Respiratory Support Worker

Job summary

We are a happy, supportive multidisciplinary team based at Helston covering the West area of the beautiful county of Cornwall, primarily looking after patients with chronic lung disease and breathlessness. We work closely with GPs and the acute hospital sites to keep our patients as independent and healthy as possible in the community, supporting them to understand and manage the symptoms of their condition and enjoy the best quality of life.

A focus of the team is the provision of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes, which are a fun, clinically effective intervention of exercises and education group sessions. We also see patients in clinic settings and in their own home.

The respiratory support worker role is integral to successful delivery of a responsive and adaptable service, through coordinating and clinically supporting rehabilitation classes and visiting patients at home.

This is a great opportunity to develop skills in patient care within the field of respiratory and long term conditions. You will be closely supported by a team of friendly and knowledgeable clinicians and administrator.

Proposed interview date: to be confirmed

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work as part of the Respiratory team and may on occasions be required to offer support to other teams.

• To be flexible with regard to care delivery either as telephone support, within the home setting or within a group setting.
• To always work within own level of competence and be able to access clinical support from other colleagues when required
• To practice as a lone worker
• To undertake specific skilled support work (e.g., carrying out assessments and using various treatment skills) to aid the rehabilitation of respiratory patients under the supervision of a qualified clinician.
• To plan and implement interventions, using various treatment skills and to be responsible for assessing patient progress, including goal setting, evaluate the outcome and report back to qualified clinician if any problems.
• To independently manage (working without direct supervision) a caseload of patients.
• To implement agreed management/ care plans for the more complex patients, under the direct supervision of the specialist clinicians.
• To undertake highly skilled support work for Respiratory patients in the community.
• To use clinical skills eg blood pressure and pulse checks and basic clinical assessment skills to support the delivery of care.
• To be able to offer patient education with regard to self and risk factor management.
• To undertake exercise classes in various venues, including performing initial assessments within agreed protocols

About us

We're an NHS community and mental health provider Trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We deliver community and hospital-based care to improve people's physical and mental health.We also provide specialist support to people with dementia or a learning disability.

We are a people organisation and people matter to us. As part of the team, you'll help support the health and wellbeing of the people who live and visit this beautiful part of the UK.

Over 4,000 people make up the Trust. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists, plus admin and support staff.

We work in people's homes, in community clinics and bases.Some staff work from one of our 13 community hospitals. Our aspiration is to have great people, provide great care, be a great place to work and a great partner.

Approximately 568,000 people live here. A third of people who live in Cornwall are supported by acute hospital services in Devon.As a result, we also work closely with our partners in Devon. In the summer, and during other holidays lots of people choose to visit the area. This increases the numbers of people who use our services.