Drug and Homelessness Liaison Nurse

Job overview

• The aim of this position is to reduce the burden of disease and untimely deaths in this vulnerable and complex patient group.
• You will work with service users with a wide range of complex needs, such as homelessness, substance misuse problems, self-neglect, domestic abuse, significant risk histories and social exclusion, and who at times may present with challenging behaviours.
• You will work flexibly, creatively and effectively in the role, with a high degree of self-direction and using excellent time-management skills to manage your own time and workload, under the supervision and guidance of their Manager.
• You will develop strong working links with professionals engaged in support of service users with such issues, such as the multi-agency rough sleepers hub (MARSH), the Rehousing Engagement Support Team (REST), Derby homes, Centenary house, Milestone house, Safespace, the Homeless Paramedic and the Homeless MDT.
• You will be a professional role model for the delivery of high-quality specialist interventions for people with drug and alcohol and associated homelessness and other welfare related issues.
• You will demonstrate a consistent professional presence promoting a positive image of the Trust and the MHLT to the people under our care, carers and the community.
• You will contribute to clinical audits to monitor the effectiveness of the service and improve practice where applicable.

Main duties of the job

• To reduce drug and alcohol related harm to service users and the wider community, specifically in patients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness at the RDH.
• To work in the Emergency Department and on the RDH wards to support positive risk taking in discharge planning, and to facilitate timely and safe discharge with the necessary support.
• To promote carer, service user and community involvement with the service provided.
• To establish links with partnership services and providing advocacy for access to these services, such as MARSH, REST, Derby homes, Centenary house, Milestone house, Safespace, the Homeless Paramedic, the Homeless MDT, alcohol and substance services, social care and the police, and develop pathways to improve patient’s care delivery and community support.
• To organise multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDTs) or risk strategy meetings where appropriate to contribute to the safe discharge planning of service users.
• Contributing to the high impact user meetings and care planning as necessary
• To ensure service users have access to support services for social (re)integration, enabling them to lead meaningful and purposeful lives: promoting recovery, resilience, peer support and self-determination.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To have a strong understanding of substance misuse issues and ideally have experience working within a similar field.
• To have experience in conflict resolution and challenging behaviour.
• To proactively work on their own initiative with excellent time management and prioritising skills.
• To have a good working knowledge of mental health interventions, services, and good practice.
• To be a supportive team player with strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work in partnership with a wide range of professionals, agencies, and internal/external stakeholders, and to demonstrate a problem solving approach.
• To have the ability to manage change successfully in a way that prioritises the needs of service users.
• To support individuals with housing / homelessness / finances difficulties and promote recovery as well as working to resolve the issues involved. Assessment involved in this would support the MDT to identify the care pathway out of hospital for the service user.
• To use their knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, least restrictive practice, the principles of Safeguarding to support their assessment and care planning.
• To commence and support continuation and titration of opiate substitution therapy where this is applicable.
• To recognise and facilitate treatment of opioids through promoting where appropriate use of medications such as Methadone and Subutex, and Naloxone. To additionally promote recognition of synthetic opioids and treatment for overdose of these.
• To provide Clinical Supervision of band 4 Support Worker, with support from Band 6 nurses from the Alcohol Care Team (ACT), and the Clinical Lead for Alcohol and Substance Misuse.
• To be flexible, and motivated and driven to develop the role appropriately to the benefit of the patients and the service.
• To demonstrate a willingness to work with people with challenging behaviour, and able to motivate people to make changes in their lives, demonstrating a non-judgemental approach and an understanding of people with mental health issues.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.