Macmillan Cancer Support Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

To support patients living with and beyond cancer through the pathway using own judgement and initiative utilising specific departmental and patient administration systems ensuring adherence and compliance to all Trust Policies and procedures.

To co-ordinate appropriate investigations required, signpost patients to appropriate support and assist with for example holistic needs assessment, health and wellbeing clinics and making every contact count, ensuring the delivery of patient care is of the highest standard and those patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect.

To utilise iPM/iSOFT/ Somerset Cancer register and other systems/databases to track patient and upload relevant cancer data.

To analyse data and to prepare reports for the Mustard Tree and Clinical teams to help develop the service.

The post holder will work primarily in The Mustard Tree and outreach services but will liaise with all members of the wider team involved with patient care.

1. Coordinate care for patients living with and beyond cancer

Work with a range of clinical and non-clinical staff in the site-specific cancer pathways.

Provide and receive information about patient care and interpret the patient plan for other clinical and non-clinical staff.

A key aspect of this role involves daily and direct (eg face to face, online and telephone) communication with patients, relatives and carers and other health professionals. The information and nature of communication required is sensitive due to the nature of cancer and therefore communication in this context requires a high degree of empathy, understanding, diplomacy, honesty, integrity and confidentiality.

To have a good knowledge and understanding of Personalised Care in Cancer (PCC) and understanding of cancer care and treatments available.

To provide non-clinical advice and information using good communication skills to navigate patients through what may be a time of great anxiety and where patients may be highly distressed.

To assist the Benefits Advisor with grant/blue badge applications as appropriate.

To liaise with agencies across health and social care, including voluntary sectors.

Assist with organising and requesting services as required.

Support the delivery of patient education through PPC events, focus and support groups.

Provide basic advice and refer on or sign-post to other sources of support.

Co-ordinate and organise appointments and assessments as required and to exchange that information clearly and concisely dealing with anxiety, cultural or language difficulties.

Co-ordinate the handover with other teams to facilitate safe and effective transition of care between services in order to provide seamless support for patients.

Document and monitor all aspects of care coordination and service delivery, supporting data collection for audit.

To ensure that high standards of documentation and care planning for patients are maintained.

2. Data Collection

Ensure accurate data is rapidly captured and recorded to meet the standards of the management of patients, and to fulfil the cancer information requirements.

Create databases to collect and monitor information, maintain and update.

Create reports using the collected data as required.

Facilitate collection and analysis of data by collating information via various electronic systems and face to face contact with members of the MDT.

Produce audit reports and information reports as requested at local or National level.

To be proficient in the use of CRIS, iPM, iSOFT and Somerset Cancer Register Systems.

Undertake audit and survey reports as requested at local and national levels.

3. General Responsibilities

Works closely to develop good working relationships with the Mustard Tree team, Secretaries, Cancer Specialist Nurses and wider cancer MDT members.

Provide administrative/secretarial support as required, such as organising meetings and events, booking events and sending correspondence.

Develop appropriate systems to manage their own workload.

Operates on their own initiative whilst bearing the overall directorate aims and responsibilities.

To ensure that a clear understanding is obtained surrounding data quality, data protection, patient information management systems (iPM) and be able to work within these guidelines at all times.

Ordering patient information and updating as necessary.

Assist with teaching and educating other members of staff.

Ensuring that patient experience remains the focal point for service improvement.

4. Personal Qualities

Demonstrate self-directed learning, actively seeking role development opportunities to enhance practice, knowledge and role progression.

Identify personal education needs and skills development with Line Manager.

Understand that there will be frequent exposure to distressing/highly distressing situations when communicating with patients and carers and be aware of own need to seek appropriate support/advice.

Demonstrate an awareness of the limits of own practice and knowledge and when to seek appropriate support/advice.

Will be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills.

Will need to demonstrate high levels of organisational skills to set up new role/systems.

Concentration required for data analysis and tracking patients with frequent interruptions requiring urgent attention and re-prioritisation of work.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable health or administration experience in a similar role
• Demonstrable experience of multi-professional working
• Demonstrable experience in the use of data management

Desirable

• Awareness of Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer and other national cancer policies
• Demonstrable experience of coaching/teaching patients and carers
• Proven knowledge of PPC pathway

Aptitude and Abilities

Essential

• Able to use own initiative and work without supervision
• Ability to communicate both verbally and non- verbally on a daily basis with people at all levels

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 3 in health, administration, customer services or equivalent demonstrable experience plus additional diploma or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Willing to undertake further learning and development courses

Desirable

• Proven evidence of continued role development

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Address

Derriford Hospital

Derriford Rd

Plymouth

PL6 8DH

Employer's website

https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)