Nursing Associate, Dementia & Frailty

Make a Real Difference to Older People in Sunderland

Are you a compassionate and motivated Registered Nursing Associate looking for a rewarding role where you can make a genuine impact on the lives of older people living with frailty and dementia?

Sunderland GP Alliance is seeking adedicated Nursing Associate to join our Frailty Team, delivering holistic health checks and supporting some of the most vulnerable patients inour communities.

This is an exciting opportunity to work within an innovative multidisciplinary team, helping to identify health concerns early, improve patient outcomes, support carers and enable people toremain independent for longer.

Please note that if we receive a high volume of applications, we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date.

As a Nursing Associate within our Dementia& Frailty Service, you will provide structured, person-centred health checks for patients living with frailty and dementia. Working closely with Advanced Nurse Practitioners, GPs, pharmacists and wider community services,you will play a key role in supporting proactive care and preventing avoidable deterioration.

You will manage a caseload of lower-risk frailty patients and undertake community-based assessments covering physical health, wellbeing, falls risk, nutrition, continence, medication adherence and overall quality of life.

This role provides the opportunity to build strong relationships with patients and carers whilst working as part of asupportive and experienced multidisciplinary team.

Join an award-winning organisation. For the third consecutive year, Sunderland GP Alliance has been named in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work and holds the Better Health at Work Gold Award with Continuing Excellence status. In addition, we offer 33 days' annual leave and a comprehensive range of employee benefits.

Sunderland GP Alliance is a not-for-profit collaboration of GP practices in Sunderland.

All GP Practices in Sunderland are members of the organisation, covering approximately 285,000 patients.

The Alliance also runs three practices:
Monument Surgeries, South Hylton and New Silksworth.

Clinical assessment and care delivery

Deliver dementia holistic health checks using agreed clinical templates within EMIS.

Undertake physical health assessments including blood pressure, pulse, body mass index(BMI), falls risk, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) nutrition screening, pain and continence.

Carryout Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) reviews and accurately record findings.

Undertake blood pressure, weight, urinalysis, non-urgent ECG and other agreed investigations, and venepuncture where trained and assessed as competent.

Monitor and document mental health status, including mood, behaviour and signs of delirium, escalating concerns promptly.

Identify risks related to medication, adherence and side effects and elevate appropriately.

Undertake falls and continence assessments and contribute to risk stratification,prevention interventions and management plans.

Caseload management and care coordination

Managea caseload of lower-risk frailty patients previously assessed by the PCNfrailty team, with diary and appointment support provided by that team.

Provide follow-up visits for lower-risk frail patients as directed by the frailty team,supporting care planning, treatment compliance and review.

Support medication reviews by checking compliance, adherence and the patient'sunder standing of medication changes.

Chaseand follow up clinical results, investigations, outstanding tasks and careplans.

Monitor and follow up equipment requests and orders to ensure timely provision, and confirm that recommended equipment or adaptations are in place.

Support patients to access services and interventions, helping to ensure appointments are attended and not missed.

Make appropriate onward referrals and connect patients to appropriate services,including social prescribing and Age UK.

Safeguarding,consent and mental capacity

Recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns for adults at risk, escalating and reporting in line with local safeguarding policy and the postholder's level of safeguarding training.

Applythe principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, obtaining and recording valid consent and, where a patient lacks capacity, supporting best interests decision making and recognising when Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards may apply.

Undertake carer wellbeing conversations, provide signposting, and remain alert…