Enhanced Care Practitioner | East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking an Enhanced Care Support Practitioner to lead the Enhanced Care Support Team. The successful candidate will work closely with the Lead Nurse, managing support workers and ensuring safe, effective care for vulnerable patients. Candidates should have relevant nursing or allied health qualifications and experience in providing care to patients with challenging behaviors. This role demands leadership, empathy, and the ability to work autonomously while contributing to a supportive team environment.

Qualifications

• High level of knowledge and experience in caring for vulnerable groups.
• Ability to implement assessment and treatment tools for challenging behaviours.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the Lead Nurse in providing Enhanced Care to patients.
• Allocate and supervise Enhanced Care Support Workers.
• Develop patient-centred care plans and therapeutic interventions.

Skills

Knowledge of supporting vulnerable patients

Ability to lead and manage staff

Experience in therapeutic interventions

Education

Registered Nurse (Child/Adult, Mental Health or Learning Disability)

Registered Allied Health Professional/Social Worker

Job description

Job Overview

The role of the Enhanced Care Support Practitioner is to support the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care in the Trust Wide delivery of the Enhanced Care Standard Operating Procedure. The role also includes supporting the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care in the management and supervision of the Enhanced Care Support Workers and deputising in the absence of the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care.
Providing effective leadership, expertise, advice and support to ward teams providing Enhanced care to patients who are at risk of harm secondary to cognitive disturbance and resultant vulnerability.
Clinical expertise in developing strategies to support the clinical management of patients assessed as requiring enhanced care and to support value added enhanced care which is therapeutic for individual patients and to support ward teams in implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of those interventions.
Implementing the ELHT Standard Operating Procedure for Enhanced Care and monitoring compliance via delivery and audit activity.
Ensuring that the care being provided has appropriate safeguards to protect patients from abuse and ensuring the process offers the patient choice and support to make decisions about their safety and well‑being.
Applying assessment and treatment tools to ensure an appropriate level of intervention for patients with behaviours that challenge due to cognitive impairment such as Learning Disability, Autism, Dementia, Delirium, or Mental Health issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care in delivering the requirements of Enhanced Care to patients Trust wide.
• Support the Enhanced Care Support Workers (ECSW): allocate staff, review and assess patients, develop patient‑centred care plans.
• Lead the delivery of therapeutic interventions such as distraction and de‑escalation techniques to help patients feel safe and improve their hospital experience in the least restrictive way.
• Line‑manage ECSWs, including clinical supervision, appraisals, sickness reviews, roster management etc.
• Develop policies and pathways, training, investigation and management of incidents, and audit activity in conjunction with the Lead Nurse for Enhanced Care.
• Work with the ELHT safeguarding team, the learning disability team, and the wider safeguarding team to deliver safe, personal and effective care.
• Monitor and support compliance with the ELHT Standard Operating Procedure for Enhanced Care.
• Ensure that patients have appropriate safeguards against abuse and that they are given choice and support to make decisions about their safety and wellbeing.
• Apply assessment and treatment tools to deliver the most appropriate specialist care for patients who present with challenging behaviours.

Key Selection Criteria

We are looking for a practitioner who has a high level of knowledge and experience of caring for patients across vulnerable groups and is passionate about ensuring vulnerable patients feel safe, supported and cared for in what can be a challenging and distressing time.

The successful candidate will be a Registered Nurse (Child/Adult, Mental Health or Learning Disability) or a Registered Allied Health Professional/Social Worker with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to support in leading a brand‑new Enhanced Care Support Team.

In addition, the successful candidate will be hardworking, able to professionally challenge, and able to work both autonomously and as part of a team.

This advert closes on Friday 19 Dec 2025.