Care Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication & Relationships

• Build respectful and professional relationships with children, families, colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Use strong verbal and written communication skills, including electronic patient record systems.
• Contribute to staff meetings and share relevant information.
• Promote collaborative team working.
• Be aware of the Freedom to Speak Up and Complaints and Concerns policies; escalate concerns when appropriate.
• Maintain professional boundaries in all interactions.
• Communicate sensitively and effectively with families of children with complex and diverse needs.

Leadership & Management

• Act as a positive role model, demonstrating high standards of care.
• Promote the hospice mission and values at all times as an ambassador for Zoe's Place.
• Use hospice resources responsibly and efficiently.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Deliver individualised care of the highest standard during respite stays, adhering to individual care plans and individual plans such as play targets and physiotherapy plans.
• Provide holistic care to children and their families
• Maintain a warm, welcoming, safe and child-friendly environment.
• Support legacy-building and memory-making opportunities for families.

Training, Education & Quality

• Keep all clinical skills and knowledge up to date. Take part in annual review of competencies.

• Take responsibility for ongoing professional development.
• Participate in appraisals, mandatory training, clinical and safeguarding supervision.
• Engage in training to enhance knowledge and skills.
• Aware of responsibilities in relation to data protection and confidentiality.

Health & Safety

• Follow all organisational health and safety policies and ensure they are communicated to the team.
• Take reasonable care of personal safety and the safety of others.
• Report hazards, incidents and risks promptly.

Infection Prevention & Control

• Comply with infection prevention and control policies to ensure a clean and safe environment.
• Attend infection control meetings when requested by the Head of Care.
• Use PPE correctly and ensure others do the same.
• Maintain a high standard of infection control within the hospice environment.

General

This job description is not exhaustive and may evolve to meet the changing needs of the service.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience working as a HCA or in a school/nursery/healthcare environment or teaching assistant in a SEN school

Desirable

• Experience of working with children or adults with complex needs and life-limiting illnesses
• Caring for a person at end of life
• Experience delivering palliative care

Other

Essential

• Flexibility to meet service demand, working a mixture of days nights and weekends.

Skills Knowledges and Competencies

Essential

• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to learn new clinical skills such as PEG feeding, epilepsy awareness, tracheostomy care, ventilation, physiotherapy and keep competencies up to date
• Enthusiastic and motivated with a good conscientious attitude.
• Ability to follow instructions but use own initiative for the best interests of the child, family and service.
• Ability to follow policies and procedures.
• Caring and approachable.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work well within a team setting.
• Demonstrate emotional resilience
• Reliable and responsible
• Treat all with dignity and respect

Desirable

• Ability to deal with difficult situations.

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ level 2

Desirable

• NVQ 3

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice

Address

Zoe's Place Baby Hospice

High Street

Normanby

Middlesbrough

Cleveland

TS69DA

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.zoes-place.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)