1. Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae
Gillian Leary
Profile
I am a very honest, mature and loyal person with a positive outlook on life .I have had a
varied career as my CV indicates and have always given 100% effort in every place of work,
being well liked and respected by my Managers and peers.
Throughout both my personal and professional experiences I have acquired extensive
knowledge and many skills which I am able to utilise when required.
The elderly population is increasing and unfortunately so is Dementia .Although I am not
mental health trained I am frequently involved in assessing clients with Dementia and as my
own Mother suffered from Vascular Dementia I therefore have a personal experience of
someone very close suffering from this illness and can truly empathise with the client and
their families.
I feel that my communication skills, having the ability to convey information as well as listen
and empathise in response to others is vital especially in my current role. My ability to
manage conflict in a controlled and calm way is a very important part of the Funded Nursing
Care and the Continuing Health Care assessment process.
I have been involved in the FNC, CHC process for over 10years as it began to develop
during my role as a District Nurse Liaison/ Discharge Planning Nurse. Over the years I have
learnt so much a lot about Continuing Health Care ,the framework and guidelines some self
taught by researching and from the experience of many colleagues. However it has become
a major issue over recent years and I am still on a learning curve willing to learn even more.

2. Curriculum Vitae
Education
Subject/Qualification Place of study Grade/Result Year obtained
English Language Ormskirk Grammar School GCE OLEVEL 1973
English Literature Ormskirk Grammar School GCE OLEVEL 1973
French Ormskirk Grammar School GCE OLEVEL 1973
Art Ormskirk Grammar School GCE OLEVEL 1973
Religious Studies Ormskirk Grammar School GCE OLEVEL 1973
Training Courses Attended
Course title Training provider Duration Year obtained
State Enrolled Nurse Ormskirk Hospital 5 years 1980
Return to Practice Wrightington Hospital 3 months 1999
Conversion to RGN Edge Hill University 2 years 2003
Counselling Diploma OC distance learning 1yr 2007

3. Curriculum Vitae
Employment Experience:
Current/Most Recent Employer-
Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust: Town Lane
Kew
Southport
PR8 6PN
Job Title: Continuing Health Care Nurse Assessor
Since 07/04/2014 - Present
I left my previous employment recently to join The Assessment Team, a new team of Nurse
Assessors who are involved in assessing clients for FNC and CHC funding. I applied for the
post as it was a challenge being part of a brand new Team and with my experience felt I
would be a major asset being able to advise and support my colleagues with less or no
experience of Continuing Health Care. We are based at the hospital and so work closely with
the Discharge Teams both Nurses and Social Workers assisting by completing assessments
and facilitating discharge appropriately. .
However a major part of our role is in the community assessing clients in Residential Care
Homes or their own homes identifying the level of their care needs and the appropriate
funding/placement. This also frees the D/Ns, who were usually asked to complete the
assessments, so that they can care for their acute clients which in turn could prevent
hospitalisation.
For the same Nurse Assessor to commence the process by completing a Health Needs
Assessment, Checklist and go forward to the DST is beneficial both to the Nurse Assessor
the client and their family as it is continuity of care and helps to build a relationship. Clients
and their families can feel totally lost when they attend an MDT and the Nurse Assessors
role as the chair and lead coordinator is to try and put them at ease by fully explaining the
process in simple ways without being condescending encouraging their input throughout the
assessment. Patients and families can also attend very angry or frustrated and at times the
meeting may be the most information they have been given about their relative and the only
time they have had the opportunity to have their say about their care. At times like this I use
my abilities and listen intently to their issues, empathise if they have had a bad experience,
and if I can help to resolve the issues I will, if not I would use my wide spread network of
contacts to advise.
I work 37.5 hours a week as a Band 6.

4. Curriculum Vitae
Previous Employers-
Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit: Jubilee House,
Lancashire Business Park,
Centurion Way,
Leyland
PR26 6TR
Job Title: Continuing Health Care Nurse Assessor
From: 05/01/2009
To: 06/04/2014
Reason for leaving; I left to join the brand new CHC Assessment Team, which I knew I
would be an asset to due to my professional experience in CHC.
I worked 30 hours a week at grade band 6.
I was based at Leyland as part of Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit covering Central
Lancashire.
My role since transferring from the base at Ormskirk involves receiving Health Needs
Assessments from D/Ns, Discharge Liaison Teams, Community Matrons and Care Homes,
reviewing the assessments and processing them if nursing needs are identified.
Accompanying the HNAs there is usually a checklist for Continuing Health Care
consideration although they can also be accepted on their own from Social Workers in this
area. The checklists are also reviewed and if they indicate that full consideration for CHC
funding is necessary by fulfilling the appropriate criteria a Multi Disciplinary Meeting is
required. I arrange the MDTs at a convenient time and date for the Professionals involved in
the patients care (especially Social Workers) the family and the location relevant to the
patient.
I will chair and lead the meeting completing the Decision Support Tool taking into
consideration and documenting the attendees input. A recommendation can be made on
completion of the DST and after discussion of the key indicators which identify whether the
patient has a Primary Health Need. It is my responsibility to complete the correct
documentation summarising the DST and forwarding to the Commissioners for approval of
CHC funding if a Primary Need for Health is requested. When a decision has been made I
follow the case up by informing all the relevant people involved and update the
documentation accordingly. A review is required after 3 months and then every 12 months
for patients who are eligible for CHC funding, If the recommendation is that the patient does
not currently meet the criteria any change in their condition can instigate a further review.
The patient and their relatives are informed that they have the right to appeal although
frequently they are already aware in this current climate and I have had frequent
experiences of confrontation which I can deal with calmly and competently. As part of the
Team I have been involved in appeals and retrospective cases quite intensely which were
integrated in to our role. However the appeals became so vast that the LCSU have had to

5. Curriculum Vitae
form a Retrospective Review Team.
Concerning the Fast Track applications my role now is to review when we receive them to
check if they are appropriate for fast tracking, arrange packages of care or 24 hour
placements and send them off to Commissioners for an urgent approval so that the patients
can be in their preferred place of care at end of life.
The CHC Team is involved in many different areas of patients needs, I have attended safe
guarding strategy meetings, completed MDTs for patients with complex needs ie Learning
Disabilities, joint funding cases with Social Services, patients who have either moved out of
area or into our area. We in reach into the hospitals to complete MDTs especially Royal
Preston and Chorley but I also attend MDTs at the Royal Albert Wigan hospital as patients
on the border with a West Lancashire GP can be admitted to Wigan. We do not in reach to
Southport or Ormskirk Hospitals but do process any applications for Fast Tracks or CHC
funding.
West Lancashire Primary Care Trust: PCT HQ
Wigan Road
Ormskirk
L39 2JW
Job Title: D/N/ Liaison/Discharge Planning
From: 01/04/2004
To: 02/01/2009
Grade: Band 5/6
Reason for leaving; I left to join the Continuing Health Care Team which was initially
based at Ormskirk PCT HQ covering the West Lancashire area.
I joined the District Nurse Bank at West Lancashire and worked with the D/Ns all over the
area providing care for patients in their own home and those in Residential Homes.
I was asked to cover for one of the staff going off sick in the District Nurse Liaison/Discharge
Planning Team on a temporary basis and stayed in the post for 4 years.
My duties as D/N Liaison included being the intermediary between the ward staff and the
D/Ns .I would visit all the wards twice daily to pick up the referrals for the D/Ns ensuring they
had the correct information on them and advising the ward staff if they did not. The referrals
were faxed to the relevant D/N Team and this process ensured that the patients were
followed up in the community on discharge if required.
As a Discharge Planning Nurse my role was to identify if patients required equipment,
assessments or input from any services prior to discharge and I used my inter-personal skills
to communicate with the appropriate members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team therefore
ensuring a timely and safe discharge of patients to their suitable destination.
I also gained experience of Funded Nursing Care and Continuing Health Care funding
completing Health Needs Assessments as my line Manager was the Lead Nurse for CHC in
West Lancashire.
When the wards at Ormskirk moved to Southport Hospital in 2006 I was also transferred to
their Discharge Planning Team as a Band 6.

6. Curriculum Vitae
My role developed even further as Southport was a much busier hospital than Ormskirk and
covered a wider area of patients. My duties included visiting the wards regularly throughout
the day to find out if any patients had been deemed medically stable for discharge and
assisting the ward staff to make the appropriate arrangements to expedite the discharge.
There where escalation meetings three times daily with the Matrons and other MDT
members. I used to attend and discuss patients who remained in hospital passed their
expected date of discharge had to find out the reason why and try to solve any problems.
The ward staff were encouraged to complete Health Needs Assessments to identify nursing
needs on their patients who may require 24 hour placement on discharge. These would be
reviewed by the Social worker allocated to that patient and the Discharge Planning Nurse
involved with the patient. A checklist would be completed by the DPN to indicate if there
needed to be a referral made for full consideration for Continuing Health Care funding.
I was responsible for arranging the meeting with the Social Worker, the patient if appropriate
and their next of kin as well as inviting other members of the MDT who were involved with
that patient. When the MDT was held I chaired it and completed the Decision Support Tool
with input from the Professionals and family present. After discussion of the key indicators
with the Professionals it was my duty to process the recommendation and send it to the
appropriate CHC Team for them to forward to the Commissioning panel who had the
ultimate decision whether to agree with the recommendation for either eligibility or ineligibility
for CHC funding.
Another very important duty was to Fast Track patients who were rapidly deteriorating in the
end stages of life and wanted to spend their last days in their preferred place of care whether
it was in their own home, a care home or to remain in hospital. The Fast Track application
was applied for urgently and a response was usually immediate from the Commissioners. I
also had close contact with the D/Ns who managed the patients care if they were discharged
home, Queens Court Hospice who admitted the patient for symptom control and the
Palliative Care Team who supported patients and families in the Hospital and the
Community. I found this to be a rewarding role which gave me job satisfaction.
We also had to complete Single Assessment Processes for patients who were appropriate
for Intermediate care on discharge.
Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust: Wrightington Hospital
Hall Lane
Appley Bridge
Lancashire
WN8 9EP
Job Title: EN/RGN Staff Nurse
From: 05/04/2000
To: 31/03/2004
Grade: C/D
Reason for leaving; When I had completed my conversion course to RGN I left to join the
District Nurse Bank in West Lancashire.

7. Curriculum Vitae
I was given a contract and worked on the male orthopaedic ward initially as an Enrolled
Nurse on a male orthopaedic ward my duties were variable sometimes given more
responsibility than others. I applied for and was awarded a scholarship to complete a
conversion course to RGN attending Edge Hill University 1 day a week for 2 years. When I
qualified my responsibilities increased and I was one of the Team Leaders in charge of
allocated patients. I really enjoyed my years at Wrightington but I felt the need to apply for a
District Nursing post which I had always wanted to aim for.
British Nursing Agency: Ormskirk Hospital
Wigan Road
Ormskirk
L39 2JW
Job Title: Bank Nurse
From: 02/02/1998
To: 31/03/2000
Grade: A/B
Reason for leaving; When I completed a return to practice course at Wrightington in 1999 I
managed to join their nurse bank before securing a permanent contract.
I wanted to rejoin and work in the NHS so I applied to the agency and started work on the
wards at Ormskirk as an A Grade because of the long break out of nursing. I was not very
satisfied and thought I had much more to offer when I was made aware of an opportunity in
the community to care for a gentleman in his own home with advanced Dementia requiring
1-1 care, as a B Grade. His wife and daughter also required help and support which I felt I
fulfilled becoming very close to them. I worked days and nights for over 2 years and only left
to work at Wrightington following a permanent contract after completing the Return to
Practice course and pursuing my ambitions.
Courtfield Lodge Care Home: 81A Marians Drive
Ormskirk
L31 1LG
Job Title: Enrolled Nurse
From: 10/04/1996
To: 13/10/1998

8. Curriculum Vitae
Grade: C
Reason for leaving; I left because I wanted to rejoin the NHS.
I worked at the Care Home 3 nights per week where I was responsible, on average, for
twenty five elderly clients over night. I administered medications, completed the appropriate
records and delegated and supervised the care provided by unqualified carers over night.
I received the hand over report and was able to give an accurate report about the events of
the night.