Urban Village Medical Practice
Information pack for job applicants
for
Specialist Nurse - Homeless Healthcare post
Introduction
Research has clearly demonstrated that people who experience
homelessness are subjected to significant health inequalities ad very
poor health outcomes. Homelessness is a marker for premature
morbidity and mortality. The reasons for this are multifactorial and
include:
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Barriers to mainstream health care
Lack of access to high standards of healthcare
High levels of comorbidity especially substance misuse and
mental health issues
Poor understanding/prioritisation
of healthcare needs by
homeless people themselves
There is now a significant body of evidence that has shown that
specialist healthcare teams that work in innovative and flexible ways to
deliver healthcare to this population can deliver improved outcomes
for individuals. These teams are based on the principles of:
 Entitlement and equitable access to all healthcare services for all
 Advocacy for population and individuals within all mainstream
services
 Access to specialist homeless health care services that seek to
address the specific health needs of this population
 Effective and flexible multi-disciplinary working
Urban Village Medical Practice
Urban Village Medical Practice is a GP practice located in Ancoats,
Manchester. The practice has been providing high quality primary care
services to our local population for over 20 years and currently has
approximately 8,000 patients on the list.
The practice is committed to addressing health inequalities in
marginalised populations and believes that high quality healthcare
should be available to all.
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Alongside the mainstream services, the practice has been
commissioned to provide a primary care service to homeless people in
central Manchester for the last 15 years, which is integrated into the
mainstream primary care service at the practice. We currently offer a
service to approximately 650 homeless patients. Our website can be
found at www.uvmp.co.uk
Manchester’s healthcare pathway for homeless people
This is an innovative service that has been delivered by Urban Village
Medical Practice since June 2013 addressing the health needs of this
marginalised population.
The Practice has secured further funding to deliver the in reach service
for another 12months serving the Manchester Royal Infirmary site and
linking into the primary care services already offered by Urban Village
Medical Practice.
The model of care for the Manchester service is based on evidence
based work undertaken in London. Although we do not replicate this
model exactly, it is a useful benchmark for the service – further
information can be found at www.londonpathway.org.uk
The service is achieving the following outcomes for patients who are
identified as homeless and are admitted to the MRI, or those who are
identified as frequent Emergency Department attendees;
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Improved identification of people who are homeless that attend
the MRI
A reduction in A&E attendances for homeless patients
A reduction in the number of hospital admissions for homeless
patients
An increase in the number of homeless patients registered with a
primary care service
An increase in the number of homeless patients who receive a
full health assessment/health check and continued engagement
with primary care services
An increase in the number of homeless patients who are
discharged with a multi-disciplinary case management plan
The nursing role will involve challenging and addressing discrimination
against this marginalised and vulnerable patient group in a way that
promotes social inclusion and facilitates access to equitable health
and social care services.
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Staffing
The current service structure is as follows;
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0.5
1
2
x fte GP clinical lead
x service manager
x Specialist Nurse – Homeless Healthcare
x Specialist Case Manager
GP clinical lead
Service Manager
Specialist Nurse –
Homeless Healthcare
Specialist Case
Manager
Specialist Case
Manager
About the role
The nursing role will be expected to operate across both the primary
care service and the hospital in reach service – see job description
for more details.
The nursing role will be pivotal not only in the delivery of clinical
interventions but also in the on-going development of effective
service delivery and would therefore suit an experienced nurse who
has worked in a variety of healthcare settings and has a track
record of being involved in and leading service development.
This is an innovative post where the individual will be expected to
lead on and develop the role according to identified need in the
population and the service. The post holder must have a desire to
address health inequalities in the population and have the drive
and tenacity to achieve this as part of the team. This will require the
post holder to advocate for individuals and the population as a
whole within mainstream services. The post holder will be expected
to work autonomously but effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary
team.
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The team is a highly evolved multidisciplinary team which includes
GPs, GP registrars, practice nurses, health care assistants, specialist
case managers, drug workers, alcohol workers and mental health
practitioners. We are a team that operate the principles of
reflective practice and constantly seek to improve the way we
deliver our services to improve outcomes for homeless people.
How to Apply
If you are interested in becoming part of our team please refer to the
job description and person specification for more information on the
role and the skills, knowledge and experience required,
Please complete the application form document and return by email
to emma.hicklin@nhs.net or by post to
Emma Hicklin
Homeless Service Manager
Urban Village Medical Practice
Ancoats Primary Care Centre
Old Mill St
Ancoats
M4 6EE
The closing date for all posts is 5pm on Friday 16th May 2014.
Interviews will take place on either the 23rd or 30th May
If you are short listed you will be invited for interview by email
The recruitment process will involve a formal interview initially.
Candidates who are successful at this stage will then be invited back
for a further meeting with team members and to observe an afternoon
drop in session.
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