JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE POST OF

Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care

coordinator

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Rapid Response Service - Care coordinator

TITLE:
AGENDA FOR CHANGE PAY
Band 6
BAND:
DIRECTORATE Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Line Manager
REPORTS TO: Senior Registered Professional
Staff Nurses
Assistant Practitioner
RESPONSIBLE FOR: Senior Health Care Support Worker
Health Care Support Worker
Administrators

JOB SUMMARY:

The post holder will either be a Registered Nurse, Therapist (OT/Physio) or other
appropriate healthcare professional with a broad general experience as a qualified
professional.

The Band 6 Nurse Leader will have the knowledge, skills and behaviours of a Staff
Nurse as outlined in Appendix One. All band 6 leaders will have the following
responsibilities:

 Will be responsible for the effective management of the clinical

workload/caseload ensuring care is prioritised appropriately
 Will be responsible for the quality of patient assessment and care planning
 Will be responsible for the day to day management of the team as appropriate
for the clinical area
 Will be required to assist in leadership and development of staff in the team and
to act as a positive role model for more junior members of staff and students
 Will be responsible for the implementation of service development and
transformation

Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator

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  Will ensure that all staff in the team act in accordance with Trust HR and other
relevant policies, along with the appropriate professional code of conduct
 Will be required to deputise for the line manager in their absence
.

Date of Job Description: January 2018

Key Relationships:

Patients, relatives, carers and the public

Community and Mental Health Teams
Managers
Professional Leads
Team colleagues
Social Services
Primary Care colleagues
Medical colleagues
Care Agencies
Voluntary Sector
External relationships with other agencies and Acute NHS Trusts

Responsibilities and duties of the role

The Band 6 will be able to work effectively as part of a team and will always act within
the limits of their competence, knowing who to ask for help and support as required.
The Band 6 will operate within agreed ways of working, following the relevant
standards, policies and protocols used in their workplace including Professional
standards of practice and behaviour.

Knowledge

 Remain clinically up to date in order to act as a resource person and mentor

to more junior staff, providing accurate information, advice and support to the
multi-disciplinary team, patients and their relatives
 To keep up to date with all relevant guidance and NHS targets and ensure
the effective dissemination of relevant information
 To remain up to date with National and Professional Transformation agendas
in order to actively contribute to service and team development

Key Responsibilities/Skills

 Ensures that all patients under the team’s care have an assessment of need
and a personalised care plan

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
  Co-ordinates the teams E roster to ensure an appropriate, competent team
skill mix is available at all times that meets the needs of the service and the
team as appropriate for the clinical area
 Maintains a safe and clean environment for staff, patients and visitors by
ensuring compliance with legislation, policy and practices including health
and safety, health care associated infection, risk management and critical
incident reporting
 Supports the line manager in processes of continuous quality improvement,
formally evaluating standards of care through audit and assisting in the
implementation of changes in the light of such findings
 Supports the team in proactively working to deliver all Trust and team
objectives and local targets, collecting and collating performance data as
instructed by the line manager
 Supports service developments affecting the team and positively influence
others to adapt to change by acting as a role model and motivator
encouraging positive working relationships both within and outside the team
 Provides an environment to ensure the team culture and ethos strives to
continuously improve care
 To recommend and contribute to relevant projects as required/appropriate
and participate in and contribute to, professionally related working groups,
which are involved in developing and agreeing local policies, protocols and
standard setting
 Contributes positively towards the delivery of a cost effective service,
reallocating staff and skill mix to meet caseload demands and assisting the
line manager to keep within agreed budget with appropriate authorisation
 Ensures all team members regularly participate in clinical supervision in
accordance with Trust policy
 To prioritise and respond to unpredictable demands and needs of patients,
carers and the team using the team skills, knowledge and competencies
 Escalates concerns or incidents to an appropriate level
 Has an integral part in the support of the educational requirements for pre
and post registration students
 Supporting the line manager with the recruitment and retention of staff,
reviewing team skill mix to meet the needs of the service
 Management of sickness/absence and as per policy, perform back to work
interviews, and refer staff to Occupational Health

Effective Communication

 Maintains good communication, liaison and working arrangements with other

Trust teams, Trusts and external agencies
 To organise, chair and conduct meetings which have a clear purpose and
outcome, as appropriate
 To be involved with consultations with patients and the public on service
design and delivery

Education and Development

 Commit to professional development in nursing as appropriate

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
 Person Specification
Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical Lead/Care Coordinator

REQUIREMENTS ESSENTIAL DESIRABLE

Appropriately registered with the Non- Medical Prescriber

Professional body as per post
Qualifications & requirements
Training Coaching and/or
Relevant degree or equivalent mentorship training
qualification

Evidence of continuing professional

development and to have undertaken
post registration training

Leadership/management programme
or prepared to undertake a course

Substantial experience in the required

setting Experience of mentoring

Demonstrate clinical and managerial

Knowledge & leadership ability
Experience
Knowledge of current national policies
affecting the NHS

Knowledge of relevant NHS legislation

Knowledge of audit and research skills

Understanding of Clinical Governance

Basic computer literacy including word

processing and email

Experience of working in multi-

agency services.

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
 Knowledge of physical health needs
or know where to access appropriate
advice

Knowledge of mental health needs or

know where to access appropriate
advice

Analytical skills to deal with

interpreting complex clinical
information

Ability to undertake the higher level

clinical skills required for the
specialist area

Ability to communicate in a
professional way with people at all
levels of understanding either face to
face, on the telephone, e-mail or
written communication by dealing
with incident reports or writing
statements

Compassionate - with the ability to

communicate effectively with patients,
carers and relatives remaining
sensitive and empathetic.

Skills &Abilities Professional and patient focussed

approach, acting as a role model to
colleagues and junior staff members.

Ability to manage own time and time

of others

Ability to recognise and manage

challenging situations in a calm and
professional manner.

Ability to assess clinical situations

and act appropriately

Able to take instruction and direction

and work effectively as part of a
team.

Ability to record and retrieve

information on charts/paper and

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
 electronic patient records

Able to undertake the higher level

clinical skills required for the area of
practice

Compassionate - Open minded,

treats colleagues, patients, carers
and relatives with dignity and respect.

Recognising in yourself and others

the impact that frequent exposure to
distressing circumstances has on
care and compassion and being able
to respond professionally

Flexible and adaptable to meet the

needs of the patients.
Personal Qualities .
Act in a ways that support equality
and diversity.

Ability to motivate self and others

Ability to work on own initiative as

required and within agreed policies
and procedures

Must be a car driver with a valid

driving licence or have access to
Other transport with appropriate business
insurance in order to travel
throughout the Trust as appropriate
for role.

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
EXPECTATIONS OF THE POST HOLDER

CHANGES TO THE JOB

This post may be subject to changes/review as the needs of the service/department /unit
change. Any changes will be made following consultation with the individual before the
changes are made.

CONFIDENTIALITY
Your attention is drawn to the confidential nature of this post. Disclosures of confidential
information or disclosures of any data of a personal nature can result in prosecution for an
offence under the Data Protection Act 1998 or an action for civil damages under the same
Act in addition to any disciplinary action taken by the Somerset Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust, which might include dismissal. Data Protection applies even after staff
have left their employment with the Trust. It is the responsibility of each member of staff to
be aware of and to comply with, the Staff Code of Confidentiality Policy, which highlights
your responsibilities in respect of service user (patient) confidentiality. Staff who are
governed by a professional Code of Conduct are expected to uphold their professional
body’s provisions relating to confidentiality.

INFORMATION GOVERNANCE
All staff must keep up to date with Trust requirements and changes in this area. Your
attention is drawn specifically to: Information Technology: correct, professional and safe
use of computers and digital data storage solutions. Data Protection: Confidentiality of
service user and staff information either verbally or in writing and including IT solutions,
e.g. secure e-mails, paper records and other media. Freedom of Information: All NHS staff
may receive a FOI request and must be aware of who to contact. Senior Managers will be
responsible for ensuring information governance is complied with by staff they are
responsible for. Each Head of Service or Senior Manager will report any performance
issues in relation to information governance to the Director they are accountable to.

Employees are individually responsible for the quality of data, which they input to Trust
systems and documents.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Staff must also be aware of the Freedom of Information Policy because they may be asked
for confidential personal and/or corporate information under the Freedom of Information
Act, which can only be disclosed if approved. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in
dismissal.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

All staff have a responsibility and duty of care to operate safe working practices to prevent
injury to themselves and others affected by their acts or omissions whilst undertaking
duties and activities for the Trust. Individuals may find themselves liable to action if they fail
to report health and safety/risk issues. All staff are required to make themselves aware of
and comply with the Health and Safety policy.

Smoking is prohibited on all Trust sites.

On 1 January 2018 Somerset Partnership NHS Trust joins many other parts of the
NHS by going Smokefree. This means there will be no smoking anywhere on our
hospital and community sites including the grounds and gardens. For further
information, please visit the public website.

Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator

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FITNESS TO PRACTISE & TO UNDERTAKE JOB ROLE
The Trust has an obligation to ensure that employees do not start work without careful
examination of their fitness to undertake the post for which they applied.

Employees should also be honest and trustworthy, acting with integrity at all times. In order
to demonstrate that they are fit to practise, employees should: -

 act quickly to protect the safety of patients if you have reason to believe that you or
a colleague may not be fit to undertake the duties within their job role.
 take effective action if they have concerns about the honesty of others.
 be honest and trustworthy when writing reports, completing and signing forms and
using the RiO electronic patient record system.
 be honest and trustworthy in any financial dealings, especially if you are managing
finances, and make sure that any funds are used for the purpose they were
intended for.
 co-operate with any formal inquiry by your professional body or the Trust into your
health, behaviour or performance, or that of anybody else.
 comply with the regulations of your professional body and all Trust policies and
procedures.
 If the ability to perform Control and Restraint (C&R) or Prevention of Violence,
Management of Aggression (PVMA) techniques is a requirement of the role the
individual must declare physical fitness to undertake such a role.
 All members of staff are required to undertake the level of mandatory training and
personal safety training appropriate to their role and work area, and to keep this
training up to date.

APPRAISAL
Employees are entitled to an annual appraisal identifying learning needs and reflecting on
performance. Each employee should agree a personal development plan and ensure that
they access mandatory training on an annual basis.

This job description is designed to identify principal responsibilities only. The post holder is
required to be flexible in developing the role in accordance with changes in the Trust’s
organisational objectives and priorities.

INFECTION CONTROL
The Trust regards infection control as an essential requirement in the provision of a safe
service to all its patients. All members of staff will be expected to follow the Trust policies in
relation to infection control and staff have a duty to make themselves aware of the policies
and how they affect them. Decontamination of hands is regarded as an integral part of the
provision of the service and in particular staff in clinical areas who are in patient contact
must decontaminate their hands following all examinations or treatment and before dealing
with another patient. Similarly, ensuring the cleanliness of equipment is the responsibility of
all staff, with staff in clinical areas expected to decontaminate equipment in line with Trust
policy. Staff who are observed not complying with any infection control policy should be
expected to be challenged and action may be taken in line with the Trust's Employee
Relations policy.

EMERGENCY STAFFING
The trust reserves the right to move staff between units within a (25 mile radius) to cover
emergency staffing situations or to facilitate improved quality of care or skill mix for the
benefit of its patients. The trust does not deem a short-term change of base, for example

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
to cover a shift, as a material change in contract or terms of employment and the banding
of the post will not change.

If a longer-term change is required, this arrangement will be made by mutual agreement.

SAFEGUARDING
It is a requirement that all staff undertake both the mandatory Level 1 Children and Adults
Safeguarding training. These are combined for all staff and form part of the Trust’s
induction programme. The Trust has clearly defined structures for Safeguarding Adults and
Children; these are underpinned with policies, procedures and additional training where
appropriate depending on individual roles. Each team has a Lead for Safeguarding who will
receive additional role specific guidance and training from the Safeguarding Lead and
Named Nurse. The Trust’s Safeguarding intranet pages provide all staff with up to date
policies, procedures and guidance that must be adhered to as well as other useful
information and contact details for the Safeguarding Team.

SAFEGUARDING ADULT AT RISK

All staff must have an understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to
Safeguarding Adult at Risk. Staff must be familiar with the specific policies and associated
procedures, and understand the responsibility relevant to their position within the
organisation.

Staff must be familiar with and understand the correct safeguarding reporting process.

SUSTAINABILITY/CARBON FOOTPRINT
The Trust, as one of the largest public organisations in the county, is committed to
promoting sustainable development and reducing the harmful effects of its activities on the
environment. Staff are expected to promote and embrace the principles of sustainable
development in their daily duties; specifically to ensure that they use energy and other
natural resources as efficiently as possible to minimise their carbon footprint.

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and operate a Job Share
Policy.
We welcome applications from people who have personal experience of mental health
difficulties.

This document is available in other formats, including easy read summary versions and
other languages upon request. Should you require this please contact the Information and
Records Officer on 01278 432000

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
 APPPENDIX ONE

STAFF NURSE JOB SUMMARY:

Staff Nurses work as part of a team providing high quality and compassionate care to
individuals. The Staff Nurse is an autonomous practitioner who is responsible for the
holistic assessment of both complex and simple care needs, the development,
implementation and evaluation of care and delegation of care where appropriate to other
members of the team. They will support the multidisciplinary team in the delivery of high
quality care to enable individuals to achieve their person-centred goals.

The Staff Nurse will take responsibility of the patient’s care pathway and non –clinical
duties in the absence of the line manager. They will have the understanding to address
complex problems in their day to day work, reporting concerns to a line manager.

The Staff Nurse will work in a range of healthcare settings and teams and have a flexible
approach to the working day in order to meet the needs of the patient and the service
.
Responsibilities and duties of the role

The Staff Nurse will be able to work effectively as part of a team and will always act within
the limits of their competence, knowing who to ask for help and support as required. Staff
Nurses will operate within agreed ways of working, following the relevant standards,
policies and protocols used in their workplace including the standards in the NMC Code;
Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives.

Knowledge

 Full understanding of the standards in the NMC Code; Professional standards of

practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives and application of these standards
in practice
 A level of understanding of health and social care models to enable innovation and
change in the work place
 A level of understanding of the physiology, psychology and function of the body to
enable holistic assessment and development of treatment plans for conditions within
their area of competence
 A level of understanding and application of health promotion and behaviour change
which can improve an individual’s quality of care and promote self-care
 Have knowledge of national research, guidelines, policy and legislation to ensure
team and patient safety
 Have an understanding of Information Governance to be able to respond
appropriately to requests for information on patient condition or caseload information
 Awareness of budgetary requirements to include the management of equipment and
resources within agreed budget parameters
 Be expected to develop and maintain all the clinical skills necessary for this position
(see Appendix for each area as required)

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
Key Responsibilities/Skills

 Assess the holistic needs of an individual, understanding patient-centred goals and

developing simple and complex treatment plans to achieve these goals and promote
independence
 To keep to all relevant laws about mental capacity and make sure that the rights and
best interest of those who lack capacity are still at the centre of the decision making
process
 Act as the patients advocate where necessary working in partnership with other
health care professionals and agencies
 Follow the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion
 To be accountable and responsible for their decisions to delegate tasks and duties
to other people
 Undertake defined clinical or therapeutic interventions as assessed and
documented in the treatment plan in line with patient-centred goals
 To maintain accurate, contemporaneous records and developing systems, which
ensure continuity and standardisation of patients care within trust guidelines
 Have a broad skill base related to the area of practice maintaining competence and
confidence in these skills
 As required for service development meet the criteria for approval for non-medical
prescribing training. To adhere to the process of Trust authorisation prior to
practicing as a non-medical prescriber. To be accountable for practice as a non-
medical prescriber following the Trusts principles Continually assess the patient,
maintaining accurate clinical records and using clinical decision making skills to
escalate deterioration in a timely manner
 Take responsibility for clinical incident reporting following the incident reporting
process. Support the line manager to use the learning from incidents in a positive
way to develop services or change practice
 Report and record deficiencies in the service provision through Datix and risk
assessment and assist in introducing a change in practice and systems as
appropriate
 Provide statements in response to formal complaints. Resolve with patients or
relatives any verbal complaints or pass onto the line manager if they cannot be
resolved locally. Always inform the line manager of any locally resolved verbal
complaints and ensure this is documented accurately
 Carry out reflective practice to ensure own learning and development
 Attend regular ward/team meetings to be kept informed of and contribute to
changes to policies/procedures and keep up to date with changes within the team,
Trust and wider health care community
 Act as a link nurse for specialist areas of nursing by attending meetings held by the
appropriate specialist nurse and communicating to the team any changes in practice
 Provide line management, clinical supervision and have responsibility for the
performance of other junior staff including students.
 To undertake appraisals identifying staff’s learning objectives
 Work closely with the line manager co-ordinating the teams off duties to meet the
needs of the service/workload
 Participate in audit to monitor relevant targets and meet clinical governance
objectives
 To be responsible for own safety following lone working policies where applicable

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator
Effective Communication

 Communicate effectively with individuals, their families, carers and health/social

care practitioners using a range of styles and ensuring information remains
confidential at all times
 Handle information (record, report and store information) related to individuals in
line with local and national policies
 Communicate both routine, complex and sensitive information to
patients/relatives and colleagues
 Facilitating good partnership working with other departments and agencies to
enhance multidisciplinary team working
 To participate and organise meetings as and when required, which have a clear
purpose and outcome
 To respond appropriately in line with Information Governance to referrals,
enquiries and requests as required
 To use the Trust electronic record and other IT systems appropriately in line with
Trust guidance

Education and Development

 Undertake any necessary skills training, professional updates and mandatory

training as appropriate to the post and as directed
 Ensuring that all nursing practice is evidenced -based and delivered to a high
standard in line with Trust policies and procedures
 Participate in Best Practice Groups to devise protocols and guidelines as
appropriate to improve practice and patient care in accordance with Clinical
Governance
 Participation in the improvement of clinical record keeping
 Acknowledge and utilise individual and team skills, knowledge and roles
 Encouraging personal and professional growth of others, acting as a
mentor/clinical supervisor
 Participate in the induction of new staff and contribute to staff orientation
 Through appraisal, identify own personal training needs to meet both
professional and organisational objectives
 Developed and maintain a professional portfolio in line with recommendations in
order to maintain current NMC registration

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Job Description for Junior Sister/Charge Nurse/Team Leader/Clinical lead/Care coordinator