B6 Community Psychiatric Nurse

An opportunity has arisen for a CPN looking for a new challenge to work for the Care Home Pathway within a well-established CMHTOP for older people based in NW Surrey (Unither House, Chertsey). We are keen to recruit an experienced Band 6 Community Psychiatric Nurse to provide specialist input to the Care Home Pathway within the team. You will be working alongside colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds (Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Assistant Psychologist and Associate Practitioners) to provide specialist advice and consultation to people living in care homes within the local area. This will predominantly focus on people with dementia who are showing behaviour that challenges themselves or others, and may also include people

To succeed in this role, you will be supported by a range of specialist clinicians and there are opportunities for training, CPD and supervision in relation to the care home work. Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust also has a supportive Nursing network that you can benefit from, which includes access to a Nurses Forum, Nurses Advisory Committee, and rolling internal CPD programmes.

Main duties of the job

Provide comprehensive, therapeutically-informed assessments for people with dementia and functional diagnoses residing in care homes. This may include the use of appropriate tools that have utility in care home settings.

Build on a comprehensive assessment of the person's presentation by developing a shared understanding about behaviour that is challenging and communicate this with care home teams/other relevant agencies.

Complete complex risk assessments and refer/signpost to other appropriate services where needed (e.g. Alzheimer's Society, Social Services etc).

Participate in the wider North West CMHTOP duty rota.

Attend relevant clinical/business meetings.

To act as support and specialist advisor to other services such as General Practitioners, primary care teams, Community Mental Health Teams for Older People and care home services.

Provide direction, supervision and appraisals for junior staff.

To act as mentor for junior colleagues wishing to gain experience in dementia care or working with older people.

To attend and prepare reports for MDT meetings and to assist teams in understanding how best to engage with people who have dementia and complex behaviours that challenge.

Ensure the safe storage and recording of medicines within designated clinical areas.

Ensure the safe delivery of oral medications to clients in care home settings in such a way that corresponds to Trust guidelines and policies.

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of health and social care services for people of all ages with mental ill-health and learning disabilities in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We also provide social care services for people with a learning disability in Croydon and ASD and ADHD assessment services in Hampshire.

We actively seek to engage people who use our services and our communities in improving the mental wellbeing of the local population. We work closely with other NHS and voluntary sector organisations who provide services and support people who use services and carers.

Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast.

Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach.

For international travel, both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are nearby.