Inflammatory Bowel Disease Support Worker

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Job Overview We're looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our team! The main purpose of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Support Worker is to work as an integral part of a the IBD Specialist Nursing team and wider IBD Team including the wider administrative team and the community to promote patient engagement and self-advocacy and improve efficiency, safety and co-ordination of the service. The post-holder will be responsible and accountable for their own individual practices and behaviour, under the management of a registered practitioner. The IBD Support Worker will work closely with Gastroenterology and IBD clinical teams to assist in the coordination of patient care and support. The postholder will be responsible for operational management of the digital IBD pathway, support timely patient monitoring, while escalating concerns appropriately. This post is predominantly an administrative role.

Main duties of the job The Postholder Will Work alongside the IBD Clinical Nurse Specialists Coordinate care by providing a single point of access Triage patients, using a risk assessment framework and initiate appropriate response according to protocols Provide basic telephone and face to face advice and refer on or sign-post to other sources of support when required. Coordinate any necessary assessments Support information provision Guide people through the use of self-assessment resources Participate in the organisation, delivery and administration of patient education sessions Document and monitor all aspects of care coordination and service delivery Support data collection for audit Working for our organisation North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered. North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities Under the guidance and supervision of the IBD Clinical Nurse Specialists and IBD consultants: a ssist in the coordination of patient care throughout the pathway: To provide general information and support about IBD and IBD services, to enable people to navigate the system and make choices that are best for their IBD and their life . A key aspect of the role involves direct communication with patients, relatives/carers, and other health and social care professionals ((e.g. face to face and telephone). The information and nature of the communication requires empathy, understanding, diplomacy, honesty and integrity. Improve the current IBD monitoring pathway Facilitate the rolling audit of patients invited for monitoring and/or surveillance of their IBD Lead on the operational management of the digital IBD pathway, chasing results and arranging appropriate clinic review (virtual/face-to-face/telephone) within agreed time frames. Triage patients, using a risk assessment framework and initiate appropriate response according to protocols and individual pathways, using good communication skills, basic clinical awareness and appropriate tools and procedures, liaising as appropriate when non routine and refer complex decisions to the team for assessment and review Support the rollout of the day-to-day operational use of the IBD pathway. Identify delays or gaps within the pathway and escalate appropriately. Support the maintenance, development and operational management of the digital IBD pathway Prepare information for relevant MDT meetings and support tracking and communication of outcomes. Act as point of contact for queries related to the pathway. Request protocolised pathway investigations. Support patients to overcome barriers to attendance and engagement. Support digital data collection, reporting and audit Maintain an accurate and up-to-date digital database across IBD services. Transfer and reconcile data from historic spreadsheets Collect and monitor pathway data including attendance rates, DNA rates, overdue patients, referral timelines and surveillance outcomes. Produce reports for the IBD CNS and consultant teams. Support audit, quality improvement and service evaluation projects relating to IBD monitoring and surveillance. Administrative support to the IBD CNS and Consultant team Provide comprehensive administrative support to the IBD CNS team. Support coordination of CNS-led clinics, meetings and patient communication Assist with management of correspondence, pathway administration, patient queries and follow-up actions. Coordinate meetings, MDT preparation and associated administration. Prepare agendas, minutes and action logs. Manage telephone and email queries relating to IBD services. Support preparation of reports, presentations, business cases, audits and service development documentation. Assist with coordination of education sessions, MDT meetings and service improvement projects across the IBD service. Support day-to-day operational administration for the wider IBD nursing service as required. To coordinate access to the right information and education resources to support people in making decisions about aspects of their own care, enable independence and support self-management as appropriate. Develop a partnership approach to working in order to empower the patient and carers. Support people to access appropriate information and support, by signposting to a range of support services and take an approach which helps people to self-manage where appropriate Advise patients on individual self-care management principles and provide consistent planned aftercare to reinforce and further promote this information Collection of data and evaluation of the pathway for quality improvement Encourage and support active and healthy lifestyle choices Help patients and carers in the understanding of signs, symptoms or situations that would cause concern Explain to patients and carers how they can make contact when they feel that their condition or needs have changed, including what to do out of hours Professional Responsibilities Comment on proposed changes to policies and procedures Support and contribute to audit processes, governance, research, clinical research trials and service development Demonstrate self-directed learning, actively seeking role development opportunities to enhance practice, knowledge and role progression Identify personal education needs and skills development with the IBD team. Actively engage with the IBD team on future strategy. Carry out other administration duties required by the role Help gather information pertinent to the patient pathway Order supplies and equipment as required Demonstrate an awareness of the limits of personal practice and knowledge and understand when to seek appropriate advice.

Person specification Education/Training Essential criteria GCSE English Language and Mathematics (Grades A-C) or equivalent NVQ level 4 or NVQ level 3 plus additional training to diploma level in health and social care Work Experience Essential criteria Relevant health or social care experience at AFC Band 3 Experience in an administrative role and data management Experience of working in a multi-professional environment Experience of supporting/teaching patients and carers Knowledge/Skills/Abilities Essential criteria Evidence of good communications skills and the ability to communicate sensitively with patients IT and administrative skills. Knowledge of NHS IT systems Knowledge of IBD pathways Have effective organisational skills. The ability to work within a team. Understanding of person-centred care Understanding of the health and social care environment Knowledge of NHS IT systems Good observational, assessment and problem solving skills. The ability to prioritise own workload. The ability to motivate self and others. The ability to show empathy and understand the difficulties faced by people affected by cancer The ability to prioritise own workload The ability to retrieve information from a range of sources Personal Qualities Essential criteria Be calm, objective, confident and approachable. Demonstrate professional integrity in the conduct of the role. Demonstrate enthusiasm. Have a flexible attitude to working Recognise personal limitations and boundaries.

Please note that if you apply for a position with North Bristol NHS Trust, you may be contacted via TRAC or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your TRAC Account and email accounts including junk and spam folders. If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful. Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance. If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151. North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments. At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people. Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.