Clinical Nurse Specialist – Eating Disorder Liaison Team

The Vincent Square Eating Disorders Service has a main base in Central London as well as a satellite clinic at Roxborough Road, Harrow. The successful candidate’s preference for working at either site will be taken into consideration, as well working from home opportunities. You will work with the Liaison Team which is a Multidisciplinary Team, collaborating with Doctors, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Family Therapists and Workers, Dietician and Inpatient and Day Programme Team. In addition, you will liaise with Community Mental Health Teams, Primary Care Teams, and Medical and Psychiatric Wards.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical Nurse Specialist post within the adult outpatient department of Vincent Square Eating Disorders Service for an experienced mental health nurse. The post holder will be working within the liaison team which is part of the wider outpatient service. The team is made up of highly experienced nurses, occupational therapists, dietician, nursing associates and consultant psychiatrist. It is an opportunity for a nurse to further their practice and experience within a specialist setting.

The candidate will require a good level of post qualification experience of working with patients with an eating disorder within a ward or community setting. The liaison team is an integral part of the wider eating disorders service acting as ‘front of house’ for all stakeholders. The role will involve doing regular specialist assessment of patients referred to the eating disorder service, facilitating physical health clinics, and managing a small caseload of patients with a range of severe and enduring eating disorders. The team has various treatment pathways including FREED which is an established early intervention pathway, an intensive community treatment team and an expanding primary care pathway. You will need to be a motivated, empathic, skilled and dedicated individual who can work well both autonomously and within a team, and possess excellent communication skills.

You will be well supported in your role by a friendly, dynamic MDT as well as receive regular line management and clinical supervision both individually as well as team based. The service’s primary base is in South Kensington in Central London and the satellite clinic is based at Roxborough Road in Harrow. Systems are in place to allow flexible working from home for all clinicians which is agreed with your manager and dependent on service need.

Vincent Square Eating Disorders Service is the specialist service provider for patients living in the boroughs of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Brent and Harrow. In addition, the service accepts national referrals for specialist in-patient and day-patient care.

• To process all new referrals by triaging them daily based on clinical risk, for the designated boroughs
• To undertake specialist eating disorder assessment (at the central London clinic and the satellite Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow).
• To provide treatment for patients suitable for the Liaison Service, who often present with severe and enduring eating disorders, using a supportive clinical management model
• To provide advice to referring agents on how to access the eating disorders service.
• To advise other teams about management of eating disorders as part of service users package of care, when there is other significant psychiatric or medical co morbidities
• Monitoring of physical and mental health issues related to patients with eating disorders.
• To undertake Veno puncture and ECG procedures or willingness to be trained in order to practice these physical care skills.
• To participate in a weekly outpatient physical health monitoring clinic.
• Ensure nursing practice is in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and Mental Health Legislation, which incorporates and respects differences in respect of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, culture and disability.
• Participate as an active member of the nursing team, accountable for your practice, and work in partnership with other health care professionals, patients and others in the delivery of care.
• Plan, prioritise and manage the delivery of assessment of referrals to the clinic from psychiatric and medical service.
• To offer nursing support and advise on suitable treatments for those seriously ill patients awaiting outpatient/in-patient admission to professional staff and to families and carers.
• To participate in the running of a personal recovery focussed group for patients with severe and enduring eating disorders.
• To organise own schedule, maintaining daily contact with the Liaison Team Lead about any issues as they arise.
• To liaise with the Liaison Team Lead, Lead Nurse, Ward Manager, Day Patient Nurse, Service Manager and Consultant Psychiatrist about priorities on waiting list for admission.
• Always act in a manner as to promote and safeguard the interests and well being of patients, visitors and colleagues.
• To participate in mandatory staff group.