The Integrated Discharge practitioner will work with inpatient services, community and rehab within Croydon Directorate. The purpose of this post is to support the Integrated Discharge Team Leads in reducing length of stay within inpatient and complex care services, creating capacity and flow across the whole mental health system. The role requires excellent communication and organisation skills and the ability to work collaboratively with all relevant parties including external agencies. The post holder will support identification of internal and external barriers to flow, record information systematically and escalate accordingly. The post holder will assist clinical teams to ensure delayed discharges are identified and progressed in a timely manner. The role requires experience of working in mental health acute settings and supporting patients with complex needs to enable discharge at the earliest opportunity. The post holder will be responsible for overseeing, updating and maintaining accurate information systems to enable a robust system of daily reporting on bed availability across inpatient services.
The post holder will need to maintain excellent communication and working relationships with all staff across the Directorate..
The post holder will be able to demonstrate critical thinking in the clinical decision-making process.

Advanced Practitioners are expected to deputise for the Integrated Discharge Clinical Service Lead.

• To work in collaboration with a broad range of professionals to gain intelligence regarding inpatient demand and anticipated discharges and extended periods of leave.
• To work closely with ward teams to support staff to be proactive about discharge planning from day one of admission.
• To be integral to decision-making about patient care and discharge in liaison with all other health professionals
• To assist the multidisciplinary team in diffusing difficult situations when discharge plans become complex or there is conflict with the carers / other health professionals and escalate to the Integrated Discharge Team Lead as necessary.
• To work closely with multi-disciplinary teams to standardise good discharge planning practice throughout the Directorate.
• To communicate with all members of the multidisciplinary team when a concern is raised regarding a patients discharge, escalating to the Integrated Discharge Lead as necessary.
• To ensure good communication with patients and carers about plans for discharge.
• To employ excellent clinical and communication skills with inpatient colleagues to achieve optimum utilisation of beds.
• To identify and escalate barriers to discharge to the Integrated Discharge Team Lead and any other relevant parties using initiative and sound clinical judgment.
• To provide early warning of patient flow risks, considering potential solutions and taking corrective action as appropriate and / or escalating as required.

OTHER BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Counselling services
Wellbeing events
Long service awards
Cycle to work scheme
Season ticket loan
Childcare vouchers
Staff restaurants
We look forward to receiving your application
Play a key role in ensuring that patients are supported in ensuring that potential barriers of care and support are identified early in the patients’ journey and throughout their hospital stay. *As per the Trust Care Process Model, ensuring that pre-discharge planning commences early.
This means planning starts at the time a patient is identified for admission, whether into one of our Borough/Trust beds or other institutions whether NHS or Private.
Attending and contributing to clinical meetings on the wards to identify potential barriers in patient care which may contribute towards their potential discharge.

Undertaking assessments of patients identified as suitable for discharge with Home Treatment Teams and linking in with the respective locality Borough, with Trust and externally.

• Supporting with booking transport to facilitate smooth transitions to home destinations when patients are being discharged from the wards.

Referring patients to CMHT’s in a timely manner to ensure there is no delay at time of discharge.
Liaising with care coordinators to ensure all barriers are identified early, clarifying potential risks that patients may pose to selves and others as well as seeking clarification of their intended purpose for patient admission.

Supporting patients with GP registrations.

• Supporting patients with home visits to ensure habitability ahead of planned discharge and arrange blitz cleaning as appropriate.
• Supporting with referrals to KHP, ASC NRPF, Step Downs and welfare benefits referrals.
• Undertaking role of advocating for patients/service users under their care.
• To be conversant with policies on administration and issue of medication as per Trust policy.
• Liaise with pharmacy to ensure medications are dispensed in a timely manner
• To ensure that Safeguarding issues are acted upon and reported appropriately in line with the Trust’s Safeguarding Policies.
• To operate within the legal requirements of the Mental Health Act and be able to exercise independent judgement in the assessment of mental health conditions.
• Support service users to adopt recovery strategies that promote their wellbeing, healthy lifestyle, independence and self-care.
• Using excellent communication skills to provide accurate information to service users and their families and carers in a sensitive and professional manner.
• Have a flexible approach to work and complete tasks as required by the management team.

Please see greater detail in the attached JD and specificatio

Please refer the Job description for details