Job summary
We are currently seeking a motivated mental health nurse to join the team as a Charge Nurse at the Chichester Low Secure Forensic Service.
The Chichester Centre is a modern unit providing low secure services for men and women. The service is configured around two male wards and one female ward, with approximately 16 service users on each of the wards. Each ward has a well-established MDT led by a ward manager. The MDTs include nursing, OT, social work, psychiatry and psychology. There is an in-reach pharmacy, SALT and GP service. We have a working together group (WTG) which meets fortnightly and includes service user representatives from each ward as well as staff. The WTG take a lead on service improvement across the unit.
We have nursing vacancies within Band 5, Band 6 and a Band 7. We are a centrally located service with good commuting links to Bognor Regis, Portsmouth and Worthing.
As a Charge Nurse you will possess excellent communication skills, leadership skills and evidenced based clinical skills, providing high quality holistic, research based, non-judgmental patient centred care at all times.
For successful candidates joining Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust we offer a golden hello of £2,000 pounds provided incrementally over a two-year period. We welcome staff within the organisation seeking a new challenge.
Main duties of the job
In this role you will be clinically responsible for providing nursing assessments, when appropriate, of referred patients to determine the suitability for forensic mental health nursing intervention. Additionally, you will be responsible for the immediate management and clinical supervision of all junior staff throughout each span of duty. You will work collaboratively with medical staff and other health professionals to support the delivery of patient care. Ultimately, you will provide effective leadership and management to staff to promote high performance standards, both individually and as a team, in order to achieve the Trust's objectives and priorities.
The post holder will assess, plan and implement care, and provide specialist nursing advice and carry out specialist nursing procedures in the agreed care group. They will provide clinical and managerial leadership to junior staff, providing supervision to junior staff and students.
They will assist the Ward Manager in ensuring the effective running of the ward.
About us
Forensic mental health is a unique and fascinating field which provides both challenge and opportunity in abundance.
Being curious, creative, self-aware and assertive are important skills that you will build on, as you are often required to think 'outside the box'.
We play a crucial part in supporting and advocating service users towards recovery, while maintaining the legal requirements within the MHA and of public protection.
Our Trust:
We provide mental health and learning disability care for all ages across Sussex and for children and young people in Hampshire.
We'd love you to join our organisation, rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the CQC. Our staff agree, with 82% recognising patient care as our top priority in our staff survey.
Other key survey results include:
- 79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work within their team.
- 77% identifying the opportunities to show initiative in their roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will work as part of a multi disciplinary team acting as care co-ordinator for a defined number of service users. They will:
- Undertake assessments of individuals with complex mental health presentations, including those service users presenting with higher levels of risk.
- To develop in collaboration with the service user their care plan and their recovery plan.
- Offer specialist nursing assessment and advice where required.
- Provide clinical and managerial leadership on the ward.
- Assess and manage on going risks as identified during the assessment, ensuring that this is done in collaboration with the service user and carers.
- To regularly review risk factors and make changes to the management of them as necessary.
- Provide supervision of junior staff and trainees where appropriate.
- To regularly take charge of the clinical environment over a span of duty.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will work as part of a multi disciplinary team acting as care co-ordinator for a defined number of service users. They will:
- Undertake assessments of individuals with complex mental health presentations, including those service users presenting with higher levels of risk.
- To develop in collaboration with the service user their care plan and their recovery plan.
- Offer specialist nursing assessment and advice where required.
- Provide clinical and managerial leadership on the ward.
- Assess and manage on going risks as identified during the assessment, ensuring that this is done in collaboration with the service user and carers.
- To regularly review risk factors and make changes to the management of them as necessary.
- Provide supervision of junior staff and trainees where appropriate.
- To regularly take charge of the clinical environment over a span of duty.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional qualification
- Diploma/Degree in Mental Health Nursing
- Registered Nurse with current registration (mental health / LD/ Adult) appropriate to the job role.
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualifying experience relevant to the care group
Clinical Knowledge/Eperience
Essential
- Experience of working alongside people with severe mental health problems particularly in their acute phase of illness
- Experience of supervising staff
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
- Experience of working within the CPA process
- Understanding of clinical governance
Communication/Relationship Skills
Essential
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to communicate in a clear and unambiguous way
- Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Ability to develop effective professional relationships with others
- Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships
- Establish and maintain communication with individuals and groups about difficult or complex matters overcoming any differences in communication
- Develop own skills and knowledge and provide information to others to help their development
- Promote people's equality, diversity and human rights
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Skills of assessing and interpreting mental health service user conditions, communicating that with others and taking appropriate action.
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- Organising and co-ordinating the activities of others within the ward environment
- Planning off duty rotas
People Management/Leadership/Resources
Essential
- Experience of handling patient property and valuables
- Experience of acting as authorised signatory for staff timesheets
IT Skills
Essential
- IT literate and willing to enhance skills
- Computer literate. Sound working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
- Ability to use clinical information systems
Physical Skills
Essential
- Ability to carry out PMVA techniques
- Ability to administer IM medication as required
Emotional Effort
Essential
- Ability to manage exposure to disturbed service users who may be acutely psychotic and exhibiting extremes of behaviour
- Ability to manage exposure to verbal and physical abuse on occasions, all of which can be potentially exhausting and skilled intervention is required to avoid burnout
- The ability to manage distressed relatives
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Professional qualification
- Diploma/Degree in Mental Health Nursing
- Registered Nurse with current registration (mental health / LD/ Adult) appropriate to the job role.
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant post qualifying experience relevant to the care group
Clinical Knowledge/Eperience
Essential
- Experience of working alongside people with severe mental health problems particularly in their acute phase of illness
- Experience of supervising staff
- Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
- Experience of conducting clinical assessments including risk assessments
- Experience of partnership working within and across various statutory and non statutory teams and agencies
- Experience of working within the CPA process
- Understanding of clinical governance
Communication/Relationship Skills
Essential
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to communicate in a clear and unambiguous way
- Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Ability to develop effective professional relationships with others
- Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships
- Establish and maintain communication with individuals and groups about difficult or complex matters overcoming any differences in communication
- Develop own skills and knowledge and provide information to others to help their development
- Promote people's equality, diversity and human rights
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Skills of assessing and interpreting mental health service user conditions, communicating that with others and taking appropriate action.
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- Organising and co-ordinating the activities of others within the ward environment
- Planning off duty rotas
People Management/Leadership/Resources
Essential
- Experience of handling patient property and valuables
- Experience of acting as authorised signatory for staff timesheets
IT Skills
Essential
- IT literate and willing to enhance skills
- Computer literate. Sound working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
- Ability to use clinical information systems
Physical Skills
Essential
- Ability to carry out PMVA techniques
- Ability to administer IM medication as required
Emotional Effort
Essential
- Ability to manage exposure to disturbed service users who may be acutely psychotic and exhibiting extremes of behaviour
- Ability to manage exposure to verbal and physical abuse on occasions, all of which can be potentially exhausting and skilled intervention is required to avoid burnout
- The ability to manage distressed relatives
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.
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).
Additional information
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).
