JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:Alcohol Liaison Nurse Team leader

Responsible:Head of Alcohol Treatment

Salary Scale:Band 7

Entitlements:5% pension (after three months continuous service)

Hours:37.5 hours per week including some late nights and weekends

Contract:Band 7 £31,072-40,964 exclusive of Outer London area supplements 15% of basic salary (subject to a minimum payment of £3,483 and a maximum payment of £4,439)

Based at:171 Park Lane, Northumberland Park, London, N17 0HJ & North Middlesex University Hospital, Sterling Way, N18 1QX

Job Summary

The hospital liaisonnurse team leader will be registered RMN or RGN who will lead and supervise the nursing staff and hospital-linked HAGA staff in Haringey. The position will have a regular presence at the North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH) and will ensure referrals from NMUH are managed with appropriate assessment and treatment planning.The role will include carrying a small caseload and offering training related to alcohol treatment and recovery.

Objectives:

•Provide proactive support the NMUH teams.

•Provide nursing assessments to service users of the alcohol treatment service.

•Deliver regular training around Identification & brief advice and alcohol dependency/withdrawal management to hospital staff and other designated individuals.

•Supervise nursing staff members and hospital-based workers in-line with management expectations.

•Oversee Early discharge detoxifications for those able to be treated out of hospital after initiating detoxification at NMUH (Haringey patients only).

•Provide managerial support to all Alcohol Treatment Staff in absence of direct line managers.

•Support ongoing ATS operations – duty, clinics, Group-delivery, training and promotional activities

Duties:

1.Clinical Responsibilities

1.1.To coordinate assessment of patients who score 16 or above on the AUDIT as referred by hospitals or presenting at the alcohol treatment service

1.2.To facilitate a pathway between NMUH and HAGA’s alcohol treatment service.

1.3.To deliver Extended Brief Interventions (EBI) to appropriate service users scoring 16-19 on AUDIT (or higher as deemed appropriate) in the hospital setting.

1.4.work closely with Gastroenterology team, liaison psychiatry, A&E staff and outpatients fracture clinic to raise profile of alcohol misuse through identification, brief advice and referral pathways

1.5.To comprehensively assess Haringey resident patients entering into alcohol treatment for detoxification or other structured treatment modalities.

1.6.To coordinate or undertake home visits and community detoxification interventions such as monitoring a medicated detoxification.

1.7.To formulate, in consultation with client GPs, care planning and referral for longer term follow up.

1.5.Maintain up to date clinical documentation in line with HAGA policy, ensuring relevant data is collected.

1.6.To provide clinical support and supervision to allocated team members. To act as a nursing resource to the wider alcohol and recovery services commissioned in Haringey.

1.7.To provide supervision to students in order to develop their practice as per their Code of Professional Conduct.

1.8.To be involved in the development and monitoring of standards of care, clinical audits and outcomes to enhance and develop good clinical practice.

1.9.To provide safe and evidence-based harm minimisation advice to clients, carers and other practitioners.

1.10. To undertake client risk assessments and operate under the Clinical Governance Framework.

1.11. To communicate regularly and effectively, in writing and verbally, with: clients, carers, CSF (Children, Schools and Family), police, housing and other practitioners, as required.

1.12.To provide Identification & Brief Advice (IBA), and motivational enhancement therapy (MET) interventions such as Extended Brief Interventions (EBI) as part of clients seen in hospital and in context of HAGA’s duty role.

1.13.To effectively liaise with children’s services where there are issues of child protection and/or child safety.

1.14.To provide advice and support to all team members in the management and care of clients.

1.15.To attend and present case studies at Case Conference and/or relevant professional meetings.

2.Educational Responsibilities

2.1To develop and deliver training and support the NMUH staff and other clinicians in the assessment and management of alcohol dependent clients.

2.2.To develop and deliver training and support wider to NMUH staff around IBA.

2.3.To train and support other identified clinical staff in Haringey on the assessment and management of alcohol dependent clients.

2.4.To actively promote the services of HAGA and alcohol related harms, within the statutory and voluntary agencies.

2.5.To identify and raise awareness of treatment advances within the alcohol field and to share information through formal and informal teaching with colleagues in the voluntary and statutory sector.

2.6.To raise awareness of other public health issues indirectly linked to alcohol misuse, for example, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

2.7.To identify training needs of the multi-disciplinary team and to organise and conduct relevant teaching and training session, in order to ensure competent and safe practices.

3.Administrative Responsibilities

3.1.To keep, complete and maintain accurate records of all client work using carepath system and MS office excel product.

3.2.To keep complete and maintain accurate records of personal supervision and appraisal on online actus system.

3.3.To maintain accurate records of supervision of staff on online actus system.

3.4.To initiate and undertake surveys and audits as necessary to own work and that of the team members.

4.Professional Responsibilities

4.1.To comply with the professional codes and to keep abreast of developments in the chosen field of speciality through ongoing learning and continuing professional development.

4.2.To inform the Head of Alcohol Treatment of untoward occurrences that may affect the service, both at the professional and administrative level. This can be done informally, or as necessary by completing an incident report.

4.3To keep abreast of latest research and development within the Substance Misuse (i.e. drugs and alcohol) field.

4.4To participate fully in professional and managerial supervision provided from HAGA as directed

5.Personal Development

5.1.To initiate activities that will contribute to personal and/or to team growth, including but not limited to running seminars, workshops and training modules at selected venues of instruction.

5.2.To be responsible for personal and professional development in accordance with NMC guidelines.

5.3.To be aware of pertinent legislations concerning alcohol and substance misuse and related areas.

6.Liaison /Communication

6.1 Communicate effectively with staff throughout HAGA’s services.

6.2Be available for advice and consultation to other voluntary and statutory agencies.

6.3To work collaboratively with other statutory and voluntary sector agencies in the delivery of interventions/services.

7. Health and Safety

7.1.The post holder must be aware of the responsibilities placed upon them under the Health and Safety Act 1974 and to ensure that agreed procedures are carried out and that a safe working environment is maintained for patients, visitors and employees.

8No Smoking Policy

8.1.HAGA has a policy in relation to smoking at work. All employees must familiarise with him/her with the policy and to ensure a health working environment for its employees and clients.

9Data Protection

9.1.Employees should be aware that information held and/or processed on a computer or word processor should be obtained and used in a lawful way. All employees have a responsibility for ensuring that the data held is only for its specified registered purpose under the Data Protection Act 1984 and is not used or disclosed in any way incompatible with its registered purpose. Data should only be disclosed to authorised personnel or organisations.

10Equal Opportunities

10.1.All employees of HAGA are expected to be aware of and adhered to, the provisions of the organisations’ Equal Opportunities Policy and to carry out their associated duties and responsibilities.

11Confidentiality

11.1.Employees must be aware of their obligation to ensure that any information relating to patients or staff remains confidential.

12Conflict of Interest Policy

12.1.Employees are expected to declare any private ‘interest or practice’ which might conflict with their employment and be perceived to result in actual or potential financial or personal gain.

13Terms and Conditions

13.1.The post-holder will subject to the terms and conditions of employment of Haringey Advisory Group on Alcohol

14Rider Clause

14.1.This is an-outline of the post-holder’s duties and responsibilities. It is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time in order to meet the changing needs of the team and parent organisation. Working Condition, Physical and Emotional Effort

The post holder wishes to remind the Job Review Panel that:

Physical Effort

1.The post may require the post-holder to drive to various locations within the Borough of Haringey and this in itself, is extremely stressful, time-consuming and particularly frustrating when there is no parking space

2.The post may require the post-holder to walk to his/her final destination, as it may not be approachable by car. Furthermore, post-holder may be required to walk several flights of stair (in winter, this may be dimly lit).

Emotional Effort

  1. Daily work of the post-holder will require him/her to concentrate at all times in interaction with clients and/or carrying out activities directly relating to patient care.
  2. Depending on the mental health of the clients; his/her use of alcohol and possibly non-prescribed drugs and the nature of alcohol detoxification with its associated withdrawal symptoms, the post-holder will frequently encounter clients who may be tearful, irritable, hostile and in extreme cases physically aggressive.
  3. Where conveyance of ‘bad news’ is required, the post-holder will be expected to do so independently (e.g. death of a client to relatives) to clients and/or carers, this will often be very distressful for all concerned.

Working Condition

1.Visiting clients at home will involve, in every case. Ascertaining the safety of the environment, for instance, clients with alcohol problems may have other visitors in his/her home, which may be under the influence of alcohol and/or non-prescribed drugs.

2.In some circumstances, post-holder may be required to deliver medication to those clients that live in tower blocks in very deprived areas. This adds an additional stress factor as post-holder may feel vulnerable to assault, attacks and being robbed, as well as the effort of physically carrying essential (and expensive) equipment to the client’s home.

3.Some of the homes visited may occasionally not satisfy hygiene requirements, and in extreme cases, will be a health & safety concern that may require alerting the local council and/or social landlord.

Person Specification – Hospital Liaison nurse team leader, HAGA

Factors / Essential / Desirable
Physical Requirements /
  • In good health to perform the full range of duties and responsibilities associated with the post.
/
  • Have own vehicle to facilitate transport to and from clinics as necessary.

Education/Qualifications /
  • A Bachelor degree in Health Studies or equivalent.
  • Registered Mental Health Nurse/ Registered General Nurse with current NMC registration
  • Fluency in written and verbal English Language.
  • ENB998 in Teaching and Assessing and/or equivalent.
  • Training in child protection issues and Safeguarding of Adults at risk (SOAR).
/
  • Certificate in Management Studies or equivalent.
  • Post-graduate Diploma in drugs and alcohol studies or equivalent
  • Leadership or Management NVQ 5 or equivalent.
  • Qualification in non-medical prescribing

Experience /
  • Minimum of 5 years experience.
  • Minimum of 2 year’s experience in the field of substance misuse.
  • Minimum of 2 year community-treatment experience.
  • Experience delivering supervision in-line with a professional framework or approach.
  • Setting up effective ways of working with hard to reach clients through outreach work
  • Evidence of conducting Quality Audits and/or Research and Development work in role.
  • Working with, or in, in-patient settings offering advice/ info. on substance misuse issues
/
  • Involvement in the bidding and funding process in the voluntary sector.
  • Hospital liaison or working within hospital setting.
  • Manager or team leader of a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Delivery of Extended Brief Interventions for alcohol in-line with SIPS-framework.
  • Experience of Voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) delivered counselling or EBI.
  • Experience of direct contract reporting to stakeholder/funders.

Skills, Knowledge and abilities /
  • Evidence of on-going training and practices, in the field of substance misuse and public health prevention.
  • Knowledge and understanding of legislations pertaining to mental health, substance misuse and related fields of interests.
  • Effective verbal and written communication.
  • Knowledge of the concept of Change Management.
  • IT literate.
  • Report writing.
  • Safe practice related to offering alcohol detoxification in a community setting.
In engaging with complex needs clients
  • Developing protocols and establishing effective working procedures
  • Analysis of statistical information and ability to make appropriate recommendations based on findings.
  • In managing conflicting priorities and organizing time effectively
  • Effective caseload management
  • In setting up effective engagement with children’s services.
/
  • Budget management within the voluntary and statutory sector.

Aptitudes, attitudes and personal characteristics /
  • Commitment to working within the organisation’s Equal Opportunity Policy.
  • Willingness to work pro-actively with a range of outside agencies and carers
  • Flexibility to working within a developing service.

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Band 6 Job Description/Community Alcohol Team – HAGA