Community Palliative Care Team Leader

**RESPONSIBLE FOR**: Leadership within the team to support delivery of new and existing projects and improve specialist palliative care service provision across Blackpool, Fylde, and Wyre CCGs. OVERALL PURPOSE: To ensure specialist palliative care knowledge, expertise and support is provided to patients, carers, their GPs, and all other health care professionals to maximise the patients quality of life. JOB SUMMARY: To facilitate the integration of palliative care services into the community and peripheral hospitals to support General Practitioners and other allied health professionals, to achieve the best quality of care for patients referred to Trinity Hospice & Palliative Care Services. Be a clinical resource for professionals and non-professionals involved in palliative care within the community setting and provide strong leadership skills to the community palliative care team.

**Leadership Role**: 50% of the role will be to provide leadership to the community team (this will be flexible depending on the service needs) Demonstrate leadership in influencing specialist practice to nursing, medical and other health care professionals. To liaise and work closely with the Trinity Clinical Nurse Specialist Manager and the Hospice Consultant of matters relating to Specialist Palliative Care Nursing in the community to ensure that the community service remains efficient and effective. Oversight and responsibility for the general running of the shift. Including sickness management and support for team.

Be an active member of the Palliative Care Networks and participate in the Supportive Palliative care groups and Complex case discussions supporting the work of the End-of-life steering group accordingly. Support the development of new ways of working which includes Living Well services, Single point of access, non-medical prescribing, and Virtual Ward, enabling patients to have a choice in how they are assessed. Support and implement the design of projects to improve and develop service provision for all patients with a life limiting illness, looking at gaps in the service to support minority and hard to reach groups. Cooperate fully in the introduction of any new technology and new methods as appropriate.

Report and discuss any problems which may occur with CNS Lead and Hospice Consultant as appropriate. Attend staff meetings both in the Hospice and community, communicating information to supporting systems. Be involved in audit of patient care, and service developments and participate in research programmes to promote high standards of Specialist Palliative Care. Compile reports and exception reports as required.

Be an active member of the multi-disciplinary team to work collaboratively with health professionals from hospice, community, and the acute trust. Be responsible for ensuring up to date knowledge of current policies and procedures and to adhere to these. Organise and undertake 1:1 meetings and PDR reviews with team members. Clinical Duties: 50% of the role will be to provide clinical support to the community team (this will be flexible depending on the service needs) Have overall responsibility for delegating work to team members daily.

To undertake clinical holistic assessments with patients requiring palliative care in the community and contribute to meeting their holistic care needs. Support the management of advanced palliative care symptoms by providing support and advice to both the patient and carers, liaising with other health care providers as required. To liaise with other health care providers, General Practitioners, Community Nurses, Community Matrons, Social Workers, hospital staff and other members of the Trinity Team involved in patient care. Set and maintain high standards of patient care in Specialist Palliative Nursing.

Demonstrate enhanced communication skills, when dealing with patients and families. Triage referrals from General Practitioners, Hospital Consultants, and other Clinical Nurse Specialists to provide the most appropriate care package for the patient, referring to other health professionals as required. Be responsible for patients on the community caseload requiring Specialist Palliative Care, ensuring effective use of resources. Co-ordinate on the day to requests for support from community and acute colleagues and patients and families.

Provide liaison with General Practitioners regarding pain and complex symptom management, care needs, admission to Hospice or referral for appropriate care. Assess, develop, implement, and evaluate programmes of care for patients with palliative care needs in areas such as complex pain and symptom management. Advise and support the primary Health Care Team in their generalist palliative care role. Advise and liaise with social services and the staff of Nursing or Care Homes regarding patients requiring Specialist Palliative Care intervention.

Assess and prioritise patients for admission to the Hospice, presenting cases timely to