adults with a learning disability +/or autism and plan actions and initiatives to overcome and assist easier access to the WCFT services.

Liaison with patient, family/carers to ensure reasonable adjustments are made prior to OPA and admissions and supporting them on their journey

Working collaboratively with health and social care professionals and Integrated Learning Disability Teams to ensure effective health facilitation and a smoother pathway from primary care into secondary care.

Undertaking comprehensive assessments of health and social care needs

Developing and implementing care plans/patient support plans

Participation in multi-disciplinary or best interest meetings, providing expert knowledge, acting as the patients advocate to enable informed decision making.

Providing nursing care and interventions to maintain and improve health and promote wellbeing.

Providing advice, education and support to people and their carers throughout their care journey

Enabling equality of access and outcomes within health and social care services

Provide joined up working between community services, patients, families and carers and out-patient departments to ensure patients with a learning disability and/or autism are enabled to access their appointments.

To be an active member of the Acute Liaison Network Group.

Providing education and support to promote healthy lifestyle choices

Acting to safeguard and protect the rights of people with learning disabilities when they are vulnerable and in need of additional support.

Play a key role in the development of the LD&A agenda, and LD&A action plan across the Trust.

To assist in providing information so that the health needs of people with learning disabilities +/or autism are reflected within Trust priorities.

The annual completion of the Learning Disability and Autism NHS E/I benchmark audit.

Responsible for monitoring the completion of actions and improving the Trusts compliance to the NHS E/I benchmark.

Contribute to the design, development, delivery and evaluation of relevant training packages.

To support the roll out of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training to meet identified needs specifically to ensure that colleagues have awareness of learning disabilities and/or autism in acute hospitals.

Work across adult services and support patient transition from paediatric services to WCFT.

Support all areas of the hospital including out-patient clinics and in-patient admissions.

Support and advise in the complex discharge of patients with a learning disability, to support a timely and safe discharge to an appropriate setting which will meet their needs.

Support with clinical audit completion and report on Trust compliance with reasonable adjustments as well as other LD audits as required.

To work in partnership with people with learning disabilities, self-advocacy group, patient experience and carers groups in the development, implementation and maintenance of service provision.

Support with the sharing and learning of lessons learned and improvements required to improve the lives, and prevent unavoidable deaths of those with a learning disability and or autism., e.g.from LeDeR reviews, LDA specific safeguarding learning.

Ensuring the Trust reports within the required timeframe the deaths of those with and learning disability and or autism and supports any external investigations in a timely manner (eg LeDeR).

Adhere to Trust policies and procedures.

To use the IT systems and facilities effectively.

SKills & Attributes

Essential

• Ability to maintain effective methods of communication
• Understanding of equal opportunities and the need to treat people with equal respect
• Ability to negotiate and communicate verbally and in writing with a variety of people; patients, families, carers, healthcare professionals and other professions.
• Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care plans for patients
• Assess and develop management plans to minimize potential risks
• Ability to work well as part of a team

Other

Essential

• Use a range of resources to evaluate service delivery
• Establish and maintain effective administration systems

Experience

Essential

• Substantial post registration experience.
• Knowledge of health issues pertaining to learning disability adults
• Demonstrable experience of working with patients with complex needs
• Good knowledge of Mental Capacity Act.
• Good understanding of safeguarding procedures.
• Understanding of positive behavior support

Desirable

• Experience of involvement with improvement initiatives.
• Experience of involvement with quality initiatives.
• Experience of audit.
• Experience of implementing positive behavior support plans

Qualifications

Essential

• Registration on NMC Register.
• Registered Nurse in Learning Disability with experience of working with adults with Learning Disabilities
• Relevant post-registration qualifications (Epilepsy, community nursing etc) .
• Clinical mentor/supervisor/ assessor in practice

Desirable

• Advanced Diploma (Learning Disability).
• Degree (working towards) or equivalent.
• ECDL or working towards.
• Leadership qualification or willingness to gain.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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