Job Description

Job Title: Healthcare Assistant – Home Nursing Services

Tenure: Flexible

Base: Workington Community Hospital / Cleator Moor

Responsible to: Home Nursing Services Team Leader

Salary: Flexible hours £12.71 per hour, plus an unsociable hours uplift of £2.16 (day) and £3.73 (night)

Hours: Flexible

JOB SUMMARY:

The role of the Healthcare Assistant is to work largely without supervision on a one to one basis with patients, families and carers. This includes the provision of practical nursing care, emotional, social and psychological support to individuals with palliative care needs, their families and carers.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST:

Key Responsibilities of the job

Understands that any care and support provided within palliative and end of life care complies with best practice and regulatory requirements and is up to date with changing policies and practices to ensure that essential standards of quality and safety are maintained.

Undertakes and observes the Hospice at Home West Cumbria Initial Home Assessment, recognising when to inform the team lead / senior hospice nurse or out of hours on call of any situations which may pose a risk or threat to colleagues, patient or family.

Provides direct nursing care aligned to individualised care plans to patients with palliative care needs and those who are approaching end of life.

Undertakes continued assessment of the patient during the episode of care and recognises and responds to any change in the patient’s condition. This includes seeking additional advice and support from out of hour professionals in relation to direct patient care and management.

Assists with ‘last offices’ as and when needed.

Provides families and carers with emotional and psychological support, effectively communicating information to improve their end-of-life management and the bereavement experience of those important to them.

Attends and participate in supervision and de-briefings for patients, families and carers alongside other health and social care professionals on an as required basis and as part of maintaining own resilience and wellbeing.

Produces documentation of the care given which complies with documentation standards and is legible, traceable, permanent, contemporaneously recorded, original and accurate.

Works as a member of the wider hospice and organisational teams and to participate and support the induction of new staff. To build positive relationships internally and externally including peers and local health care professionals.

Personal Development:

To be committed to personal and professional development and complete mandatory and statutory training as required. To set challenging goals through the appraisal process to ensure the effective delivery of personal objectives.

• To keep updated with current policies and procedures, as well as external trends and developments.

General

• To ensure that personal conduct, ways of working and work activities are always aligned to the Hospice’s purpose and values.

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulations, to ensure the maintenance of confidentiality in respect of staff, volunteer and client records and all privileged information relating to the services of the Charity, its patients, staff and volunteers and particularly of the area for which directly responsible.

• To promote and foster the Hospice’s reputation and standing within the community and with private, statutory and voluntary sector agencies and organisations.

To adhere to the Health and Safety policy and report all accidents, incidents or near misses promptly and when requested to co-operate with any investigations undertaken.

• To be aware of obligations and to abide by the spirit and nature of the Equal Opportunities policy to avoid direct and indirect discrimination.

• To undertake any other duties which may be reasonably required.

Person Specification
Healthcare Assistant (Annualised)

	Qualities Required	Essential (E)Desirable (D)	Method ofAssessment
PracticalKnowledge andQualifications	NVQ Level 2 – Health and Social Care NVQ Level 3 – Health and Social Care Skills for Llife Certificate	EDD	AAA
	Demonstrable clinical competence in palliative care or a willingness to undertake additional training	E	A/I
	Awareness of Hospice at Home West Cumbria and careservices	D	A/1
Skills andCompetencies	Ability to communicate and transfer informationeffectively with patients, families, carers and otherhealth care professionals	E	A/I
	Ability to work in isolation without direct supervision forthe provision of clinical care, including catheter care, pressure care, simple dressings and other activities ofdaily living	E	A/1
	IT skills with a working knowledge of Office applicationsand a willingness to develop competencies withinorganisational and EMIS clinical systems	E	A/I
	Ability to work as a member of a team and to buildpositive relationships internally and externally	E	A/1
	Ability to cope with constantly changing situations toachieve the best outcomes for patients, carers or familymembers	E	A/I
	Ability to empathise and understand the needs of others,to handle conflict to de-escalate challenging situations andability to recognise self needs to maximise resilience	E	A/I
	Flexibility during times of change to support new ways of working and to respond to changing working patternsover a 24 hour period, 7 days a week	E	A/I
	Ability to travel across the geographical area covered bythe post to attend meetings or undertake training (face toface or remote)	E	A
Experience	Experience of providing palliative care in a variety ofsettings	D	A/I
	Experience of working in the community i.e., patients'own home	D	A/1
	Experience of working in isolation with an awareness ofassociated risks	D	A/I

A = Application Form
I = Interview
E = Exercise