Job summary
- Hours: Full time and Part time hours (Bank working will be considered)
- Location: In the Community within the Rennie Grove Peace Locality - Hertfordshire Area (Tring, Harpenden, St Albans, Watford and surrounding areas)
- Salary: Rennie Grove Peace Band 3 - £24,625 - £25,674 per annum (pro rata)
- Closing date: 27 October 2025 at 12 noon
- Interview date: 05 November 2025
Main duties of the job
- The role of RPCS Healthcare Assistant is in place to provide end of life care to patients in their own homes in the final weeks of life.
- We are looking for caring staff who could provide personal care to patients in their last weeks of life.
- If you think this is you then we can offer a variety of shift patterns to suit you, working across a 7 day week.
Your normal hours of work will be a varied shift pattern (between 7am-11pm) on a rota basis from Sunday to Saturday.
- You will be visiting patients living in your local area, who wish to be cared for in their own home.
- You will provide support with washing, dressing, nutrition, and skin care.
- During your visit you will spend time talking to patients and their relatives, using your skills to ascertain the best possible care for the individual.
- Visits are mainly provided by two carers, but there are times when you will visit alone, so you must have access to your own car.
- Experience is not essential as training will be given but ideally you will have had some experience of prior caring i.e. for a dying relative, childcare etc.
About us
At Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, our unique care provides a lifeline of compassion and support to patients, carers, and families facing progressive life-limiting illness.
We provide palliative and end of life care support, including bereavement services, within Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and our patient services are available to adults, as well as patients transitioning into adult services (16 to 25 years.)
Bereavement support is offered for all ages to families of patients and those around them, as well as throughout the community, in schools and workplaces.
We are proud to offer care in the place that best suits the individuals needs, whether that's at home, in a care home, in a short stay in our inpatient unit, out in the community, or in our purpose-built Living Well Centre facilities. As a hospice care charity, we have offered this support, free of charge, for over 40 years.
Our staff team of 340+ includes a wide range of patient-facing disciplines plus operational support based in Watford, Tring, St Albans, Chalfont St Giles and Berkhamsted. The Charity is now one of the larger UK hospice charities, reaching a GP population of 797,037 of whom 75% live in Hertfordshire and 25% in Buckinghamshire.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Demonstrate and maintain consistently high standards of individualised personal care and support under guidance of the RPCS Management.
- Work alongside the patients families and/or health care professionals, maintaining an approach that
incorporates physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care in accordance with the Rennie
Grove Peace philosophy.
- Observe and report changes in the patients symptoms, conditions and circumstances to the RPCS
Management and notify other healthcare professionals as necessary.
- Work in accordance with the patients agreed care plan.
- Responsible for identifying and acting on any risk of safeguarding to patients and their families in
accordance with the Rennie Grove Peace policies.
- Keep accurate and legible records in accordance with legislative requirements and Rennie Grove Peace
practice and procedure.
- Assist with the patients washing, bathing, showering, pressure area care and oral care.
- Assist with dressing and undressing the patient as required.
- Assist with the patients nutritional requirements including preparation of light meals and drinks
according to dietary requirements and choice.
- Assist with a patients toileting, which may include the use of bed pans, commode or lavatory.
- Prompt medication if dispensed in a pharmacy blister pack.
- Ensure all verbal and written communication is accurate and timely.
- Acting as a Rennie Grove Peace ambassador within the community.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Demonstrate and maintain consistently high standards of individualised personal care and support under guidance of the RPCS Management.
- Work alongside the patients families and/or health care professionals, maintaining an approach that
incorporates physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care in accordance with the Rennie
Grove Peace philosophy.
- Observe and report changes in the patients symptoms, conditions and circumstances to the RPCS
Management and notify other healthcare professionals as necessary.
- Work in accordance with the patients agreed care plan.
- Responsible for identifying and acting on any risk of safeguarding to patients and their families in
accordance with the Rennie Grove Peace policies.
- Keep accurate and legible records in accordance with legislative requirements and Rennie Grove Peace
practice and procedure.
- Assist with the patients washing, bathing, showering, pressure area care and oral care.
- Assist with dressing and undressing the patient as required.
- Assist with the patients nutritional requirements including preparation of light meals and drinks
according to dietary requirements and choice.
- Assist with a patients toileting, which may include the use of bed pans, commode or lavatory.
- Prompt medication if dispensed in a pharmacy blister pack.
- Ensure all verbal and written communication is accurate and timely.
- Acting as a Rennie Grove Peace ambassador within the community.
Person Specification
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Proven experience working effectively in a team
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English, verbal and written
- Ability to work effectively in an emotionally demanding environment
- Drive and enthusiasm
- Ability to work autonomously and as an effective member of the team, using initiative
- Willingness to complete level 2 in Medicine Giving
- Caring and empathetic approach
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Flexible and adaptable to a variety of tasks
- Ability to prioritise effectively and work under pressure
- Commitment to the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care purpose
- Able to maintain confidentiality
Desirable
- Care certificate/NVQ Level 2 or equivalent
- Basic Food Hygiene Certificate
- Experience of working within the care setting
- Experience of working within a community setting
- Knowledge of and experience in care at the end of life and after death
- Relevant experience in assisting patients with their personal hygiene.
Person Specification
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Proven experience working effectively in a team
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English, verbal and written
- Ability to work effectively in an emotionally demanding environment
- Drive and enthusiasm
- Ability to work autonomously and as an effective member of the team, using initiative
- Willingness to complete level 2 in Medicine Giving
- Caring and empathetic approach
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Flexible and adaptable to a variety of tasks
- Ability to prioritise effectively and work under pressure
- Commitment to the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care purpose
- Able to maintain confidentiality
Desirable
- Care certificate/NVQ Level 2 or equivalent
- Basic Food Hygiene Certificate
- Experience of working within the care setting
- Experience of working within a community setting
- Knowledge of and experience in care at the end of life and after death
- Relevant experience in assisting patients with their personal hygiene.
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.
