Job Title:                                            Care Team Leader

Responsible To:                               Care Team Manager

Responsible For:                              Caseload and

Team Nurses

Team Play and Care Workers

Volunteers

Minimum Qualifications:                 Registered Sick Children’s Nurse/RN Child Branch.                                    

Core Purpose:

To assist in achieving its core purpose to accompany families with children and young people with life limiting/life threatening conditions during the child or young person’s journey through life to death, creating positive experiences along the way which become good memories for the future.

Job Summary:

·         To work with the Care Team Manager and multi disciplinary team to provide respite and palliative care to children with life limiting conditions, monitoring and maintaining policies, standards of nursing care and staff development. 

·         To provide specialist nursing care and advice to support and facilitate high quality, individualised care to users/carers without supervision in collaboration with the multi disciplinary team.

·         Participate in child and family reviews and case conferences

·         To provide leadership and support to a small team of nurses and play and care workers.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Client Care

·         To assess, plan implement and evaluate programmes of care, actively seeking evidence based practice which will improve the quality of care and the needs of the user.  Maintain continued responsibility for a caseload, in conjunction with team members. Discuss with the care team manager any concerns or significant changes.

·         Ensure that respite and palliative care is planned and delivered in the setting agreed with the child and family, taking into account an holistic approach to caring that includes the appropriate level of physiological, pathological, spiritual, social economical and cultural aspects.

·         Liaise with the Care Team Manager to ensure that all children are able to access symptom care as appropriate on an individual basis.

·         Working with the Care Team Manager, provide a suitable and safe working environment for the physical and psychological wellbeing of staff, users and their relatives/carers.  Identify clinical risks and ensure that the appropriate action is implemented in accordance with Risk Management Policy.

·         Use professional knowledge, judgement and organisational ability to determine priorities when planning daily workloads.  Delegate duties to members of the team, commensurate with their skills and competencies. 

·         Ensure effective liaison with local Statutory and Voluntary Agencies ensuring

Multi-disciplinary assessments are available for children and young people within our care.

·         Ensure that care records are maintained to the standard outlined in Record Keeping policy and NMC Standards for Records and Record Keeping.  Provide records and reports as required.

·         In the absence of the senior management, initiate investigations of untoward incidents, accidents, complaints and other relevant information.

·         To comply with and participate in framework of clinical governance, seeking advice or guidance where necessary.

·         To demonstrate awareness and compliance with policies, procedures, guidelines and standards.  This will include identification of risk (clinical, health, safety and security). To work towards promoting this within your team.

·         To record and report all incidents/complaints involving staff, users and visitors in accordance with policy and assist in any investigations as required.

·         To be able to support the user and family/carers at the time of death, understanding that the experience of grief will be unique for each individual.

·         To be aware of what support is available to the families and using active listening skills to support individuals in their grief.

·         Be knowledge and supportive of your team during the users end of life stage, knowing the practicalities of dealing with death and dying using non discriminatory practices.

Administrative

·         Fulfil the role of Lead nurse on a shift basis, planning and allocating work in order of priority, and delegating to junior members of the team according to their skills and competencies.

·         Accurately complete all information and statistical requirements, ensuring that any deadlines are met.

Responsibility – policy and service

·         To work on delegated projects as requested.

·         To be aware of service delivery plans

·         To be actively involved in the development of  policies and procedures at care level, their implementation and use.

Responsibility – Human Resources:

·         Maintain, update and develop personal and professional knowledge and skills by participating in supervision and appraisal sessions.

·         To participate in the programme for clinical team supervision.

·         To assist with the recruitment, retention and selection of staff.

·         Work towards delegation of tasks and activities to a range of team members and evaluate outcomes in conjunction with the care services manager.

·         Work towards being responsible for the 1:1’s and appraisals of your team members as appropriate as delegated by the care services manager.

·         Participate fully as a team member, sharing knowledge and information and supporting colleagues and team members to promote a cohesive team and the achievement of team objectives.

·         To engage actively with self rostering.

·         To participate in planning the duty rota taking into account the needs of the service and in conjunction with the parameters set by the Director of Care.

·         To contribute to the development and maintenance of a positive learning environment for colleagues, users and visitors.

·         To participate in staff education and development, including utilising appropriate learning opportunities and to act as a mentor and resource to student nurses and unqualified members of the nursing team.

·         Support the care team manager with the day to day management of the service and act up as requested in her absence.

·         Be responsible for identifying and maintaining own professional development in line with Post Registration Education and Practice.

·         Participate in research projects as required

Responsibility – information resources

·         To be involved actively in maintaining data quality on Access database system.

·         Undertake relevant training for electronic information systems in place and under development.

·         To have an active e-mail account.

Responsibility – Research and Development

·         Participate in research projects as required

·         To demonstrate through a holistic approach to nursing care and day to day clinical issues an understanding of evidence based practice.

·         To participate in the collection of audit and research data as required. 

·         To monitor the quality of care and action audit information to achieve agreed standards under the direction of the care services manager.

·         Under the supervision of the care services manager, contribute and participate in the process of setting goals and benchmarking standards of care. 

General Responsibilities:

·         Co-operate with all staff in maintaining good relationships with outside agencies and the general public in order to uphold the Charity's image and win increased support for its work.

·         Maintain confidentiality in all areas of work

·         Ensure that your conduct within and outside does not conflict with professional expectations.

·         Actively support and promote and all its policies including 'Equal Opportunities'.

·         Co-operate with all staff in maintaining harmonious inter-personal relationships.

·         Attend staff meetings and training as required.

·         Ensure an awareness and observation of Fire and Health and Safety Regulations.

·         Ensure the respect, dignity and rights to privacy of children, young people and their families as far as possible.

·         Participate in regular Supervision sessions with your Line Manager (and staff for whom you are responsible if applicable).

·         Carry out any other duties as are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job, the title of the post and its grading as requested by your Line Manager or his/her higher level of authority.

Note:   This job description reflects the present requirements of the post.  As duties and responsibilities change and develop, the job description will be reviewed and is subject to amendment in consultation with the post holder.