Job summary
At Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust we believe patient wellbeing and experience, alongside clinical quality, should be at the heart of everything we do
Patient experience starts with the patient, listening and designing the experience to meet the needs of our patients and their families. Are you passionate about ensuring our patients, their relatives and friends have outstanding experience of our care?
The post-holder will be expected to look after aspects of patient wellbeing and experience whilst working alongside clinical and non-clinical staff across inpatient settings. Being a DGT Carer involves a wide range of non-clinical duties, these include providing friendship and comfort to patients, creating and promoting an environment that facilitates good patient experience, information provision, ensuring patients have contact with their loved ones, assisting with practical tasks patients are unable to do independently and partake in activities that ensure patients are stimulated and active, always using a person centered approach. This will mean creating and maintaining good professional relationships with patients, their families and friends and other stakeholders.
The post will be for 20 hours per week.
Main duties of the job
The post-holders main priority will be to provide companionship and emotional support - even just a chat over a cup of tea, a hand to hold or a game of cards to help pass the time. Every day will be different, so the post holder can expect to undertake non-clinical work that's as varied as it is rewarding.
Working cooperatively with staff members, the patient's family and friends. They will treat all patients with respect and courtesy, maintain dignity and respecting individual emotional, cultural and social needs and differences.
About us
We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you'll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we've achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.
If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities:
To provide emotional care and support to patients with a wide range of needs, illnesses and disabilities.
To maintain good communication and develop effective working relationships with patients. Getting to know their interests and needs
To provide companionship to the patients, actively talking and listening to them about their interests, providing support, and encouragement
To support patients holistic, wellbeing needs for example planning and undertaking bedside activities with patients, encouraging and assisting/supporting patients to eat and drink, support skin, nail, mouth and hair care
To support patients and families to keep in contact, either in person, via telephone or video call.
To support patients with practical tasks that they are unable to undertake, such as going to the hospital shop.
Use professional judgement, within the scope of the role and own limitations to enhance patient experience and wellbeing.
Participating in undertaking and collecting patient experience surveys, FFT and audits.
To build professional rapport with patients and their families, communicate with them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture
Setting an example and being highly visible and professional
To be responsive to the needs of all activity related to patient experience on the wards and or departments
Support patients to get ready for discharge, assist property checks and packing of belongings, collect medication from pharmacy where appropriate and assist patients/relatives out of the hospital to their transport.
Maintain patients respect and dignity
Please see attached job description for more information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities:
To provide emotional care and support to patients with a wide range of needs, illnesses and disabilities.
To maintain good communication and develop effective working relationships with patients. Getting to know their interests and needs
To provide companionship to the patients, actively talking and listening to them about their interests, providing support, and encouragement
To support patients holistic, wellbeing needs for example planning and undertaking bedside activities with patients, encouraging and assisting/supporting patients to eat and drink, support skin, nail, mouth and hair care
To support patients and families to keep in contact, either in person, via telephone or video call.
To support patients with practical tasks that they are unable to undertake, such as going to the hospital shop.
Use professional judgement, within the scope of the role and own limitations to enhance patient experience and wellbeing.
Participating in undertaking and collecting patient experience surveys, FFT and audits.
To build professional rapport with patients and their families, communicate with them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture
Setting an example and being highly visible and professional
To be responsive to the needs of all activity related to patient experience on the wards and or departments
Support patients to get ready for discharge, assist property checks and packing of belongings, collect medication from pharmacy where appropriate and assist patients/relatives out of the hospital to their transport.
Maintain patients respect and dignity
Please see attached job description for more information.
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- GCSE - Maths and English or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
- Good standard of general all round education
Desirable
- Customer care/service course
- Communication training
- Counselling course
Knowledge and Skills, experience and personal attributes
Essential
- Compassionate, caring and kind
- Excellent communication skills: both orally and written, with knowledge of computer and literacy skills
- Willing to have face to face contact with patients at the bedside
- Good digital skills, or willingness to learn the ability to use Zoom calling, and electronic surveys
- Positive attitude, self-motivated a can-do approach
- Empathy and warm-hearted approach
- Able to follow instructions
- Reliable and trustworthy
- Excellent personal emotional resilience
- Being patient, tactful and have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- Have an awareness of meeting the needs of people from different backgrounds
- Respectful and inclusive
- Problem solving skills
- Have courage to raise concerns
- Good listener
- Recognise own limitations
- Able to work well with others but use their own initiative
- Flexible and adaptable
- Ability to organise and manage own workload
Desirable
- Knowledge/ experience of Learning disabilities, mental health, and/or dementia
- Previous experience as a DGT carer
Person Specification
Education and Training
Essential
- GCSE - Maths and English or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
- Good standard of general all round education
Desirable
- Customer care/service course
- Communication training
- Counselling course
Knowledge and Skills, experience and personal attributes
Essential
- Compassionate, caring and kind
- Excellent communication skills: both orally and written, with knowledge of computer and literacy skills
- Willing to have face to face contact with patients at the bedside
- Good digital skills, or willingness to learn the ability to use Zoom calling, and electronic surveys
- Positive attitude, self-motivated a can-do approach
- Empathy and warm-hearted approach
- Able to follow instructions
- Reliable and trustworthy
- Excellent personal emotional resilience
- Being patient, tactful and have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- Have an awareness of meeting the needs of people from different backgrounds
- Respectful and inclusive
- Problem solving skills
- Have courage to raise concerns
- Good listener
- Recognise own limitations
- Able to work well with others but use their own initiative
- Flexible and adaptable
- Ability to organise and manage own workload
Desirable
- Knowledge/ experience of Learning disabilities, mental health, and/or dementia
- Previous experience as a DGT carer
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.
