Community Mental Health Nurse (Psychotropic Medication Clinic)
Harrow, England, United Kingdom Full-time Posted 1 week ago
Job Overview
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated clinician to play a key role in shaping and delivering high-quality psychotropic medication intervention and physical healthcare with Harrow Community Mental Health services. The postholder will support the Depot, Clozapine and Physical Health clinics for the Harrow CMHH providing expert oversight and continuity of care for patients prescribed psychotropic medication
In addition, the postholder will be working collaboratively with the physical health team and multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure annual physical health checks are completed, results are reviewed, and appropriate follow-up interventions are implemented. This role offers the chance to influence quality, improve physical health outcomes, and support integrated care pathways within the service.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will be a qualified Mental Health Nurse with substantial post-registration experience and a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, recovery-focused care. They will demonstrate a clear interest in improving the physical health outcomes of people with severe mental illness and working proactively to address health inequalities. Where appropriate, the successful applicant will be supported to develop their clinical practice and offered CPD opportunities.
Working for our organisation
This post is based within the Harrow Community Mental Health Team in a welcoming and supportive service with a strong sense of community and collaborative working. The team values mutual support, shared learning, and high-quality patient care.
The base is easily located from Harrow & Wealdstone Station alongside excellent transport links into central London, and is within easy walking distance from multiple bus routes, making the service readily accessible.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Summary of Main Responsibilities
To use excellent communication skills and to develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with service users and their families and carers who may at times be in situations of emotional distress.
To be aware of how your verbal and non-verbal communication can be interpreted by others and ensure a polite approach is maintained at all times.
To develop and maintain effective working relationships and networks with colleagues within mental health services, primary care, voluntary agencies and other partner agencies to ensure well - co-ordinated care.
To actively participate in Inpatient and Community team meetings and clinical reviews, as required, to help promote team cohesiveness, multidisciplinary working and collaboration with colleagues in all parts of the Trust.
To use these forums to problem-solve and identify risk and concerns with the team and ensure agreed decisions are implemented and documented.
To ensure that views of all service users are effectively sought, channelled and acted upon, including the efficient processing of complaints or untoward incidents in accordance with the Trust policy.
To maintain accurate and up-to-date records utilising electronic media as necessary, and ensuring any hand written documentation is legible and in accordance with professional guidelines and best practice.
To maintain statistical information records required by the Trust for reporting on Performance Management.
To complete agreed audit and evaluation measures and provide and collate information relevant to performance management as requested.
TRAINING
Training And Qualifications
Essential criteria
Essential criteria
Essential criteria
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated clinician to play a key role in shaping and delivering high-quality psychotropic medication intervention and physical healthcare with Harrow Community Mental Health services. The postholder will support the Depot, Clozapine and Physical Health clinics for the Harrow CMHH providing expert oversight and continuity of care for patients prescribed psychotropic medication
In addition, the postholder will be working collaboratively with the physical health team and multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure annual physical health checks are completed, results are reviewed, and appropriate follow-up interventions are implemented. This role offers the chance to influence quality, improve physical health outcomes, and support integrated care pathways within the service.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will be a qualified Mental Health Nurse with substantial post-registration experience and a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, recovery-focused care. They will demonstrate a clear interest in improving the physical health outcomes of people with severe mental illness and working proactively to address health inequalities. Where appropriate, the successful applicant will be supported to develop their clinical practice and offered CPD opportunities.
Working for our organisation
This post is based within the Harrow Community Mental Health Team in a welcoming and supportive service with a strong sense of community and collaborative working. The team values mutual support, shared learning, and high-quality patient care.
The base is easily located from Harrow & Wealdstone Station alongside excellent transport links into central London, and is within easy walking distance from multiple bus routes, making the service readily accessible.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Summary of Main Responsibilities
- To safely and effectively carry out the operation of the Depot, Clozapine and Physical Health clinics , including the use of POCHi blood testing system, which adheres to the standard operational policies and is in line with evidence-based practice.
- To prioritise time and workload, in a flexible manner to meet clinic and community caseload responsibilities.
- To be trained and competent in Venepuncture
- To liaise with identified Care Coordinators/Responsible Clinicians for service users who attend the service as required
- To attend and contribute to Trust wide Depot/Clozapine development meetings.
- To assess and review health and social care needs (Referring/Sign posting to relevant team for more complex issues including accommodation, finances, and support in accessing education, training or employment) and negotiate care plans with service users and their carers.
- To participate in relevant meetings and effectively develop personal skills knowledge and experience through supervision and training.
- To lead and participate in morning huddle meetings/MDT discussions, communicating and escalating any issues or concerns about patients with the relevant team
- Deliver training to other staff and students on the delivery of depots.
- To ensure patients are accessing medical reviews when required
- Stocktake medication usage to ensure all medications are ordered and available. Ensure medications are used within their use-by dates to minimise medication wastage. Ensure medication orders are paused or cancelled when no longer required
- Manage the live depot spreadsheet to ensure depots are given to service users in the team on time
- To be responsible for managing the care of patients allocated to the depot and clozapine clinics
- To participate in relevant meetings and effectively develop personal skills knowledge and experience through supervision and training.
- To undertake risk assessments, according to Trust policy.
- To engage with service users within the clinic setting, to assess mental state, physical health, monitor treatment, support concordance and ensure prompt action is taken to alleviate unwanted effects of prescribed medication.
- To assess physical health and deliver interventions to promote optimal physical wellbeing (i.e. smoking, weight and lifestyle issues).
- To help patients gain fair and equal access to services, through choice and social inclusion and being sensitive to age, culture, ethnicity and gender, sexuality and disability.
- To ensure delivery of care plans in partnership with multi-disciplinary colleagues and a range of health and social care agencies.
- To ensure CNWL Child Protection Guidelines and Safeguarding Children and Adult procedures are fully understood by self and others. To ensure the safety needs of children and adults are met at all times and take appropriate action when a child or adult is felt to be at risk or in need.
- To provide interventions and to work with other disciplines/agencies/teams in the care of service users experiencing co-morbid problems with substance use/misuse.
- To ensure a coordinated response for people presenting to the clinic in crisis
- To deliver a flexible and responsive service through working practices that are dictated by service user/carer need and contribute to the provision of service continuity including outside normal working hours when necessary.
- To support the safe step down of patients not currently requiring mental health services, with a focus on enabling GP practices to provide effective, continuing care and to ensure access to support in terms wider social and social inclusion/self-management needs.
- To maintain standards of professional conduct at all times and observe the legal requirements of the MHA (1983), its Code of Practice, The Children Act (1989) The Mental Capacity Act (2005), Care Act (2014) and other relevant legislation and guidance.
To use excellent communication skills and to develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with service users and their families and carers who may at times be in situations of emotional distress.
To be aware of how your verbal and non-verbal communication can be interpreted by others and ensure a polite approach is maintained at all times.
To develop and maintain effective working relationships and networks with colleagues within mental health services, primary care, voluntary agencies and other partner agencies to ensure well - co-ordinated care.
To actively participate in Inpatient and Community team meetings and clinical reviews, as required, to help promote team cohesiveness, multidisciplinary working and collaboration with colleagues in all parts of the Trust.
To use these forums to problem-solve and identify risk and concerns with the team and ensure agreed decisions are implemented and documented.
To ensure that views of all service users are effectively sought, channelled and acted upon, including the efficient processing of complaints or untoward incidents in accordance with the Trust policy.
To maintain accurate and up-to-date records utilising electronic media as necessary, and ensuring any hand written documentation is legible and in accordance with professional guidelines and best practice.
To maintain statistical information records required by the Trust for reporting on Performance Management.
To complete agreed audit and evaluation measures and provide and collate information relevant to performance management as requested.
TRAINING
- To participate actively in clinical supervision, as well as in management supervision and annual appraisal with line manager, and to pursue further professional development and training appropriate to the age range covered by the team, according to a Personal Development Plan
- To maintain up to date knowledge through networking, training and reading, and to comply with professional requirements for the maintenance of professional registration.
- To participate in and contribute to induction and training within the team, act as mentor or supervisor to students and junior staff, and to support the development of a working environment conducive to learning.
- Seek appropriate opportunities to contribute to mental health education within the community.
Training And Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Mental Health Nurse (current NMC registration)
- Evidence of continuing Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Experience of working in multidisciplinary team
- Experience of assessing and managing crisis with those with a severe mental illness.
- Knowledge and experience of Clozapine, side effects and patient management.
- Demonstrated experience of working with people who experience serious ongoing mental health problems
- Phlebotomy training
- Previous experience of working with service users on Clozapine
- Knowledge of cardio Metabolic risks in clients with Severe and Enduring mental health conditions
Essential criteria
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to assess clinical situations quickly and use initiative
- Good time management skills and ability to prioritise
- Effective team worker
- Clinical supervision skills
- Skills in assessment, care planning and case management
- Ability to complete and interpret physical health checks.
- Ability to interpret research and apply to practice.
- Ability to work as an active member of the multidisciplinary team.
- Research and audit skills
- Report writing Skills
- Clear understanding of the Mental Health Act, and National Policy
