Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking a Band 7 Mental Health Specialist Nurse to join their award-winning Care Homes Assessment Team. The ideal candidate will possess strong assessment skills and experience in dementia care, contributing to improved mental health support for elderly residents. Responsibilities include conducting assessments, developing care plans, and supporting end-of-life care. The role offers opportunities for professional development and training within a collaborative healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in dementia care and mental health issues in Care Home settings.
• Willingness to undertake independent prescribing qualification.

Responsibilities

• Conduct systemic mental health assessments and formulate diagnoses.
• Develop individualized care and treatment plans.
• Support unplanned care telephone triage service.

Skills

Assessment and Diagnosis

Care Planning

End-of-Life Support

Job description

The Care Homes Assessment Team (CHAT) is an award-winning integrated physical and mental health service supporting residents in Care Homes across Enfield and part of Haringey. CHAT is part of Enfield Community Services (ECS), hosted by NMUH. The team includes dedicated Consultant Psychiatry support, a mental health band 7 RMN, and OT staff, all supporting residents in Care Homes.

We are seeking a Band 7 Mental Health Specialist Nurse

Due to maternity leave, we are looking for a flexible, dynamic, and experienced nurse to join our team. The ideal candidate will have assessment and diagnosis skills. Independent prescribing is desirable; if not already qualified, a willingness to undertake this is essential. Experience working with dementia, older adults with mental health or learning disabilities in a Care Home setting is essential. Experience in sensitive future care planning and supporting end-of-life care is also required.

The role involves:

1. Expert assessment of patients, including systemic mental health assessments, analyzing signs and symptoms, and other functional measures to formulate diagnoses, treatments, and referrals.
2. Developing individualized, evidence-based care and treatment plans in close discussion with patients, relatives, and Care Home staff, considering the unique presentation of psychological illnesses in elderly patients.
3. Agreeing on appropriate interventions and contingency plans, including end-of-life care, aimed at preventing unnecessary A&E visits or hospital admissions and enhancing end-of-life care.
4. Supporting an unplanned care telephone triage service for Enfield Care Homes, providing advice and organizing assessments as needed.
5. Facilitating medication reviews in collaboration with GPs and psychiatrists, especially where polypharmacy is involved.
6. Promoting safety, reporting safeguarding concerns via established pathways, attending strategy and information-sharing meetings to protect vulnerable residents.

The service operates 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm, with shift patterns of 8am-4pm or 9am-5pm.

North Mid is part of the North Central London integrated care system, working closely with NHS and local authority partners across Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield, and Haringey. The ICS infrastructure supports shared decision-making and approaches.

We pride ourselves on staff training to ensure excellent clinical care. We are also a training site for medical students from UCL and St George’s University Grenada, as well as nursing and midwifery students from Middlesex and City Universities.

For a virtual tour of our hospital, click here.

For further details or informal visits, contact:

• Name: Vinny Carpenen
• Job Title: Clinical & Operational Lead
• Email: [e-mail]
• Telephone: [phone]

Any CHAT Mental Health Specialist Nurse can advise about the role or arrange a shadow session prior to application or interview.