Senior Healthcare Assistant

St Wilfrid's Hospice

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Job summary

Want to make a difference to local lives?

We have an excellent opportunity for a Senior Healthcare Assistant to join our Community team.

As a Senior Healthcare Assistant at St Wilfrids you will have the time to listen and understand the individual needs and wishes of our patients and their loved ones. Youll be making sure each one gets the care they deserve and help them achieve the best quality of life for as long as possible.

Its fabulous, you get the best of caring. You get to see people in their own homes and are in a privileged position of being taken into their worlds and their families. Its an honour really.

Youre able to give the care you want to give and you have the time, whereas at a hospital, which Ive worked in, you dont have that time to give.

- Rachel Ayling, Senior Healthcare Assistant

Main duties of the job

Being a Senior Healthcare Assistant at St Wilfrid's

We are delighted to offer the opportunity to join us as a Senior Healthcare Assistant within the Community Team.

The successful candidate will be offering the highest level of individualised care to patients and their loved ones.

Maintaining continuity of planned and regularly assessed patient care, you will be providing compassionate and attentive direct support in our community.

You will use your excellent communication skills to provide support to patients and their families. As part of our professional team you will need to demonstrate high standards of communication to respond to others in a supportive and people focussed working atmosphere.

This is a part time role for 22.5 hours per week

About us

We are an independent local charity based in Bosham, Chichester offering a wide range of services to support our patients, and their loved ones, who are living with a life limiting or terminal illness. The work we do makes a real difference to the lives of local people and we support over 330 patients between our In Patient Unit and Community teams.

All Hospice employees are offered:

Annual Leave - Our generous holiday entitlement starts at 27 days per year plus bank holidays and increases with service

Healthcare -Access to a contributory health plan for you and family members, covering a range of benefits including eyecare and physiotherapy

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - Access to free and confidential Virtual GP Advice, Counselling and Legal Support

Continuation of existing NHS Pension Scheme Membership- And recognition of reckonable service for certain benefits

Generous Pension- With 7.5% employer contribution for staff not in the NHS Pension Scheme

Life Assurance Scheme - Should the worst happen while you're working with us, your loved ones will receive a lump sum payment equal to two times your salary (or the NHS Life Assurance Scheme if applicable)

Free on site parking -At our beautiful, purpose built Hospice in Bosham

Subsidised food - Our catering staff provide a range of high quality meals at low prices for all staff members when on site at the Hospice

Staff discount - In all our community charity shops and eligibility for the Blue Light Card discount scheme

Date posted

15 February 2024

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£22,890 to £25,148 a year Plus enhancements for unsocial/weekend hours. (Salary is FTE)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

B0425-24-0004

Job locations

St. Wilfrids Hospice

Walton Lane

Bosham

Chichester

West Sussex

PO18 8QB

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

The post holder will assist the Registered Clinician in providing skilled nursing care to patients in need of specialist palliative end of life care. They will provide safe, effective and responsive nursing care to patients and their loved ones in a supportive, caring and compassionate environment.

Contribute to the day to day operational management and ongoing development of nursing services by undertaking a range of additional responsibilities, appropriate for level of competence as delegated by the Lead Nurse.

The postholder will be expected to be able to communicate effectively and empathetically with patients and their loved ones.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Practice

Support patients and their loved ones to cope with their emotional and psychological and spiritual wellbeing

To offer emotional support to patients and their loved ones, particularly during breaking of bad news and time of death, recognising own limitations and referring to the Registered Clinician as appropriate.

Work in collaboration with the patients loved ones/ carers to enable them to support individuals

To communicate effectively with patients, their loved ones and the bereaved to establish and maintain trusting relationships

Plan, monitor and review, with the Registered Clinician, activities, interventions or treatments to achieve specified goals and implement care plans/programmes.

Monitor an individuals progress in managing their illness and support the individual's management of their condition and treatment plan. Discuss and report any changes to the appropriate clinician.

Undertake personal hygiene for individuals unable to care for themselves

Work within the extended role programme, acts as a second checker for controlled drugs administered by a trained nurse, blood transfusion observations, changing simple dressings, assist in pressure care management, inserting and securing and managing urethral catheters, setting up P.E.G feeds and any other interventions considered applicable to area of work.

Support individuals during and after clinical therapeutic interventions and undertake baseline observations

Assist, using appropriate aids, in the implementation of mobility and movement programmes for individuals to help restore optimum movement and functional independence.

Help individuals to maintain mobility and support the use of technological aids to promote independence.

Support individuals to retain, regain, and develop the skills to manage their lives and environment including enabling individuals to use assistive devices and assistive technology.

Assist individuals in undertaking activities and enable them to choose and participate in activities that are meaningful to them.

Contribute to the discharge of an individual into the care of another service through carrying out actions from a discharge plan.

Perform last offices and where necessary supervise the safe removal of the deceased patient.

To contribute to bereavement care offered to families by contributing to bereavement interviews and reporting any concerns related to risk assessment to the Registered Clinician.
To establish and maintain effective communication and working relationships with multi-disciplinary teams within the Hospice and with the wider healthcare environment.

Take responsibility for safe practice and awareness of health and safety and infection control thus ensuring patient safety and that the Hospices exposure to risk is minimised.

Maintain a safe and clean and tidy work environment.

Prepare and manage environments and resources for use in health care.

Leadership/ Service Development

Be alert to the needs adults at risk including risk assessment and taking appropriate action when required. Escalating any safeguarding concerns.

Work in collaboration with the Multidisciplinary Team and actively participate in multi-professional meetings as well as team, locality and other relevant meetings, acting as patient advocate when necessary.

Ensure the application of equal opportunities in practice considering the individual needs of patients, their loved ones and colleagues.

Communicate effectively through IT systems.

Assist in the supervision of less experienced staff and students

Use professional and personal skills appropriately to respond to concerns or complaints, notify the team lead and act in accordance with the Hospice Complaints procedure.

Training and Education

Participate and attend all mandatory training sessions in accordance with Hospice policy.

To participate in an annual performance and development review with their line manager so that an agreed training programme can be developed in line with the hospice strategy and clinical objectives.

Promote an informative educational environment of newly qualified staff /new Hospice staff / and student nurses.

Audit and Research

To participate in service development activities, such as audits and surveys to identify areas for improvement.

Supports and contributes to the development of policy and clinical guidelines within their area.

To access and implement as necessary all St Wilfrids Hospice policies/protocols and guidelines.

Undertake a link role within own area of interest such as stores management, infection control, manual handling, falls management or pressure ulcer management.

Please find a full job description at www.stwh.co.uk/careers