Forensicare is a workplace like no other 

Forensicare is the statutory agency responsible for the provision of adult forensic mental health services across Victoria.   

If you are passionate about supporting people in their mental health recovery, Forensicare is where you need to be. A career in the forensic mental health sector is diverse, challenging and rewarding. A career at Forensicare will be like no other. 

You will be a part of a caring and supportive team, making a real difference to people living with the dual stigma of mental illness and offending. We approach our work with curiosity and a commitment to understanding the unique needs of our consumers, families, carers and supporters. 

Working across community, hospital and prison settings, you can learn, apply your specialist skills, 

conduct research and advance in your profession. We are united in our shared purpose, empowering people in recovery and improving the forensic mental health system. Together, we can contribute to a more connected, compassionate mental health and criminal justice system. 

What it’s like to work with us 

You will join a compassionate team of individuals, who bring different skills and levels of practiced and lived experience. Together, we learn from each other and support each other through multidisciplinary approaches.  

We strive to see the potential in everyone. That is what makes us good at what we do.   

Forensicare workers are high-performing and capable. We are positive and resilient in the demanding forensic mental health sector. We are learning oriented and drive organisational improvement. We continuously try to find the best ways to engage consumers in often challenging circumstances.    

We are flexible, sensitive and responsive to the needs of others. We are approachable, available and inclusive communicators with both consumers and colleagues.   

Our guiding principles reflect who we are as individuals and as an organisation.  

• curiosity                      
• strong ethics                 
• fairness  
• purpose 
• compassion 

INPATIENT SERVICES  

Inpatient Services at Thomas Embling Hospital (T.E.H.) is provided within a high-security forensic hospital. Primarily designed to facilitate the provision of assessments, acute or continuing care and treatment for patients from the criminal justice system, the T.E.H. is a unique service provided nowhere else in Victoria.  

T.E.H comprises various units that accommodate patients requiring acute and sub-acute levels of care; and providing similar services for rehabilitation & independent living. The Corporate and Administration building sits outside the high security perimeter and provides support to all services of Forensicare.

NURSING  

Nursing at Forensicare has a strong focus on recovery-oriented health care that meets the needs of individuals with a mental health diagnosis who have a history of criminal offending or who may be at risk of offending behaviours.  

Nurses at Forensicare are guided by the Forensic Mental Health Nursing Standards of Practice (2012), the ACMHN Standards of Practice for Australian Mental Health Nurses (2010) and the National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse (2010).   

The nursing team at Forensicare is comprised of highly trained and motivated nurses who are experts in providing day to day care that meet the legislative framework and professional nursing codes of conduct and ethics for mental health. 

Position objective 

The Associate Nurse Unit Manager (RPN3) is a leadership position that has a close working relationship with the Unit Manager to assist in achieving Unit and organisational goals. The Associate Nurse Unit Manager (RPN3) leads and coordinates the nursing team, to provide care and facilitate recovery through the use of evidence-based treatment approaches and participation in the delivery of therapeutic programs. The Associate Nurse Unit Manager (RPN3) will use sound judgement to assess, plan, implement, evaluate and maintain a high standard of patient care, recognising the needs of the individual within the boundaries set by the profession and Forensicare.

Key responsibilities  

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 1:  Leadership 

• Manage resources during the shift. 
• Improve the unit culture by challenging staff and providing support to the Unit Manager with practice development. 
• Initiate and coordinate unit projects and participate in committees that contribute to service development. 
• Promotes and supports nursing and the nursing contribution to care with other disciplines, departments and agencies. 
• Coordinate emergency situations.

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 2:  Operational Requirements / Clinical Performance   

• Demonstrates ability to observe changes in the patient’s physical, social and psychological state. 
• Participates in the assessment and care planning for individual patients under the direction of the Registered Mental Health Nurse. 
• Encourages and facilitates the involvement of clients and carers in treatment planning. 
• Identifies needs and delivers nursing care to individual patients and groups of patients within the recognized scope of practice. 
• Administers medication to patients as a part of their broader treatment plan. 
• Demonstrates competence with interventions related to administration of medication: assessing patients, health education. 
• Adheres to security policies and procedures, including participating in patient escorts. 
• Contributes to the maintenance of a therapeutic environment for patients. 
• Demonstrates competence with pathology procedures within scope of practice and completion of appropriate training.

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY: 3 Works within an Ethically and Legally Sound Framework 

• Demonstrates the capacity to gain an understanding of relevant legislation, including the Mental Health Act 2014, Sentencing Act 1991 and the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997. 
• Ensure team compliance with legislation 
• Ensure team compliance with organisational policies and procedures 
• Ensure individual and team compliance with the professional code of ethics 
• Support team to clarify and negotiate ethical problems and dilemmas. 
• Has an understanding of psychiatric nursing principles. 
• Maintains client focused documentation. 
• Participates in the maintenance of security practices and procedures within the centre.

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 4:  Communication and Consumer Focus 

• Demonstrates sound communication skills in recording and reporting information to the interdisciplinary team. 
• Participates in the establishment and maintenance of effective links between unit staff and significant others, including carers. 
• Participates in regular meetings and reviews of clinical standards. 
• Develops and maintains a therapeutic and professional relationship with patients and carers. 
• Engage constructively and share information on work related matters with colleagues and team members to support delivery of the best and most appropriate service outcomes.  

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY 5:  Professional development 

• Participates in mandatory safety training and any Forensicare specific mandatory training on an annual basis as defined in the Mandatory Training policy. 
• Performance will be appraised from the results of the listed key responsibilities.  Formal appraisal will be carried out by the Manager at six months and twelve months, with annual 
• performance appraisal occurring thereafter. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing education and professional development through accessing internal and external staff development opportunities. 
• Attend training courses as agreed. 
• Other tasks and duties as deemed appropriate by the manager and within the capabilities of the person at the time.

How we work with consumers, families and carers

We work together with consumers and their families and carers in their mental health recovery. Our recovery model is enhanced by drawing on the lived experience of those who use our services and it informs our service design, delivery and evaluation. 

It is therefore expected that all employees will: 

• Demonstrate a commitment to person-centered and family and carer inclusive care, incorporating consumer and family and carer perspectives into service delivery at both and individual and organisation wide level. 
• Collaborate with the members of the Lived Experience Team (Consumer Consultants, Peer Workers and Family Care Consultants) to improve service design and quality. 
• Acknowledge the unique issues and concerns experienced by consumers, families and carers involved in the forensic mental health system. 
• Understand the core principles and philosophies of the Australian mental health consumer and carer movement and recovery. Promote the principles of consumer, family and carer rights and responsibilities. 

Keeping people safe 

Quality, safety and risk management 

We aim to provide high quality care to consumers and carers where safety and risks are actively managed and a culture of transparency, teamwork, collaboration and continuous improvement is encouraged. All staff must take personal responsibility for the quality and safety of their work. This requires staff to:  

• Follow organisational safety, quality and risk policies, procedures and guidelines.  
• Participate in the reporting and analysis of safety and quality data and adverse events.  
• Escalate concerns regarding safety, quality and risk to an appropriate staff member.  
• Ensure identified opportunities for improvement are raised and reported appropriately.  
• Participate in improvement activities and service redesign initiatives.  
• Practice within the guidelines of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.  
• Comply with professional regulatory requirements and codes of conduct as appropriate.  
• Regularly update skills, knowledge and competencies to provide the best care and services possible by participating in appropriate professional development activities and other quality, safety and risk training. 

Occupational health and safety responsibilities 

We aim to provide high quality care to consumers and carers where safety and risks are actively managed and a culture of transparency, teamwork, collaboration and continuous improvement is encouraged. All staff must take personal responsibility for the quality and safety of their work. This requires staff to:  

• Follow organisational safety, quality and risk policies, procedures and guidelines.  
• Participate in the reporting and analysis of safety and quality data and adverse events.  
• Escalate concerns regarding safety, quality and risk to an appropriate staff member.  
• Ensure identified opportunities for improvement are raised and reported appropriately.  
• Participate in improvement activities and service redesign initiatives.  
• Practice within the guidelines of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.  
• Comply with professional regulatory requirements and codes of conduct as appropriate.  
• Regularly update skills, knowledge and competencies to provide the best care and services possible by participating in appropriate professional development activities and other quality, safety and risk training. 

Infection prevention and control 

Staff must comply with all policies in relation to Infection Prevention and Control and with ongoing risk reduction strategies.  Standard precautions must be used at all times to ensure safety of consumers, families, carers, community members and staff. 

Key selection criteria  

• Holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing or equivalent and possess current registration with AHPRA  
• Demonstrated commitment to mental health consumer recovery. 
• Demonstrated thorough working knowledge of current standards of practice, contemporary mental health nursing practices and relevant legislation.  
• Demonstrated ability to undertake comprehensive assessments of mentally ill patients, and to plan, implement and evaluate interventions. 
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and to manage resources on a shift. 
• Uses sound judgement and initiative to make independent, clear and patient-centred therapeutic recommendations. 
• Builds and maintains effective working relationships with staff, mulitidisciplinary teams and other key stakeholders. 
• Well-developed communication skills. 
• Ability to tailor and deliver therapeutic programs to individuals and groups. 
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to the professional development of nurses on the unit.

Other relevant information 

• Staff must adhere to all Forensicare’s policies and procedures at all times. 
• Forensicare is an equity employer and does not tolerate bullying and harassment.   
• Forensicare acknowledges and values the cultural and social diversity of our consumers, families, carers and staff and seeks to ensure that our work environment and service delivery is 
• responsive to diversity and free from discrimination and prejudice. 
• Forensicare is a smoke free environment. 
• A police check will be required prior to any appointment and will be periodically carried out during your employment. 
• You may be required to have a current Victorian drivers licence.