Clinical Charge Nurse - John Dickson Ward

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Clinical Charge Nurse - John Dickson Ward & ES1

Band 6

Main area: Southwark directorate

Grade: Band 6

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shift pattern, including night shifts and weekends)

Job ref: 334-NUR-7074855-LF

Site: John Dickson Ward, Maudsley Hospital

Town: London

Salary: £44,806 - £53,134 per annum inclusive of HCAS

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 06/04/2025 23:59

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to providing high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for the care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

2 x Substantive positions

Please note that this vacancy is for 2 wards: John Dickson Ward (Male Acute) and ES1 - Female PICU ward, in the Maudsley site.

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. It will be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on a regular basis. You may be required to work at other locations within the Trust as determined by the duties of your post. You may be required to undertake any other duties at the request of the line manager which are commensurate with the role, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover. This job description describes responsibilities, as they are currently required. It is anticipated duties will change over time and the job description may need to be reviewed in the future.

Main duties of the job

1. Co-ordinating and evaluating collaborative patient centred care; getting feedback and improving plans with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
2. Liaising and working positively with members of the multi-disciplinary team and partners.
3. Administering, and monitoring the side-effects of, medication; monitoring service user safety; safe custody of medicines, sharps, clinical equipment, report all incidents following trust protocols.
4. Leading and supporting/teaching junior staff on risk assessment and risk management that involves making decisions based on knowledge of the research evidence, knowledge of the individual service user and their social context, knowledge of the service user’s own experience and clinical.
5. Undertaking 1-1 engagement with service users in an honest, open and non-judgmental manner.
6. Recognising and valuing service users as individuals, acknowledging the importance of maintaining the service user’s respect and dignity at all times and ensuring that the care provided respects equality and diversity.
7. Developing care plans that reflect service user needs and relevant patient care documentation working in partnership with service users, wider MDT and family/carers.
8. Ensuring the monitoring and recording of service user clinical observations are undertaken, such as physical observations and vital signs, and treating or escalating as appropriate any signs or symptoms of deterioration to the relevant professional for treatment.

Working for our organisation

The post holder must ensure that personal information for patients, members of staff and all other individuals is accurate, up-to-date, kept secure and confidential at all times in compliance with the Data Protection Act, the Caldicott principles and the common law duty of confidentiality. The post holder must follow record-keeping guidelines to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

There is a Smoke Free Policy in operation. In accordance with this policy smoking is positively discouraged and is not permitted anywhere within the buildings, on the premises or grounds.

All staff must comply with all Health & Safety Policies and Procedures. Staff must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under Health and Safety legislation and ensure that agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors.

Each of the Trusts in the South London Mental Health and Community Partnership has a framework of values and commitments:

• Excellence: Caring, kind and polite
• Respectful: Having user focus, prompt and value your time, open
• Partnership: Take time to listen to you, compassionate
• Safety: Be honest and direct with you, collaborative
• Responsive: Will do as I say I am going to do, consistent
• Learning

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Working autonomously within the parameters of the role leading and supporting junior staff and the wider care team to implement the delivery of quality nursing care, contributing to the physical, psychological, social, recreational and spiritual care in a recovery-focused way through therapeutic engagement and activities, and taking steps to address any issues that arise.

1. Co-ordinating and evaluating collaborative patient centred care; getting feedback and improving plans with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
2. Providing accurate information about care in an accessible format to patients and their relatives.
3. Liaising and working positively with members of the multi-disciplinary team and partners.
4. Administering, and monitoring the side-effects of, medication; monitoring service user safety; safe custody of medicines, sharps, clinical equipment, report all incidents following trust protocols.
5. Leading and supporting/teaching junior staff on risk assessment and risk management that involves making decisions based on knowledge of the research evidence, knowledge of the individual service user and their social context, knowledge of the service user’s own experience and clinical.
6. Supporting and supervising junior staff to develop the management of care needs through:

• Monitoring of individual service user/patient progress
• Feedback and discussion
• Producing reports and in-care reviews
• Devising a plan of care and interventions in partnership with service user, carer and MDT.

Coordinating junior staff and the wider care team in providing hands-on care to service users and evaluating processes of care delivered. This will include:

1. Undertaking 1-1 engagement with service users in an honest, open and non-judgmental manner.
2. Developing care plans that reflect service user needs and relevant patient care documentation working in partnership with service users, wider MDT and family/carers.
3. Ensuring the monitoring and recording of service user clinical observations are undertaken, such as physical observations and vital signs, and treating or escalating as appropriate any signs or symptoms of deterioration to the relevant professional for treatment. Promote healthy lifestyles and give health promotion advice.
4. Implementing the principles of ‘recovery’: encouraging and supporting service users to engage with healthy lifestyles.
5. Advocating for service users’ needs and rights within Trust, encouraging and empowering service users to have an optimum level of responsibility for their individual programme of care.
6. Supporting and teaching junior staff to develop understanding of mental health signs and symptoms and develop appropriate responses to these.
7. Recognising and responding appropriately to challenging behaviour in line with Trust policies.
8. Leading and coordinating junior staff and the wider care team in the management of difficult situations, de-escalation, and developing resilience and strategies to manage, including leading staff and patient ‘de-briefing’ sessions.
9. Demonstrating a depth of knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, and Deprivation of Liberty and other legislation applicable to the practice area and how they are implemented in practice ensuring adherence to legislation at all times.
10. Contributing to an effective communication process with appropriate and accurate information to patients, carers, family, friends.
11. Engaging and listening carefully and actively and responding using appropriate language and accessible communication methods and skills.
12. Demonstrating effective clinical communication and documentation to internal and external stakeholders ensuring effective verbal and written handover of relevant and objective information.
13. Contributing towards the ongoing quality of service and care by managing the patient caseload, organising care including delegating tasks and duties appropriately to staff with relevant competency, identifying and mitigating any risk issues in relation to the service users’ health and social.
14. Informing the relevant healthcare professionals if there are any significant:

• Changes in the service user’s physical or mental state
• Factors relevant to the service user
• Incidents related to the service user

Maintaining timely and accurate service user written/electronic records in line with Trust policies. Using care plans, pathway documents and Information System progress notes appropriately and in a timely manner.

Reporting, without delay, any safety or security concerns to maintain the safety of service users, carers, staff and others in line with Trust policies.

Maintaining confidential information in accordance with Trust policies.

Protecting service users, self, and others by maintaining a clean and healthy environment in accordance with health and safety and infection control policies. Ensuring safe working practices and working environment including monitoring and maintaining cleanliness of the service area and reporting, without delay, all hazards - real and potential.

Leading audit and compliance activities and working in ways that support shared responsibility within the team: demonstrating support, respect and courtesy towards colleagues; working in a professional manner and with Trust values always in mind, respecting the boundaries of the relationship with service users/patients, carers and families.

Leading sessions on reflective practice for the wider care team to ensure effective patient care is based on evidence-based practice and with Trust values in mind. Leading staff training and meetings including reflective practice groups and activities including the development of reflective practice.

Participating in supervision by a nominated senior staff member, including annual review of performance as part of the appraisal (or PADR) system. Providing and coordinating and overseeing the supervision to Bands 2 – 5 nursing staff.

Demonstrating and promoting a clear leadership role to others and acting as a role model to others at all times in accordance with Trust values.

Undertaking mandatory training as required by Trust policy plus supporting junior staff to complete Care Certificate, Trust Level 2 Apprenticeship if appropriate and other CPD training related to the role or area of practice.

Supporting the team manager to conduct clinical or governance reviews of the team’s activity and the monitoring of performance and collating and disseminating the information to the appropriate individual. Contributing to relevant audit practice development on research activity that may be taking place in the work area.

Supporting Band 5 nurses to lead for the assessment and co-ordination of the Care Certificate for all Healthcare Support Workers in the clinical area, particularly if reasonable adjustments need to be made to complete training and learning.

Deputising for the team manager in their absence and being accountable for the nursing care and management of team, including maintaining communication with the modern matron and senior nursing staff.

Assisting the team manager in ensuring the team is safely staffed, prioritising and deploying resources within budgetary parameters and escalating concerns to senior nursing staff where appropriate in accordance with HR policies and procedures.

Supporting the team manager to investigate incidents and complaints: compiling reports and disseminating this information to senior management.

Recognising nursing practice that needs improvement and to work in partnership with the team manager to ensure appropriate action is taken to address it.

Supporting the team manager to ensure mandatory and statutory training are up to date for all staff.

Linking with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to ensure delivery of care is in line with current teaching standards for both pre-registration and post-registration nursing.

Demonstrating awareness and engagement with the SLMH&CP programme to develop the band 2-5 clinical workforce. This will include support of junior staff to undertake and complete apprenticeships as part of their career progression.

Facilitating the induction of new staff and supporting the team manager to ensure all newly qualified band 5 registered nurses have undertaken their preceptorship and revalidation process.

Maintaining your status as a practice assessor and practice supervisor and participate in training of student nurses.

Attending and participating in regular personal development, ensuring compliance with all mandatory training requirements. Maintaining a work development portfolio and complying with all requirements of NMC revalidation.

Measuring and developing standards of care through collection of benchmarking data where appropriate and undertaking audits to ensure care meets the requirements of the CQC and Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Participating and encouraging research within the clinical environment and ensuring knowledge of it is widely disseminated throughout the team, trust and wider community.

Contributing to research and audit activities, disseminating knowledge and results and contributing to relevant audit practice development and research activity that may be taking place in the work area.

Undertaking any other duties that are commensurate with the band and nature of the post.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Registered Adult Nurse and/or Registered Mental Health Nurse and/or Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience of research-based/reflective practice, e.g. understanding and ability to use supervision to reflect on skills, attitude and knowledge and develop these by using evidence-based practice
• Experience as a preceptor/mentor
• Experience of taking responsibility for a ward/clinical unit
• Experience of supporting practice development in clinical areas

Skills and Abilities

• Able to provide quality care that is responsive to service user’s needs, without close supervision
• Teaching ability
• Resilient: able to cope with difficult interpersonal situations.
• Self-aware, self-confident and intrinsically motivated to do a good job and to motivate others
• Problem solving, ability to identify problems, review options and take appropriate action without a predetermined framework

Other Requirements

• Empathy for service users including individuals who have experienced mental health problems.
• Advocates for all individuals, particularly those with protected characteristics; promotes equality and diversity
• Years of experience in inpatient ward.
• DSN training/skills.

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer; we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights.

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not been successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion; Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.