Clinical Audit Lead (Continuing Care Assessments)

Fixed Term, 12 months

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£45,217 to £54,395 per annum

Location: Basildon

Working Style: Community-based worker

Closing Date: 23rd June 2024

The Clinical Audit Lead for Continuing Care Assessments will deliver an effective and high-quality internal Clinical Audit and advisory service, within the Council working with key stakeholders including Social Workers, embedding a culture of continuous improvement. Working as part of a core team, supporting Care Plans for Children with Disabilities. Continuing Care is a package of care that is arranged and funded jointly by the NHS, Local Authority and (if required) Education, for individuals aged under 18 years of age who are not in hospital and have needs arising from disability, accident or illness that cannot be met by universal or specialist services alone. The council is committed to providing an exceptional service to Children with Disabilities ensuring there is a holistic approach to their complex needs.

The Clinical Audit Lead will work within Children’s Social Care alongside the Children with Disabilities Team, Social Workers, Support Workers, and Occupational Therapists and will form part of the Team assessing and applying for Continuing Care. The role will provide expert professional clinical advice and support on Continuing Care and healthcare cases to key stakeholders, partners, and services, demonstrating a deep understanding of Continuing Care for children and young people, by ensuring plans are in place across the council that best meet individuals’ complex health needs. In addition, the role will review existing cases and will support preparing cases for the Multi Agency Resource Forum and other panels as required.

The Clinical Audit Lead will be a qualified RGN/RMN, with experience of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC) within a complex multi-functional organisation and be able to work effectively across different functions and services.

Accountabilities

• Work in collaboration with relevant health and social care stakeholders and other groups to provide professional clinical advice on issues relating to individual cases and appeals, where appropriate to ensure the council to meet its statutory requirements.
• Support Social Workers in completing the Continuing Care Check List on all new cases, providing advice and guidance to ensure they meet the highest standards required.
• Communicate and translate highly complex, sensitive information of cases to enable the appropriate threshold application of the Continuing Care Checklist which ensures Children and Young People have plans that best meet their complex health needs.
• Provide advice and guidance on clinical related matters at Multi Agency Resource Forums and other panels, signposting to other health services where appropriate to ensure comprehensive person-centred assessments are achieved and CHC and FNC eligibility can be determined.
• Build effective working relationships across the Council and its partners, maintaining an awareness of key clinical developments and supporting the service with continuous improvement activities.
• Participate in the improvement of services including auditing cases where Continuing Care has been declined by identifying and evaluating the effectiveness of resources in order to safeguard against future risks and potential implications.
• Conduct other regular audits and reviews of care plans to evaluate and measure the performance of services and activities which support wider improvements, providing insights and recommendations that enhance the Continuing Care services within the council.
• Work within frameworks guided by relevant legislation and professional standards to ensure public funds are used efficiently and effectively with appropriate procedures followed and activities undertaken are of high quality and relevant to the council's priorities.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant legislation and Department of Health guidance to ensure that the councils’ policies and procedures are fit for practice.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Qualified as an RGN/RMN with experience in a multi-agency environment.
• Experience of assessing or knowledge of assessment and review process for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) and NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC). and/or Decision Making in relation to awarding Continuing Care Funding
• Experience in working collaboratively and developing partnerships between organisations and with multiple stakeholders across the public and private health sector, with proven facilitation skills and a wide range of stakeholder engagement techniques.
• Ability to manage a diverse workload, with proven track record of working with cross-functional teams to successfully deliver results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with proven ability to deal with complexity, and risk.
• A dynamic, self-motivated, team player with commitment to delivering results, with the ability to work flexibly and autonomously.
• Ability to monitor evaluate and assess a range of information and hold excellent communication skills to be able translate into meaningful change.
• Hold a Nursing and Midwifery Council professional membership and have evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.

To read more about us please visit Children & Families

Please take a look at our ‘No Magic’ Children & Families video

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

What you should do next

Please apply via the Working for Essex website ensuring your provide an up to date CV and Supporting Statement when prompted.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk