Healthcare assistant - palliative care

Medway Community Healthcare

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Job summary

We are looking for a positive and enthusiastic person, with a strong work ethic, excellent communication skills and a compassionate approach to care, to join our well-established team as a band 3 community palliative healthcare assistant.

The community palliative care CNS team at Medway Community Health is a forward-thinking, patient-focused team, based at the Wisdom Hospice, providing a high standard of care for people with life-limiting illness in the Medway and Swale communities, embracing change to improve patient experience. The service also incorporates the end of life care service to nursing and care homes within the Medway community.

The community palliative care CNS team are an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and work closely with medical/nursing colleagues, inpatient and outpatient teams to provide a holistic and patient-centred service. The CNS Team have strong links with the wider community teams to ensure a streamlined pathway of care for patients. The palliative healthcare assistant role provides a valuable contribution to the patient pathway and supports the CNS Team with the daily management of patient care.

Main duties of the job

The role will involve supporting the existing CNS Team to continue to practice at an advanced level, providing administrative and communication support and assisting with the day-to-day running of the service. You will have direct patient contact and will develop in the role to enable you to identify when patients require urgent CNS support and assisting to complete assessments and make onward referrals as directed by the CNS Team.

You will also develop in the role to work with patients and carers to ensure that routine patient reviews are completed.

You will receive ongoing support from senior members of the team including receiving annual appraisals and performance reviews.

To work at Band 3 level, you will need to haveachieved qualifications at NVQ 3 or equivalent, have good literacy skills, be able to input data, communicate empathically and evidence a compassionate approach and agood understanding of the impact of a life-limiting diagnosis on a patient and family.

The post-holder will need to have a degree of flexibility to meet the needs of the service. We currently operate a seven-day service and are happy to consider a flexible working pattern providing the needs of the service are met. Please note that this post will involve weekend working.

About us

So what else?

This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused - you'll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.
We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.
We'll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.
You'll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.

Would you like to work flexibly?In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important work life balance is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

The small print

Informal visits can be arranged on request.
We will offer you the choice of two pension schemes; the NHS Pension scheme and the scottish widows group pension scheme.
MCH encourages all staff to be double COVID vaccinated to protect themselves, their colleagues, their family and their patients.

Date posted

29 October 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,071 to £25,674 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

813-350-1024-LB

Job locations

Wisdom Hospice

High Bank

Rochester

ME1 2NU

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication and relationship skills

To be able to communicate effectively, using appropriate methods, both verbal and non-verbal to patients who may have barriers to understanding (e.g. blind, deaf, or English not first language).

Using empathy, sensitivity and good interpersonal skills to communicate factual and sensitive information using tact and persuasion, to encourage patients, families and carers to play a proactive role in maintaining a quality of life during their disease progression until end of life

To be able to motivate patients to participate in the decision making regarding their wishes for preferred place of care and death

To liaise with teams and health and social care professionals as necessary regarding triaging and assessment of patients and care provided, highlighting any variations to expected outcomes from treatment programmes.

Internal Members CPCT, EOLP team, community-based colleagues; administrative, support and data staff.

External Patients, relatives and carers: general practitioners; consultants; external and voluntary agencies; other NHS staff.

Knowledge, training and experience

Grade 4 / C and above GCSEs in English and Mathematics

NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social care

Experience of documenting and evidence learning.

Good knowledge of commonly encountered long term and palliative conditions such as Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease etc

Understanding of basic principles of holistic health and social care assessment

Flexible, reliable and organised.

Good written and verbal communication skills and IT skills.

Analytical and judgement skills

To triage, assess and review patients with their consent, informed or complied consent.

To undertake support work e.g. initial interviews and reporting findings to the Clinical Specialist Nurses (CNS)

To assess patients progress and within the parameters set by the nurses

Identify any potential or actual clinical and non-clinical risk within own role according to team protocols and highlight to relevant senior.

Using good communication skills, discuss with community teams teams the needs of the patient and any anticipated changes.

To handle written and verbal enquiries in a professional manner and to deal with them promptly and effectively.

To have insight and awareness into own limitations, personal strengths and areas of development required

To be competent in assessing patient/client condition through observations/ test results

To competently assess the comfort of patient/client

To competently instigate emergency procedures if clinically indicated

Planning and organisational skills

Have initial discussions with referrer to identify the patients needs to facilitate clinical triage.

To manage and prioritise own patient caseload delegated by the CNS, including the booking of patient appointments if necessary.

To participation in general duties within the team e.g. answering the telephone, communicating messages and keeping the working environment tidy.

To collect and submit all data and statistics as required in a timely and accurate manner.

Maintain clear verbal, written and electronic communication systems for all members of the team, ensuring that communication is clear and effective and cascaded to everyone within the team.

Decision making and acceptance of personal accountability for ones own actions.

Physical skills

To work in a wide variety of settings within the community, residential / nursing homes, primarily working alone.

To possess good IT skills.

To be able to travel to patients in a timely manner

To demonstrate highly developed physical skills obtained through practice, evidenced by manipulation of objects, manipulation of fine tools, materials, people

To be aware of the narrow margins for error and the importance of accuracy

To possess good hand to eye coordination when using test equipment, e.g. blood glucose monitors, psychometric testing, manipulating wheelchairs, driving/restraint of patients/clients; venepuncture

Responsibility for patient / client care

To maintain patients dignity, privacy and confidentiality at all times.

Ensure own practice meets the required, legal organisation, team and professional standards.

Have a working knowledge of the processes and responsibilities of safeguarding for adults and children including the Mental Capacity Act 2000. Participate in case conferences and transfer of care planning as necessary.

To undertake triage and assessment of patients with a wide variety of presentations and conditions: using clinical reasoning skills and assessment techniques without supervision, discussing your findings with the relevant CNS.

Undertake the care of patients, as appropriate ensuring individual needs are met through the use of evidence-based practice.

Review patients individually without direct supervision

To represent the team at MDT meetings when appropriate and to participate in clinical decision making. To work autonomously as well as together with the cluster team.

Assist health and social care professionals with assessment of patients to facilitate patients care needs.

To undertake skilled and specific work to support the patients journey from diagnosis to end of life.

Ensure the patients wishes are identified in their end-of-life plan ReSPECT / DNACPR - and liaise with team if this changes.

Using empathy, sensitivity and good interpersonal skills to encourage patients and their carers in an active approach to regaining and maintaining personal independence.

To use effective communication tools, verbal and non-verbal to communicate treatment programmes to patients who may have barriers to understanding or communication e.g. blind, deaf, dysphasic or who may not have English as their first language.

Implement clinical care/ care packages

Undertake a limited range of delegated clinical care duties relevant to the services provided/work area

Record patient observations, e.g. taking blood pressure, blood glucose monitoring, observing patients for signs of agitation or distress, wound observations and simple wound dressings, removal of peripheral cannula, urinalysis, removal of catheter

Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

To adhere to the organisations policies in relation to health and safety, including Working Alone policy, and Safeguarding Vulnerable Children and Adult policies.

Identify any problems, which may interfere with the smooth running of the team and put forward suggestions and ideas to the team lead consideration and encourage others to do the same.

Complies with organisational operational policies and procedures.

To be proactively aware of health and safety aspects of your work and implement any policies, which may be required to improve the safety of your work, including your prompt recording and reporting of (near miss) accidents or concerns.

Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

To be responsible for the safe usage of equipment and aids by patients, complying with the organisations Infection Control Policy.

To be aware of health and safety aspects of work, to implement any policies and to record and report any accidents, incidents or concerns.

To ensure that all resources are used appropriately to provide quality care.

Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

To undertake relevant CPD activities to maintain and develop skills and abilities. To keep a CPD portfolio to demonstrate CPD.

To actively participate in the organisations appraisal system identifying personal development needs and plans to ensure that the teams key performance indicators are met.

To attend and actively participate in in-service training as required.

The post holder is expected to act in ways that support equality and value diversity, in accordance with legislation and national local policies.

Demonstrates own duties to new starters/ supervises work of students and junior staff

Responsibilities for information resources

Expected to ensure correct use of sensitive information in line with information governance and Caldicott guidance.

To be responsible for maintaining accurate and prompt records of all own clinical interventions in line with legal requirements and local and national standards including the writing of discharge summaries as required.

To collect and submit all data and statistics as required in a timely and accurate manner.

Record and submit accurate, timely data and information to inform caseload management and service development.