B4 Associate Practitioner in Physical Health Eating Disorders-Bristol
The Bristol Community Physical Health Team have exciting opportunities available for new Associate Practitioners in Physical Health to join the team and be part of an expanding and exciting service at the forefront of monitoring and improving the physical health of people with serious mental illness in Bristol.
The team runs physical health and wellbeing clinics across the city of Bristol where they conduct annual physical health and wellbeing assessments for people who are receiving secondary mental health care from AWP and who are classified as having a serious mental illness. The team also conducts phlebotomy/venepuncture appointments for a subset of service users who are prescribed certain antipsychotic medication. A full training and induction package is provided and there are opportunities for ongoing CPD within the team.
You will be a core and valued part of a multidisciplinary team, which consists of associate practitioners, RGNs, and RMNs. The team is friendly, forward-thinking, driven, and is currently expanding its service across the city of Bristol.
If you have an interest in or experience of physical healthcare and want to be a part of the team, we want to hear from you. There are positions available for either full or part-time applicants on a permanent basis.
In the near future, there is a drive to expand the scope of service delivery that the team can offer. Come and be a part of it!
Main duties of the job
As a Band 4 Associate Practitioner in Physical Health, you will conduct comprehensive physical health assessments which include a wide range of physical health observations including venepuncture and electrocardiogram readings.
In addition, you will facilitate a health and wellbeing discussion whereby service users can be signposted and referred to various organisations as necessary, as per NICE and MEED guideline standards and trust KPIs.
You will work as part of The STEPS multidisciplinary team within the community of Bristol. Physical health clinic locations are located in AWP sites across the city; the team also conducts home visits. The role requires independent and lone working at times, and you will need to be able to get to clinics or home appointments across the city via personal or public transport.
About us
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust), a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire, and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
At AWP, we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Job responsibilities
To effectively undertake the role, duties will include:
* Arranging physical health appointments in line with trust policy.
* Developing and reviewing appropriate physical health and wellbeing care plans identifying, organising, and signposting to other resources as appropriate.
* Providing defined assessments/interventions/activities as part of the physical health appointment within your scope of practice and level of responsibility.
* Completing relevant paper and electronic documentation, reports, and letters in line with the associate practitioner role, in a timely and effective manner.
* Provide information, advice, and signposting to promote good physical health and wellbeing.
* Provide complex and sensitive information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders (users of services, carers, multi-disciplinary colleagues, and other statutory/non-statutory services).
* Contribute to the safe and effective day-to-day operations of the service, escalating to a senior member of staff where necessary.
* Provide a high standard of written and verbal communication that is clear and in line with local guidance.
* Role model effective communication; demonstrating empathy, respect, compassion, and hope where there may be barriers to understanding.
* Communicate information in a way that makes it relevant and understandable in line with operational guidance.
* Maintain professional relationships with all colleagues to ensure professional standards are met.
* Promote a culture that incorporates Trust values and is recovery-focused.
* Must have an awareness and ability to maintain personal boundaries.
* Undertake clinical risk assessments, based on the latest empirical evidence and compliant with local policies/procedures.
* Report exceptions, complaints, and gaps in service.
* Assist in data collection for the ongoing evaluation of the service.
* Assist in the promotion of the service locally and nationally as appropriate.
* Report any incidents of harm or near misses in line with the Trust's incident reporting policy, supporting appropriate actions that are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
* Assist in ensuring day-to-day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety, and person experience.
* Be aware of the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment.
* Comply at all times with the Trust's Safer Governance related policies.
* Seek advice and support from senior colleagues/line manager whenever necessary.
* Ensure good documentation is provided and entered within the appropriate systems of record sharing.
* Assist in planning assessment/appointments for face-to-face assessment of service users.
* Undertake face-to-face physical assessments of service users.
* Conduct lone working as per operational need within guidelines of relevant trust policies.
* Be responsible for the prevention and control of infection.
* Ensure that individual episodes of care are delivered in a timely, effective, and integrated manner.
* Create, implement, and update care plans or referrals as required.
* Champion service users' rights including dignity, equality, diversity, choice, and respect.
* Provide advice and guidance regarding mental and physical health and wellbeing challenges within scope of practice.
* Promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
* Implement NICE guidance and other statutory/best practice guidelines (if appropriate) under guidance from senior staff.
* Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies, and issues in relation to service provision.
* Participate in programmes of audit and research within the team as agreed, implementing the findings.
* Contribute to clinical governance arrangements in order to ensure the quality of the service provided.
* Involvement in the development of local systems and processes that ensure the implementation of Trust policies.
* Manage organisational resources efficiently and suggest efficiency savings to line management as they arise.
* Maintain the safe keeping of the organisation's property.
* Support junior staff with guidance from senior staff.
* Ensure information resources are used to maintain knowledge of Trust, Directorate, and Team priorities and safety initiatives.
* Participate in regular supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines and Trust policy.
* Work without direct management and take accountability for your own actions.
* Work within the operational policies and service specifications of the team.
* Participate in the Trust's annual appraisal process.
* Attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do so.
* Work cooperatively with colleagues ensuring a 'no hands-off' approach.
* Ensure that you remain professionally competent. Take responsibility for ensuring own educational and development gaps in practice/knowledge are met, ensuring you are able to perform all elements of your role effectively and safely.
* Maintain an up-to-date record of continued professional development for your role.
* Participate in local arrangements to ensure consistent care to service users across the local geography.
* This is not an exhaustive list of duties/responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties, which fall within the banding of the role, in discussion with the team/service manager.
Person Specification
Education/Qualification, Knowledge, skills, and experience
* Experience of direct work with service users in a healthcare setting.
* Access to own transport - Ability to travel across the City of Bristol.
* Ability to manage own workload.
* Experience of community mental health work.
* Venepuncture and ECG trained/experience.
* Experience of community physical health work.
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