JOB DESCRIPTION

HOSPICE AT HOME COORDINATOR AND HEALTHCARE
ASSISTANT – HYBRID Role

Area of Work: Hospice at Home Service

Responsible to: Hospice at Home Manager

Salary:  Band 4 - £27,485 to £30,162 per annum (full time equivalent)

Hours: 22.5 hours per week Working Days Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
(There must be an element of flexibility around these to cover Annual Leave)

Contract length: Permanent Contract

Blythe House Hospice – Values

1.  BE  KIND  –  we  always  look  out  for  one  another.    We  care  for  our

community and everyone in it

2.  INSPIRE PEOPLE – we believe in what we do and what we can achieve. We

share our enthusiasm and compassion with everyone we meet

3.  THINK AHEAD – we’re resourceful, creative and forward-thinking.  We learn

from our experiences and always make plans.

4.  BE THE BEST – we’re all a key part of our jigsaw.  We need each other to

improve and grow.  We always go the extra mile.

Objectives

Blythe House Hospice will provide palliative care in the community through its
Hospice at Home Service for adults with life limiting illnesses and in the last year
of life.

It will provide a nursing service which is available 24 hours, 7 days a week to
enable people to be cared for and die at home if that is their wish. It is intended to
be complementary to primary health care services.

Job Summary

This role is twofold:

1.  As an administrator, to provide co-ordination of a community palliative

care service that provides a high standard of care to patients in their own
homes and support for families and carers.

2.  As a Health Care Assistant (HCA), to provide personal care to patients and

respite for the families and carers of individual patients.

1

Role within the Hospice at Home Department

•  To assist in the co-ordination of the Hospice at Home service as agreed

with the Hospice at Home Manager.

•  To liaise with other health care professionals, patients and carers in a

professional and sensitive manner.

•  To liaise with and support Hospice at Home staff.
•  To ensure records are maintained in accordance with all relevant policies
and procedures, and to work together with the clinical team ensure that
data is accurately recorded for statistical purposes.

•  To provide personal care to patients and respite for the families and

carers of individual patients.

•  To work in co-operation with the primary health care teams and other
agencies to provide support and skilled care to those at end of life who
wish to remain at home.

•  To act as an ambassador for Blythe House Hospice, promoting its services

in the community setting.

Responsibilities

•  To contribute to the overall Blythe House Hospice palliative care provision.
•  To assist with development of the Hospice at Home service
•  To adhere to all Blythe House Hospice policies and procedures.
•  To maintain personal, professional development through self-appraisal
and identification of training requirements, including keeping up to date
with relevant developments in palliative care

Key Tasks – Co-ordinator

•  To receive patient referrals from the single point of access team,

accurately recording information onto a database.

•  To make appropriate arrangements regarding Hospice at Home care and

relay information to the relevant people.

•  To maintain good communications and working relationships with other
hospice staff, members of the Primary Health Care teams and other
palliative care providers

•  To ensure that all Hospice at Home computerised rotas and records are

maintained.

•  To use the Hospice at Home rostering system for planning visits for the

HCA workforce

Key Tasks – HCA

•  To work with, and support the patient, relatives and carers; being sensitive

to their changing physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs.

2

•  To provide skilled care using risk assessment and care planning tools in

conjunction with the Community Nursing Team and in accordance with the
medical care prescribed by the GP.

•  To prompt the patient to self-medicate, if it is part of their care plan.
•  Demonstrate simple care procedures, where appropriate, to assist in

promoting and maintaining patient comfort.

•  To communicate and liaise with the Community Nursing Team, Out of

Hours Service (111)/Roaming Car Service and Hospice at Home
Management Team/Co-ordinator, reporting on the condition and needs of
the patient and providing and maintaining care records as necessary.
•  Advise the Hospice at Home Manager/Co-ordinator of any equipment and
aids required for the provision of efficient care and to meet the needs of
the patient.

•  To be familiar with procedures in the event of an emergency or death of

the patient.

•  To maintain professional confidentiality in all matters relating to patient

care.

•  To follow the instructions given for the moving and handling of patients

and the use of handling equipment.

•  To keep up to date with developments in care and treatments.
•  To report any complaints from patients or their carers immediately to the

Hospice at Home Manager.

•  To be able to perform basic risk assessments that underpin the safe care

and treatment of the patient, carers and staff.

•  To support the Hospice at Home Manager to carry out initial assessment

of care needs and ongoing reviews.

•  To be competent in the use of SystmOne and Brigid and to accurately
record all patient interactions in line with the Records Keeping Policy

Other Tasks and Responsibilities

•  To perform general office duties as required.
•  To demonstrate a calm organised manner and manage own workload to

ensure a smooth and professional service is maintained.

•  To identify yourself as a Blythe House Hospice Health Care Assistant and

to act as their ambassador in the community.

•  To be aware of the Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures and the Health

and Safety at Work Act, particularly in relation to working in the
community and the moving and handling of patients.

•  To immediately report accidents and incidents according to procedure via

the Vantage online system.

•  To have a flexible working approach to promote a client-centred service.
•  Participate in staff and other hospice meetings as required.

This job description describes the main duties of the post holder and is not exhaustive.
It will be reviewed with the post holder as part of the regular performance review
and staff development procedure. This job description does not form part of the
Contract of Employment.

3