Continuing Healthcare Nurse Assessor

Main area RGN, RNLD or RNMH Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (SLA Northamptonshire) Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week Job ref 880-7088755

Employer Arden and GEM Commissioning Support Unit Employer type NHS Site Haylock House Town Kettering Salary £37,338 - £44,962 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 16/04/2025 23:59

Continuing Healthcare Nurse Assessor

NHS AfC: Band 6

Arden & GEM is a leading Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) working across the health and care system in England to provide transformational solutions, business support and clinical services. We work in partnership with other health and care organisations to design, develop and deliver better care for patients that improves health outcomes while making efficient use of resources. Regardless of function, specialism, or location, we are all united in our commitment to improving health and wellbeing for everyone.

Our services are built on a strong foundation of experienced people who build great relationships, a commitment to NHS values and a thorough understanding of our clients and the challenges they face.

Arden & GEM CSU is committed to supporting the redeployment of our at risk employees. In line with our policy, staff at risk may be given preferential consideration to posts that could be considered suitable alternative employment. We reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. We apologise if you experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and highly motivated Registered General Nurse (RGN) or Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMN) to work as a CHC Nurse Assessor within the Northamptonshire area. This community based post offers the opportunity to enhance assessment and decision-making skills in a challenging but supportive environment.

The posts are being recruited at an initial 6-12 month fixed term contract.

As a Band 6 CHC Nurse Assessor you will be responsible for determining the eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding through new assessments, review assessments and appeals, in accordance with the National Continuing Health Care Framework.

Furthermore, you will be responsible for ensuring your patients go through the CHC process smoothly and efficiently, thereby enabling timely provision of appropriate, high quality care. You will communicate and develop strong links with health and social care colleagues to ensure effective multi-disciplinary working and develop a strong understanding of local NHS and independent sector service provision in individual’s own homes and in care homes.

Main duties of the job

Reporting to a Band 7 CHC Clinical Nurse specialist, the Band 6 CHC Nurse Assessor will:

• Be highly motivated and keen to learn/develop (training in respect of the NHS CHC Framework and its application will be provided as part of induction);
• Be accustomed to a high degree of autonomy on a day to day basis;
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills, with attention to detail;
• Have excellent people management skills with experience of difficult situations and challenging individuals and the ability to manage these effectively and calmly;
• Be comfortable working with a wide variety of ages and individuals with very different clinical conditions;
• Be able to prescribe care dependent of the individuals health needs;
• Have a strong value set around quality and patient/career experience;
• Have excellent time management skills and thrive on working at pace;
• Have excellent knowledge of Microsoft office and have intermediate typing skills;
• Be comfortable with changes at short notice;
• Be able to travel daily across the county and occasionally countrywide.

Working for our organisation

The organisation is seeking to promote the employment of disabled people and will make any adjustments considered reasonable to the above duties under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 to accommodate a suitable disabled candidate.

The organisation is committed to offering flexible, modern employment practices, which recognise that all staff need to strike a sensible balance between home and work life. All requests to work flexibly will be considered.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To facilitate multi-disciplinary assessments and patient reviews in line with standard operating policy and procedures.
• Support the Continuing Healthcare Specialist Nurse/Clinical Manager and the wider team to ensure that the workstream is planned and managed effectively and ensure their successful delivery.
• To be responsible for management of cases as directed by Specialist Nurse.
• To ensure Continuing Healthcare guidance is followed and that services are delivered to maximise patient safety.
• To support in the development across the organisation in the personalisation agenda and to support the pathway delivery for Personal Health Budgets within NHS Continuing Healthcare.
• To identify and support the arrangement of services required to meet the needs of individuals who qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare and for the healthcare element of a joint care package as appropriate.
• To undertake investigations, as required, into an individual’s eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare following an individual challenge or dispute.
• To act as Duty Clinician as required.
• Ensure data systems are kept up-to-date and maintained in line with standard operating policy and procedures.
• To comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Code of Practice on confidentiality and data protection.
• To participate in ongoing professional development and clinical supervision in line with NMC guidelines.
• To ensure compliance with all statutory and mandatory training.
• To ensure revalidation of professional registration is maintained.
• To provide cover for other Nurse Practitioners as appropriate.
• To ensure that communication remains professional and appropriate at all times.
• To support the Continuing Healthcare department in working towards the Directorate’s goals and objectives.
• Required to maintain constructive relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Communicate information, risks, issues and dependencies, including briefings and reports.
• To work closely with all care providers involved in delivering the service.
• Provide coordination of and participate in relevant meetings, reporting attendance and providing information advice and support where requested.
• Ensure that data collected is reported as appropriate and monitor the processing of data and information.
• Provides relevant and timely specialist advice and guidance on functional and information matters relating to CHC and associated services.
• The post holder will be required deliver specialist associated services pertaining to their skillset.
• To provide accurate and legible recording of information. To assist/support individuals and representatives in relation to NHS Continuing Healthcare process.
• Operate within and provide enhancements to current management information, reporting to enhance decision making processes.
• Contribute to the development of performance and governance strategies and the development and implementation of improvement programmes.
• Deliver against objectives, performance targets, achieving quality outcomes, prioritising own workload and working to tight deadlines.
• Support training and induction of new staff.
• Undertake research and development as directed.
• To carry out other appropriate delegated duties as required.
• To ensure compliance with all statutory and mandatory training.
• The post holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.
• This may include assessments and reviews for patients with an element of health funding i.e. s117, joint funding or ABI (as appropriate specialism).
• The role may also include elements of supporting Disputes management, transitional bed process, SEND, Safeguarding.

Person specification

Education / Training / Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
• Registered Nursing Qualification and current registration with NMC.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.

Experience

• Experience and understanding of evaluating and measuring the performance of health services.
• Experience of working effectively with clinicians, social care and other partner agencies.
• Experience of completing nursing assessments and interpreting evidence.
• Previous experience in similar role in public sector.

Skills / Abilities

• Ability to make recommendations on difficult and contentious issues where they may be a number of courses of action.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues.
• Strategic thinking – ability to anticipate Independent thinker with demonstrated good judgement, problem-solving skills.

Interpersonal Skills

• Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences.
• Skills for communication on complex matters and difficult situations, requiring persuasion and influence.
• Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.
• Awareness of equality and valuing diversity principles.
• Understanding of Confidentiality and Data Protection Act.

Mobility

• Ability to travel daily across the county and occasionally countrywide.

Please submit your application form without delay to avoid disappointment; we will close vacancies prior to the published closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.

Please check the email account (including your junk mail) that you supplied as part of your application on a regular basis following the closing date and throughout the recruitment process, as this is how we will communicate with you.

All new entrants to the CSU for a permanent position will be subject to a 6 month probationary period. For new entrants appointed on a fixed-term basis, the probationary period is between 1 and 6 months.

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.

Name Leah Hooton Job title CHC Nurse Specialist Email address leah.hooton1@nhs.net Telephone number 07423 784068 Additional information

Please contact me in working hours and I will respond to any requests for information.