Bank Healthcare Assistant- Hospice @ Home

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000

Job description

At the Hospice, we have an excellent Hospice@Home Team and are recruiting to a band 3 Bank Health Care Assistant. This service provides care and support to people in the borough of Greenwich at the end of their lives, supporting them in their own homes. We are seeking an enthusiastic and caring Health Care Assistant to join the Hospice team.

The successful candidate will work as part of the multidisciplinary team, primarily delivering care in patients' homes. This post also requires flexibility to work within our Inpatient Unit if required.

This post offers the opportunity to work alongside and learn from colleagues with palliative care expertise providing support to our patients on a 7-day week rota basis from 8am to 8pm.

The successful candidates will need to have some experience of caring in either a paid or voluntary capacity and will demonstrate a commitment to providing a high standard of care to patients.

With a sound understanding of health and safety, nutrition and hydration, and infection control, candidates will demonstrate excellent communication skills and an ability to meet patients' physical, social, and psychological needs appropriately as they approach end of life.A current driving license is essential for this post. This post requires the Hospice to carry out DBS checks on candidates offered a role.

Main duties of the job

To work as part of the multidisciplinary team to provide a high standard of individualised patient/family care and support. The work of a Health Care Assistant is always delegated and directed by the Greenwich Care Partnership Team.

About us

The Hospice is committed to the development and education of all its staff, so there are excellent opportunities for professional development. We have educational links with local higher education institutions and have a great track record of career progression within the organisation.

Membership of the NHS pension scheme is available for existing members or a stakeholder pension scheme for all other staff.

Job responsibilities

Clinical Practice

To deliver care as assessed by the Fast Track, to patients and their families/carers, in accordance with the Hospice Philosophy. This will include:

• Working in the patients' home alongside the patients' carer/family integrating nursing care with their physical, psychological and spiritual needs.
• Assessing patients' and carers' needs and reporting to the Team Leader and Specialist Community team.
• Identifying and reporting any significant changes in the patients' condition or well-being.
• Collecting information that informs care.
• Appropriately mobilising, transferring and moving patients, taking into account the guidelines of safe moving and handling practice and using mechanical aids where necessary.
• Ensuring infection prevention and control measures are in place in the home.
• Participating in the care of the patient and family after death.
• Recognising limitations and referring on to other professionals as appropriate.
• Knowing who to contact in an emergency.
• Assisting with meeting the nutritional and hydration needs of patients including serving meals and drinks and assisting with feeding.
• Escorting patients home on discharge from Hospice/Hospital and ensuring that the patient has basic needs met on arrival at home, e.g., shopping if necessary.
• Assisting patients in their individual personal hygiene routines, including washing, dressing, mouth care, and toileting.
• Accommodating and respecting the social and cultural needs of the patient and family.
• Supporting and facilitating the orientation and teaching of colleagues and students.
• Maintaining effective liaison, communication and relationships with all of the Hospice multi-disciplinary team.
• Reporting incidents, accidents and complaints via the relevant systems and following the guidelines and policies within the hospice.

Communication

• Demonstrating warmth and acceptance of patients and their families.
• Building a relationship with patients, their relatives and friends, demonstrating a non-judgmental approach.
• Effectively communicating information, orally or in writing, to other members of the team.
• Maintaining confidentiality.
• Accurately reporting and recording work activities according to organisational procedures using the Electronic Patient Record System as well as notes in the patients' home.
• Acknowledging others' different perspectives.
• Recognising that people are different and ensuring that they do not discriminate against other people.
• Participating in any ongoing discussions and handovers relating to the care of patients and their families/carers.
• Practicing excellent communication skills with patients, family and members of the multi-disciplinary team including showing empathy and understanding and communicating sometimes complex information where there may be barriers to understanding.
• Contributing positively to anti-discriminatory practice, actively promoting equity and diversity.
• Recognising and reporting behaviour that undermines equity and diversity.
• Demonstrating empathy and sensitivity, and being realistic in encouraging and supporting patients and their families.
• Utilising resources appropriately to address impediments to communication e.g., patients with dysarthria, aphasia, non-English speaking.
• Being comfortable to remain alongside patients and families in distress.
• Communicating the values and mission of Community Hospice for Greenwich and Bexley to patients and families.

Education & Training

• Identifying their own learning needs and interests.
• Accessing educational and development opportunities.
• Reflecting and learning from own practice, e.g., through clinical supervision sessions and debriefing.
• Providing general information to patients, carers, and other professionals.

Quality

• Working within the multidisciplinary team to ensure that patient dignity is respected at all times both before and after death, including acting as the patients' advocate and caring for patients after they have died.
• Participating in relevant audit programmes.
• Assisting in maintaining equipment to a high standard of cleanliness and safety and ensuring that the patient is in a clean and tidy environment, including the changing of bed linen where necessary.
• Ensuring all practices and procedures are in accordance with hospice policy and guidelines.
• Delivering a high standard of care in accordance with agreed guidelines and protocols.
• Recognising the limits of their competence.
• Working in a way that minimises risks to health, safety, and security.
• Summoning immediate help for any emergency and taking the appropriate action to contain it.
• Providing support for distressed patients, bereaved relatives, students and colleagues, including giving advice to families on practical issues following death and describing the support services available for bereaved people and colleagues.

Additional information

Working in unpleasant conditions at times including dealing with soiled linen, commodes, body fluids, etc.

Postholder must hold a full driving licence.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• General good level of literacy and numeracy
• NVQ 3 in Health/Social Care or equivalent
• Medication training
• Communication training e.g., SAGE & THYME

Experience

• Relevant Care Experience as a volunteer or paid staff
• Experience of delivering care to patients within a Hospice or Community Setting

Aptitude, Personal Characteristics

• Communication skills (both verbal and written) proficient in English
• Be able to effectively communicate with people on a variety of levels using tact, diplomacy and empathy
• An understanding of the nature of hospice work, and an ability to seek support for themselves as a result of distressing circumstances
• Approachable and adaptable
• Motivated and enthusiastic
• A flexible approach to work and an ability to work a range of shifts throughout the week
• Ability to undertake training and direct own learning
• An understanding of the need for self-care when working in a palliative care environment

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• An understanding of what caring involves and the role and responsibilities of a carer
• An understanding of the mission and values of the Community Hospice
• An ability to work with patients facing life-limiting illnesses and their carers.
• Awareness of health and safety procedures (including infection control measures) and how they affect people in the workplace
• Awareness of ways of overcoming barriers to communication (dementia, sensory disability, confusion, Non-English speaking, etc.)
• Ability to use own initiative and plan own work for the shift in order to meet the needs of a given group of patients
• Ability to work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team
• An understanding of basic nutrition and hydration
• Basic IT skills
• Able to demonstrate awareness of issues around protection of vulnerable adults/children methods of promoting dignity
• Holds a full driving licence
• Awareness of issues around protection of vulnerable adults/children

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.