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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. To be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on a regular basis. You may be required to work at other locations within the Trust as determined by the duties of your post which may include the Single Point of Access. You may be required to undertake any other duties at the request of the line manager which are commensurate with the role, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

General

• The post holder may be required to work at any of the Trust’s sites in line with the service needs.
• The post holder must at all times carry out his/her responsibilities with due regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
• This job description describes responsibilities, as they are currently required. It is anticipated duties will change over time and the job description may need to be reviewed in the future.
• All staff has a responsibility to participate in the Trust’s Performance Appraisal Scheme and to contribute to their own development and the development of any staff that they are responsible for appraising.

Confidentiality

• The post holder must ensure that personal information for patients, members of staff and all other individuals is accurate, up-to-date, kept secure and confidential at all times in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the Caldicott principles and the common law duty of confidentiality. The post holder must follow the record keeping guidelines established by the Trust to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Data Protection Act

• All staff who contributes to patients’ care records are expected to be familiar with, and adhere to, the Trust’s Standards of Records Keeping. Staff should be aware that patients’ care records throughout the Trust will be subject to regular audit.
• All staff who have access to patients’ care records have a responsibility to ensure that these are maintained efficiently and that confidentiality is protected in line with the Trust’s Code of Confidentiality.
• All staff has an obligation to ensure that care records are maintained efficiently and that confidentiality is protected. Staff are also subject to this obligation both on an implied basis and also on the basis that, on accepting their job description, they agree to maintain both patient / client and staff confidentiality.
• In addition, all health professionals are advised to compile records on the assumption that they are accessible to patients in line with the Data Protection Act.

Continuous Improvement

• The Trust has adopted a strategy for Continuous Improvement and all members of staff employed by the Trust are expected to play an active role in development and improving services to the benefit of service users.
• All employees are required to participate in the annual Personal Development Review activities and any associated training and/or learning opportunities.

Systems and IT skills requirements

• All Trust staff needs to have the essential IT skills in order to use the Trust Clinical Information System as well as other required IT related applications in their jobs. Initial and on-going IT applications and IT skills training will be provided to underpin this requirement.

Health & safety

• All staff must comply with all Trust Health & Safety Policies and Procedures. Staff must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), and to ensure that agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for employees, patients and visitors.

• Employees must contribute to a healthy and safe working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations and Trust policies. Employees must act in a responsible manner to ensure the care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their omissions at work.
• Employees must co-operate with the employer insofar as is necessary to enable Health and Safety duties or requirements to be performed and complied with. Employees must not intentionally or recklessly interfere with, or misuse anything that is provided in the interest of the health, safety and welfare of staff, patients and the general public.

Professional registration

• If you are employed in an area of work which requires membership of a professional body in order to practice (e.g. Nursing & Midwifery Council for nurses), it is a condition precedent of your employment to maintain membership of such a professional body. It is also your responsibility to comply with the relevant body’s code of practice. Your manager will be able to advise you on which, if any, professional body of which you must be a member.
• You are required to advise the Trust if your professional body in any way limits or changes the terms of your registration.
• Failure to remain registered or to comply with the relevant code of practice may result in temporary downgrading, suspension from duty and/or disciplinary action, which may result in the termination of your employment.
• If you are required to have registration with a particular professional body or to have specific qualifications you must notify your manager on appointment of such fact and provide him or her with documentary evidence of them before your employment commences or, at the latest, on your first day of employment. Furthermore, throughout your employment with the Trust, you are required on demand by your manager to provide him or her with documentary evidence of your registration with any particular professional body or in respect of any required qualifications.

Risk management

• All Trust employees are accountable, through the terms and conditions of their employment, professional regulations, clinical governance and statutory health and safety regulations, and are responsible for reporting incidents, being aware of the risk management strategy and emergency procedures and attendance at training as required.
• All staff has a responsibility to manage risk within their sphere of responsibility. It is a statutory duty to take reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of others who may be affected by acts or omissions.
• All managers throughout the organisation have a responsibility to ensure that policies and procedures are followed, that staff receives appropriate training that a local risk register is developed and monitored on a quarterly basis and any changes reported to the Clinical Risk Management Group and Strategic Risk Management Committee.
• Managers are responsible for implementing and monitoring any identified risk management control measures within their designated area/s and scope of responsibility. In situations where significant risks have been identified and where local control measures are considered to be potentially inadequate, managers are responsible for bringing these risks to the attention of the Clinical Risk Management Group and Strategic Risk Management Committee if resolution has not been satisfactorily achieved.

Infection Control

• All Trust staff are responsible for protecting themselves and others against infection risks. All staff regardless of whether clinical or not are expected to comply with current infection control policies and procedures and to report any problems with regard to this to their managers. All staff undertaking patient care activities must attend infection control training and updates as required by the Trust.

Financial Regulations

• All staff are responsible for the security of the property of the Trust, avoiding loss or damage of property, and being economical and efficient in the use of resources. Staff should conform to the requirements of the Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions or other financial procedures including the Code of Conduct and Accountability and the Fraud and Corruption Policy.

Safeguarding & Duty of Candour

• All staff must be familiar with and adhere to the Trust’s safeguarding procedures and guidelines.
• All Trust staff have a Duty of Candour to inform their line manager as soon as practicable, when they believe or suspect that treatment or care it provided has caused death or serious injury to a patient. It is a criminal offence for any registered medical practitioner, or nurse or allied health professional or director of an authorised or registered healthcare organisation to knowingly obstruct another in the performance of these statutory duties, provide information to a patient or nearest relative with the intent to mislead them about such an incident or dishonestly make an untruthful statement to a commissioner or regulator, knowing or believing that they are likely to rely on the statement in the performance of their duties.