Job summary
Community Mental Health Nurse - Clozapine clinic The Tower Hamlets Clozapine clinic is looking for an experienced, compassionate Band 6 Mental Health Nurse looking to specialise in a highly skilled clinical area. If you work well under pressure and enjoy working as part of a multidisciplinary team, and want to make a meaningful difference to service users with complex needs, we would love to hear from you.
The Band 6 Clozapine Clinic Nurse will play a key role in delivering specialist care to adults receiving Clozapine treatment for treatment-resistant psychosis. Working within the Tower Hamlets Clozapine Clinic, the post holder will provide expert physical and mental health monitoring, including blood tests, ECGs, side-effect monitoring, and health promotion. The role involves assessing risk, supporting service users with complex needs, issuing medication safely, and maintaining high-quality clinical documentation.
As an integral part of the multidisciplinary team, the nurse also contributes to service development, staff support, training delivery, and evidence-based practice. The post includes deputising for the Clinic Manager, maintaining strong communication across services, and ensuring care is safe, consistent, and person-centred.
Main duties of the job
Provide specialist physical and mental health monitoring for service users on Clozapine, including blood tests, ECGs, side-effect monitoring, and health promotion. Support safe medication management in line with Clozapine policy and ZTAS protocols. Assess mental state, identify and manage risks, and contribute to care planning with the MDT. Act as a clinical resource for service users, carers, and professionals, offering advice and guidance. Maintain accurate clinical records, produce reports, and communicate effectively across services. Deputise for the Clinic Manager when required and contribute to audits, service development, and policy updates. Provide leadership in venepuncture practice, safe handling of blood, and maintaining clinic safety standards. Participate in training delivery for students, staff, carers, and community teams.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- Manage and contribute to a caseload of service users receiving Clozapine, ensuring ongoing monitoring and highquality care.
- Undertake specialist physical health assessments including cardiovascular checks, weight monitoring, sideeffect screening, diabetes monitoring, venepuncture, ECGs, provide healthy lifestyle advice and issue medications.
- Respond calmly and safely to physical health emergencies such as abnormal blood results, myocarditis, bowel obstruction, or other urgent clinical concerns.
- Assess mental state and contribute to risk assessments and risk management planning alongside the MDT, care coordinators, and clinicians.
- Interpret ZTAS results, liaise with clinical teams, and devise safe care plans accordingly.
- Act as proxy for ZTAS and maintain the Haematology Investigation machine (PocHi100) in compliance with Trust and national requirements.
- Conduct capacity assessments in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and ensure decisions reflect service users best interests.
- Provide expert advice to nurses, clinicians, carers, housing providers, and other professionals.
- Lead on venepuncture practice within the clinic and contribute to the phlebotomy service for all Clozapine service users.
- Ensure safe handling, storage, administration, and documentation of medications according to Trust policy and NMC guidance.
Communication & Collaboration
- Maintain effective communication and collaborative working with internal and external services, including NMHTs, consultants, inpatient units, HTT, GPs, pharmacy and community organisations.
- Provide information and education to service users to support informed decisionmaking.
- Involve families and carers appropriately, respecting confidentiality and consent.
- Produce accurate, timely clinical documentation, reports, and electronic records.
Service Development & Policy - Support the implementation of Trust, local, and national policies and clinical guidelines.
- Promote and apply evidencebased practice in the use of Clozapine and related physical health treatments.
- Contribute to the development and updating of Clozapine-related policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures.
- Lead on service audits, evaluation, and Trustwide monitoring of Clozapine.
- Encourage and facilitate service-user involvement, including userled feedback and satisfaction surveys.
Leadership & Management - Deputise for the Clinic Manager as required, including daytoday leadership, service coordination, and extended cover when needed.
- Provide leadership in maintaining a safe clinical environment, particularly in relation to handling blood and managing infectioncontrol risks.
- Support junior staff, students, and new starters, providing supervision, mentorship, and local induction.
Education, Training & Supervision - Participate in and deliver training programmes for service users, carers, students, community teams, inpatient services, and wider professionals.
- Engage in clinical supervision, annual appraisal, and continuous professional development.
- Keep up to date with developments in mental health, physical healthcare, and Clozapine treatment.
Information & Administration - Maintain accurate clinical records in accordance with Trust and NMC guidelines.
- Collect and submit required service statistics.
- Undertake administrative tasks necessary for the smooth operation of the clinic.
- Ensure accurate service-user information is available and accessible to those involved in care.
Research & Evidence-Based Practice - Promote and apply evidence-based practice within clinical work.
- Participate in research, audits, and qualityimprovement initiatives related to Clozapine and mental health nursing.
- Maintain a personal CPD portfolio demonstrating ongoing professional development.
Professional Responsibilities - Adhere to the NMC Code of Conduct and Trust professional standards.
- Exercise professional judgement in clinical decisionmaking, seeking senior guidance when required.
- Reflect on practice through supervision and maintain awareness of personal attitudes and behaviours within therapeutic relationships.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- Manage and contribute to a caseload of service users receiving Clozapine, ensuring ongoing monitoring and highquality care.
- Undertake specialist physical health assessments including cardiovascular checks, weight monitoring, sideeffect screening, diabetes monitoring, venepuncture, ECGs, provide healthy lifestyle advice and issue medications.
- Respond calmly and safely to physical health emergencies such as abnormal blood results, myocarditis, bowel obstruction, or other urgent clinical concerns.
- Assess mental state and contribute to risk assessments and risk management planning alongside the MDT, care coordinators, and clinicians.
- Interpret ZTAS results, liaise with clinical teams, and devise safe care plans accordingly.
- Act as proxy for ZTAS and maintain the Haematology Investigation machine (PocHi100) in compliance with Trust and national requirements.
- Conduct capacity assessments in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and ensure decisions reflect service users best interests.
- Provide expert advice to nurses, clinicians, carers, housing providers, and other professionals.
- Lead on venepuncture practice within the clinic and contribute to the phlebotomy service for all Clozapine service users.
- Ensure safe handling, storage, administration, and documentation of medications according to Trust policy and NMC guidance.
Communication & Collaboration
- Maintain effective communication and collaborative working with internal and external services, including NMHTs, consultants, inpatient units, HTT, GPs, pharmacy and community organisations.
- Provide information and education to service users to support informed decisionmaking.
- Involve families and carers appropriately, respecting confidentiality and consent.
- Produce accurate, timely clinical documentation, reports, and electronic records.
Service Development & Policy - Support the implementation of Trust, local, and national policies and clinical guidelines.
- Promote and apply evidencebased practice in the use of Clozapine and related physical health treatments.
- Contribute to the development and updating of Clozapine-related policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures.
- Lead on service audits, evaluation, and Trustwide monitoring of Clozapine.
- Encourage and facilitate service-user involvement, including userled feedback and satisfaction surveys.
Leadership & Management - Deputise for the Clinic Manager as required, including daytoday leadership, service coordination, and extended cover when needed.
- Provide leadership in maintaining a safe clinical environment, particularly in relation to handling blood and managing infectioncontrol risks.
- Support junior staff, students, and new starters, providing supervision, mentorship, and local induction.
Education, Training & Supervision - Participate in and deliver training programmes for service users, carers, students, community teams, inpatient services, and wider professionals.
- Engage in clinical supervision, annual appraisal, and continuous professional development.
- Keep up to date with developments in mental health, physical healthcare, and Clozapine treatment.
Information & Administration - Maintain accurate clinical records in accordance with Trust and NMC guidelines.
- Collect and submit required service statistics.
- Undertake administrative tasks necessary for the smooth operation of the clinic.
- Ensure accurate service-user information is available and accessible to those involved in care.
Research & Evidence-Based Practice - Promote and apply evidence-based practice within clinical work.
- Participate in research, audits, and qualityimprovement initiatives related to Clozapine and mental health nursing.
- Maintain a personal CPD portfolio demonstrating ongoing professional development.
Professional Responsibilities - Adhere to the NMC Code of Conduct and Trust professional standards.
- Exercise professional judgement in clinical decisionmaking, seeking senior guidance when required.
- Reflect on practice through supervision and maintain awareness of personal attitudes and behaviours within therapeutic relationships.
Person Specification
Education, Training and qualifications
Essential
- Registered mental health nurse
- Evidence of continued professional development
- Certificate of competence in Phlebotomy or a willingness to undertake.
- oPractice assessor qualification (Supporting and assessing learning in practice settings or equivalent) or willingness to complete.
Desirable
- Certificate of competence ECG training
Previous Experience
Essential
- Working with people with mental health and physical health problems.
- Managing challenging and aggressive behaviour. The Clozapine Clinic can frequently be a high pressure environment where verbal violence, physical threats and assault can occur on an ongoing basis. You will have excellent communication, negotiation and de-escalation skills.
- Working within a multidisciplinary team environment.
- You will have developed highly specialised physical/mental health care skills and knowledge.
Skills and Abilities / Clinical Leadership
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills appropriate to the needs of the patient group and clinical speciality
- Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care appropriate to the needs of the client group and the clinical speciality. Using evidence based approaches.
- Proven leadership skills in clinical area and ability to deputise for the Clinic manager in their absence.
- Take a lead in the ordering, storage and issuing of medications at the Clozapine Clinic.
- Ability to produce and deliver training to educate and support to service users, carers and professionals
Knowledge
Essential
- Mental Health issues relevant to adults with acute mental health problems.
- Mental Health Act 1983.
- Able to identify and determine physical health risk with an understanding of the current treatments available.
- Ability to extrapolate the potential long term negative physical effects of Clozapine use, e.g. metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular deterioration, type 2 diabetes, liver impairment, sexual dysfunction, bowel obstruction, seizures and death.
Othere requirements
Essential
- To take a lead with service user/carers quality outcomes and implanting these into service development
- To participate in the induction of new staff as required.
- A commitment to anti discriminatory practice in the workplace.
Person Specification
Education, Training and qualifications
Essential
- Registered mental health nurse
- Evidence of continued professional development
- Certificate of competence in Phlebotomy or a willingness to undertake.
- oPractice assessor qualification (Supporting and assessing learning in practice settings or equivalent) or willingness to complete.
Desirable
- Certificate of competence ECG training
Previous Experience
Essential
- Working with people with mental health and physical health problems.
- Managing challenging and aggressive behaviour. The Clozapine Clinic can frequently be a high pressure environment where verbal violence, physical threats and assault can occur on an ongoing basis. You will have excellent communication, negotiation and de-escalation skills.
- Working within a multidisciplinary team environment.
- You will have developed highly specialised physical/mental health care skills and knowledge.
Skills and Abilities / Clinical Leadership
Essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills appropriate to the needs of the patient group and clinical speciality
- Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care appropriate to the needs of the client group and the clinical speciality. Using evidence based approaches.
- Proven leadership skills in clinical area and ability to deputise for the Clinic manager in their absence.
- Take a lead in the ordering, storage and issuing of medications at the Clozapine Clinic.
- Ability to produce and deliver training to educate and support to service users, carers and professionals
Knowledge
Essential
- Mental Health issues relevant to adults with acute mental health problems.
- Mental Health Act 1983.
- Able to identify and determine physical health risk with an understanding of the current treatments available.
- Ability to extrapolate the potential long term negative physical effects of Clozapine use, e.g. metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular deterioration, type 2 diabetes, liver impairment, sexual dysfunction, bowel obstruction, seizures and death.
Othere requirements
Essential
- To take a lead with service user/carers quality outcomes and implanting these into service development
- To participate in the induction of new staff as required.
- A commitment to anti discriminatory practice in the workplace.
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
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).
