Community Assistant Practitioner - Diabetes

Job overview

The Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust Diabetes Team is primarily based in West Norfolk. We are a growing, friendly, and supportive team who provide care for people living with diabetes in a variety of settings including clinics, patient’s homes and care settings. We are a team of highly skilled, motivated individuals, each offering their own areas of expertise and we pride ourselves on delivering high standards of care at all times, while embracing change and innovation. As a team we are consistently looking at ways to improve the delivery of care we provide and educational support to other health care providers.

As part of an innovation, a fantastic opportunity has arisen to work within the NCHC Diabetes Team. We have two positions to fill at Band 4 both for 18.75hrs/per week. You will be working in either Norwich or North Norfolk alongside a Band 6 Diabetes Specialist Nurse and under the supervision of the Diabetes Specialist Nurse Lead for NCHC. Please Specify within your application your 1st and 2nd preference for North Norfolk or Norwich.

Main duties of the job

• You will work within the Diabetes Team providing knowledge and skills.
• You will be managing your own caseload assigned by the Diabetes Specialist Nurse.
• You will be responsible for carrying out diabetes reviews, venepuncture, foot checks, education, and continuous glucose monitoring and application.
• The role will include health education to the service users, their families, carers', and other agencies involved in their care management.
• The role requires flexible working.
• The successful candidate will hold a full UK driving license and have access to their own vehicle as you will be required to travel independently around the county.
• To contribute to the delivery of high standards of health care to patients within their own homes, care homes, the travelling community and in clinics, by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating packages of care.
• To work under the supervision of Diabetes Specialist Nurse to assess and review patients with diabetes to optimise treatment regimes, including but not exclusive to, educating in insulin self-management, supporting assessment through use of Libre device and undertaking  diabetic foot checks.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

The post holder will:

• Assess patients with straightforward requirements based on predetermined department protocols.
• Prepare for, carry out and monitor assessments and treatments in specified clinical areas, and discharge in line with predetermined department protocols.
• Apply competency-based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed treatment/care plan.
• Modify and progress intervention / treatment using own clinical reasoning, notifying a qualified practitioner accordingly.
• Prepare for and develop individual/group activities to meet defined intervention needs.
• Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
• Demonstrate problem solving, and contribute to the solution, working with colleagues.
• Make basic judgements on patients’ response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
• Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented in personal work diary.
• Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
• Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
• Be required to use tact and persuasive skills in order to gain the patient’s co-operation in their treatment/care/management plan.
• Liaise with GPs, Social Services, inpatient teams, other allied health care professionals and the voluntary sector to ensure identified needs are met and care co-ordinated appropriately.
• To participate in multi-disciplinary/multi-agency meetings as appropriate, e.g. Gold Standard Framework.
• Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
• Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
• Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers, passive exercises.
• Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
• Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
• Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
• Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required.
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
• Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general house keeping tasks.
• Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
• Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
• Demonstrate basic IT and standard keyboard skills.

Professional

The post holder will:

• To be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at and participation in staff meetings, training sessions, courses and reflective practice.
• To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as an appraisee, maintaining a dynamic personal development plan.
• To demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situations.

• To provide peer support to other carers.

• To develop competencies to enhance practice and ability to meet needs of patients and the service.

Communication

• To establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers, incorporating motivation, encouragement and confidence building.
• To demonstrate an ability to communicate with patients/carers with complex needs, using clear and effective verbal/non-verbal communication.
• To gather and collate information to enable co-ordinator to plan interventions/liaison with others.
• To provide direct feedback to professionals as appropriate, and in a clear and concise way.
• To contribute to accurate and timely patient records, including data collection.
• To communicate and share information with DN’s, GP’s and SW’s as necessary.
• Be able to communicate effectively with patients/relatives with communication difficulties i.e. deafness, blindness, learning difficulties.
• To provide feedback to co-ordinator in a clear and concise way.

Organisational

The post holder will:

• Undertake mandatory training as required.
• Participate in a Personal Development Review process.
• Undertake Personal Development Plans for more junior staff members.
• Take part in clinical supervision as per Trust Policy.
• Follow Trust policies, and local procedures.
• Ensure absence reporting is undertaken as determined by Team Leader and Trust Policy.
• Contribute to clinical audit as required
• Complete the staff survey as required.
• Complete risk assessments and incident forms as required.

Research & Development

• May be required to undertake surveys or audits, as necessary to own work; may occasionally participate in R&D, clinical trials or equipment testing.

Safeguarding Clause

• Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Rigorous recruitment checks are carried out and where applicable to the role successful applicants will be required to undertake a criminal records check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Infection Control

• Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust staff are responsible for protecting themselves and others against infection risks. All staff regardless of whether clinical or not are expected to comply with current infection control policies and procedures and to report any problems with regard to this to their managers. All staff undertaking patient care activities must attend infection control training and updates as required by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.

Health and Safety

Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed upon them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), to ensure the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees and visitors.

• To ensure that the Trust’s Health and Safety Policies are understood and observed and that procedures are followed.
• To ensure the appropriate use of equipment and facilities and the environment is maintained in good order.
• To take the necessary precautions to safeguard the welfare and safety of themselves, patients, staff and visitors, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
• To undertake appropriate Health and Safety training to support safe working practice including, where appropriate, its management.

General

All staff are required to respect confidentiality of all matters that they learn as a result of the employment with the Trust, including matters relating to other members of the staff and members of the public/patients.

• Maintain appropriate patient and clinical records in line with the Trusts policies and procedures, and in line with the agreed service specification.
• The post holder will be expected to participate in an annual appraisal of their work where the job description will be reviewed and objectives set. In line with the annual personal development plan the post holder will be expected to undertake any training or development required to fulfil their role.
• Ensure that all patients, clients and colleagues are treated at all times in an equitable manner, respecting diversity and showing an understanding of diversity in the workplace.
• The post holder must carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Policies, Procedures and Schemes and must ensure that equality is promoted at all times.