Nurse Assessor

Nurse Assessor

Location:  Swindon, Wiltshire

Salary:  Band 6 (£26,041 - £34,876)

Hours:  Negotiable up to 40 hrs a week (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm generally, but may be some requirement for out of hours work)

Background

CHS Healthcare continues to grow with increasing demand for our trusted, focused services to support patients and families. Established in 1995 CHS Healthcare provides expert support, advice and direct delivery of individual and bespoke contracts direct to the NHS and on behalf of the NHS.

Role Overview

Working for CHS Healthcare in partnership with Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group based at The Pierre Simonet Building, North Swindon Gateway, North Latham Road, Swindon, SN25 4DL the Clinical Assessor will implement the National Service Framework (NSF) for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC) for residents within the responsibility of Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group. Promoting best practice and providing professional advice to nursing homes and other providers, promoting good relationships and liaising with colleagues from other disciplines and organisations.  The post Holder will have a continuing responsibility for a defined caseload including the completion of National Framework assessment tools in conjunction with individual/family and Multidisciplinary teams (MDT), review and assess a client’s eligibility for NHS CHC and FNC.

What sort of a person are we looking for?

This role is ideal for someone with a professional health background e.g. nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy.

Ideally degree educated or with relevant professional qualifications you must be a registered health professional with recent experience in multi-disciplinary assessment or specifically retrospective review and continuing healthcare background. 

You should ideally have knowledge of the CHC national framework including dispute resolution and retrospective reviews. However this role might be equally attractive to those persons with a transferrable skill set.  What is essential is your ability to manage your case load eventually without supervision often working to tight and changing time scales.  You must be outgoing, friendly with a desire to build supportive long-term relationships with clients, colleagues and a wider professional network.  You must pride yourself on your writing, presenting and selling skills as you will need to persuade others and move them into action.  You also need strong IT, administration and analytical skills and for those with excellent transferable skills full training will be given.

Main duties of the role:

• To assess, review and plan an appropriate care pathway, in liaison with other professionals involved with the service user.
• The successful candidate will be involved in the provision of expert case management to both health and social care staff working within the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare, NHS Funded Nursing Care and Personal Health Budgets.
• To contribute to Patient Safety initiatives including Safety thermometer, Medicines Management in Care Home and DoLS
• Draw upon sound clinical knowledge and experience in order to analyse a variety of clinical evidence and justify reasoned conclusions of clinical need.
• To undertake statutory reviews and ensure the patients’ needs have been adequately met and progressed through the appropriate care pathway. To ensure that all reviews, and reassessment include appropriate reports, risk assessment and evidence to support the level of care need identified within the relevant documentation. As part of the review process, ensure a review of placement or care package is also undertaken to ensure that all care needs are being met and to ensure best value for the funding authority.
• To ensure effective and timely communications regarding the outcome of the assessment and review process with all professionals involved, the client and their representatives.
• To assist the NHS Continuing Healthcare Nurse Specialist in the collection of statutory data required by the Department of Health, other external bodies and the Clinical Commissioning Group; assisting in completing local data bases and spread sheets to ensure all records, assessment and review dates are accurate and up to date.
• Attend CHC Appeals Panels as required.
• To maintain effective communication on issues in complex situations arising from the application of NHS Continuing Healthcare criteria and the outcomes, including a range of professionals including GP’s and Health professionals and voluntary sector.
• Communicate decisions to clients and families regarding funding decisions which included distressing information whereby health funding may not be approved, has been reduced or withdrawn, or a decision has been deferred for further review
• Work flexibly within a team and communicate well with other colleagues, ensuring all records are comprehensive and that colleagues are briefed on potential issues, which may arise during any planned absence.
• Liaise with outside agencies (including Social Care Teams, Care homes, Archive Teams, GP practices, Community Health Teams, Commissioners, CSU staff and others.
• Maintain clinical competency, knowledge and skills within the field of continuing healthcare by attending in service training updates and maintaining own professional development.
• Attend team meetings and provide input where necessary, be actively engaged in CHC/ FNC education programmes and training as required.
• Work within the guidelines relating to Code of Conduct for the relevant discipline (E.g. NMC, HCPC), Confidentiality, Accountability and Scope of Professional Practice.
• Any other reasonable tasks as requested by the line manager.

Next step

If you have the skills and experience we require for this role and are looking for a new challenge please email your CV to us.

Please include your mobile number on your CV as you will be sent a text if you are shortlisted to take part in a structured competency based telephone interview

See our website for our company profile. Closing Date: 17^th May 2016

Keywords: Continuing Healthcare, Case Manager, Clinician, Nurse, Health Professional, Assessor, Allied Health Professional, physio and OT