Healthcare Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Undertake initial physical and mental health screening for people who use our services and ensure appropriate sign posting/referral to primary care or appropriate secondary health care services for identified health issues.

Following training and competency sign off undertake interventions such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature monitoring, height/weight recording and ECGs for individuals who use our services as indicated or requested.

Assist and carry out appropriate toxicology screening processes including urine and saliva tests.

Assist in the titration process for opioid individuals who use our services as required by service need.

Provide education, health promotion and screening for blood borne viruses (BBV).

Following training and competency sign off provide Hepatitis A and or B vaccinations under a patient specific direction (PSD) when indicated.

Work as part of the integrated care and treatment pathways for individuals who are identified as being infected with BBVs (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and/or HIV).

Support community alcohol detoxification either at the service or at the service users home.

Support opioid detoxification in the community.

Undertake phlebotomy following training and competency sign off, as required, ensuring adherence to identified pathways for blood sample labelling, collection, obtaining results and signposting.

Support in the referral to specialist inpatient services (including detoxification) and liaise with hospital and inpatient unit staff as required.

Contribute to Change Grow Lives Naloxone Strategy by training staff and individuals who use our services in the use of naloxone. Ensuring naloxone is distributed to individuals who use our services at every opportunity.

Ensure vaccines are stored correctly and the cold chain is maintained as per current Department of Health Guidance. Maintain clinic fridge and room temperature checks and record as required.

Maintain required standards of infection control and hygiene as per CGL policies and procedures. Undertake regular clinic room checks, report and address, as directed, all variances from expected standards.

Provide evidence-based harm reduction services, including needle exchange.

Undertake basic life support and anaphylaxis training so you are confident and competent to assist in a medical emergency including the administration of anaphylaxis medication and naloxone if required.

Understand and adhere to the legislation surrounding the use of PSDs.

Utilise psychosocial intervention, in both one-to-one and group settings to promote engagement in treatment services and ownership of each individuals recovery journey.

Complete the Care Certificate if not already undertaken.

Communication

Develop therapeutic alliances with people who have substance misuse problems and develop effective partnerships with them to support their individual recovery journeys, offering health promotion and harm reduction advice.

Ensure that there is good communication of treatments offered, treatment progress and outcome of any investigations to other members of the clinical team.

Liaise with and take direction from other members of the team to provide the best possible specialist care for individuals who use our services, ensuring co-ordination and continuity of care.

Provide health education, regarding problematic alcohol and drug use and alcohol and drug detoxification.

Attend meetings appropriate to the development and maintenance of the role in agreement with and under the direction of the nurse.

Actively promote and participate in working with partnership organisations to develop and sustain effective treatment pathways.

Delivering a Quality Service

The post-holder will contribute to the service to ensure that people who use substances consistently receive high quality services that adhere to the best practice guidelines and to the highest professional standards.

Work as part of the nursing team to ensure that procedures are constantly reviewed to promote best practice and evidenced based practice in accordance with UK Guidelines on Clinical Management, NICE guidance, and CGL clinical protocols and procedures.

Support colleagues by providing coaching and teaching around harm reduction and BBVs.

Team Working

To work with others to ensure individuals who use our services have timely access to safe and effective prescribing for community detoxification from substances, across operational sites.

Contribute to the overall performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are achieved.

Working with colleagues in the service to deliver a community opioid and alcohol detoxification plan utilising a care co-ordinated approach to service user care.

Risk Management

Provide harm reduction advice to individuals who inject drugs, providing information and equipment and ensure all equipment is disposed of safely.

Undertake risk assessments and contribute to risk management plans for individuals who use our services engaged in the service.

Utilise appropriate prevention techniques to reduce substance misuse related harm and to aid in the prevention of multiple physical harms caused by drugs and alcohol.

Managing Information

Record and input client data and information in order that the service operates within contractual, administrative, and financial requirements.

Ensure that all data requirements in relation to individuals who use our services are met within defined deadlines.

The above is an outline of the post holders duties and responsibilities. It is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of CGL.

Staff will need to work flexibly across operational sites as required and to work flexibly within an agreed number of hours to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision.

This role may involve evening, weekend, and bank holiday working.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Good interpersonal skills and a willingness to work flexibly as part of a team.
• A clear understanding of the need for and ability to deliver quality services.
• A clear understanding of the need for and ability to deliver quality services.
• Confidence to work on own initiative as well as part of the team. Maintain professional boundaries and work effectively with partnership agencies.
• Demonstrate skills to undertake administrative duties.
• Communicate confidently and effectively, verbally and in writing. Respond flexibly to the demands of the post.
• Show a capacity to work alone and the ability to keep calm under pressure.
• Employ a professional, empathetic, and non-judgmental attitude towards individuals who use our services and all stakeholders.
• Show commitment to facilitating positive outcomes for individuals who use our services.
• Ability to travel between services (where required).
• A commitment to engaging with, understanding, and promoting Change Grow Lives values and vision.
• An understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best practice.
• An understanding of the importance of professional integrity in relationships with individuals who use our services, peers, and other relevant professionals.
• A responsibility for your own health, safety, and wellbeing as well as those around you (e.g., colleagues and individuals who use our services).
• An understanding of, and commitment to, treating all information acquired through the course of your employment as confidential.
• An understanding of information governance processes and a commitment to follow and apply all necessary safeguards.
• A commitment to seek learning opportunities to improve and broaden your own professional knowledge and skills and to contribute to and where relevant oversee the learning of others.

Desirable

• Experience of working within substance misuse or a social care setting.
• IT literacy including proficiency in word processing and data entry. Knowledge of harm reduction and health promotion interventions.
• Knowledge of the issues facing substance misusers including appropriate medical interventions, social care, and health issues.
• Experience of contributing to project development.
• Knowledge of local services and geography.
• Qualification(s) in social care (e.g., Care Certificate).
• Knowledge of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults procedures.
• Understanding of the issues facing people who use substances, including appropriate medical interventions, social care, and health issues.

Qualifications

Desirable

• Qualification(s) in social care (e.g., Care Certificate).

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Change Grow Live

Address

C G L Spectrum

18 Station Road

Watford

WD17 1JU

Employer's website

https://www.changegrowlive.org/ (Opens in a new tab)