Weldmar Hospicecare

Health Care Assistant

The closing date is 31 August 2025

Job summary

Health Care Assistant

Bank Contract (Day and Night Shifts available)

Clinical Band 3: £24,793 - £26,444 per year pro rata for hours worked

Are you a Health Care Assistant looking for a role where you can provide compassionate care?

A variety of shift patterns

Part of a well-established team

Enhanced pay for unsociable hours

Free Parking

We are seeking individuals to fulfil a variety of shifts on an ad hoc basis at our Inpatient Unit, Dorchester. Our bank team are essential to our service, ensuring that we can deliver exceptional palliative care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

At Weldmar, we deliver specialist care in patients homes, through day services, as well as at our Inpatient Unit. Supported by professionals and volunteers, we ensure patients and their families receive unparalleled support during lifes most challenging moments, working closely with the NHS to maintain the highest standards of care.

Main duties of the job

As a Health Care Assistant at our Inpatient Unit, youll assist Registered Nurses in the delivery high-quality patient care, offering emotional support, and maintaining a safe environment. Using your interpersonal skills when providing personal care, youll gain an understanding of patients personal needs and will complete documentation to ensure accurate records.

Youll have healthcare experience, preferably in a palliative care setting, and will have obtained a Diploma in Care (or working towards), and a willingness and interest in acquiring new skills.

An Enhanced plus barred list Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check is required.

About us

About Weldmar Hospicecare: Rated Outstanding by the CQC, Weldmar Hospicecare provides specialist care to adults in Dorset with a life limiting illness, and support to their loved ones. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes, in the community, and at our Inpatient Unit in Dorchester. All care is provided free of charge and mainly funded by the continued support of our local community, via fundraising initiatives and events, our retail chain, and gifts left in wills, enabling us to raise the £27,500 we need every day to keep our services going.

Details

Date posted

31 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£24,793 to £26,444 a year FTE

Contract

Bank

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

B0149-25-0012

Job locations

Herringston Road

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 2SL


Job description

Job responsibilities

Weldmar Hospicecare

Job Description and Person Specification

Job Title: Health Care Assistant

Location: Weldmar Hospicecare

Hours of work: As and when required (Bank Support Team)

Grade: Band 3

Reports to: Staff Nurse or Sister

Responsible for: N/A

Job Context

Weldmar Hospicecare is an independent charity that provides specialist end of life care to patients and those that are important to them throughout Dorset. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes by Weldmars Specialist Hospice at Home service, and via Wellbeing Services held across the county or as inpatients at our hospice in Dorchester. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers ensure that we can continue to support patients through one of lifes most difficult journeys. We work closely with other health care providers including the NHS to ensure that our patients receive the highest possible care.

We do receive some funding from the NHS but the majority of our income is generated by our fundraising and retail teams, which plays a vital part in securing income to fund our care, both now and in the future.

Our Inpatient Unit is a 14 bedded palliative care unit, caring for patients in the last year of life. The unit has a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care with an emphasis on providing high standards of care.

Job Purpose

To work as member of the nursing team with supervision from a Registered Nurse and contribute to maintaining the inpatient unit as an environment conducive to providing high standards of palliative care.

Scope and Limits of Authority

  • Always act within the limits of your competence, reporting to a Registered Nurse if unsure
  • Work within relevant policies, protocols and standards
  • There will be no direct budget responsibility but must have an awareness of cost implications and make effective use of resources

Job tasks

Clinical Care Responsibility

Acts as an assistant in the delivery of high-quality care to patients, including:

  • Observing and reporting any significant changes in a patients physical or psychological condition
  • Assists with patient personal care including bathing and toileting, urinary catheters, ileostomy and colostomy care.
  • Delivering patient nursing care as delegated by the RN, including dressing of minor wounds
  • Provides emotional support allowing time for patients and family/carers to talk, using listening and empathic skills
  • Providing death and bereavement care and family support.
  • Participates in patient reporting and documenting of care
  • Ensure patient area environment and equipment is clean, tidy and in working order
  • Develops and complies individual patient care pathways with guidance of RN
  • Supports admission procedures, including taking patient details
  • Undertakes specific observation and monitoring tasks as delegated by RN, and reports back, including blood sugar levels, blood pressure, temperatures, CSU samples and sending samples for testing
  • Applies relevant standard to care nursing practice, reporting all incidents, errors, falls and accidents
  • Attends monthly nurse team meetings (when on duty) for updating of all aspects of clinical and the Weldmars information, and for support of colleagues. Also attends meetings called by the Chief Executive Officer
  • Maintains a safe environment within the hospice, and to ensure that all equipment is clean, safe and maintained in goof the Weldmars policies, procedures and competencies

Development of Knowledge and Skills

  • Attends mandatory training provided by the hospice
  • Attends appropriate in-house and external education sessions, conferences and seminars in order to develop understanding of palliative care
  • Attending and adhere to standards as set by appropriate course (eg NVQ, Diploma in care, apprenticeship programme) if applicable
  • Participates in individual performance review and appraisal giving and receiving feedback about clinical practice and developmental needs
  • Participates in clinical supervision (optional)
  • Undertakes induction and mentoring support to new care staff
  • Participates in and reports back from delegated corporate projects (eg Clinical Governance Working Groups)
  • Participates in agreed audit or relevant research
  • Reports all acquired knowledge from training and education sessions back to the multidisciplinary team at in house education sessions or by way of written reports

Wellbeing

  • Maintain own physical health in order to fulfil the physical effort demanded of the care role

  • Self - awareness to maintain own and others emotional wellbeing and seek support and guidance from colleagues and peers as required
  • Resilience to handle the emotional impact of working within death and dying

Job description

Job responsibilities

Weldmar Hospicecare

Job Description and Person Specification

Job Title: Health Care Assistant

Location: Weldmar Hospicecare

Hours of work: As and when required (Bank Support Team)

Grade: Band 3

Reports to: Staff Nurse or Sister

Responsible for: N/A

Job Context

Weldmar Hospicecare is an independent charity that provides specialist end of life care to patients and those that are important to them throughout Dorset. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes by Weldmars Specialist Hospice at Home service, and via Wellbeing Services held across the county or as inpatients at our hospice in Dorchester. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers ensure that we can continue to support patients through one of lifes most difficult journeys. We work closely with other health care providers including the NHS to ensure that our patients receive the highest possible care.

We do receive some funding from the NHS but the majority of our income is generated by our fundraising and retail teams, which plays a vital part in securing income to fund our care, both now and in the future.

Our Inpatient Unit is a 14 bedded palliative care unit, caring for patients in the last year of life. The unit has a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care with an emphasis on providing high standards of care.

Job Purpose

To work as member of the nursing team with supervision from a Registered Nurse and contribute to maintaining the inpatient unit as an environment conducive to providing high standards of palliative care.

Scope and Limits of Authority

  • Always act within the limits of your competence, reporting to a Registered Nurse if unsure
  • Work within relevant policies, protocols and standards
  • There will be no direct budget responsibility but must have an awareness of cost implications and make effective use of resources

Job tasks

Clinical Care Responsibility

Acts as an assistant in the delivery of high-quality care to patients, including:

  • Observing and reporting any significant changes in a patients physical or psychological condition
  • Assists with patient personal care including bathing and toileting, urinary catheters, ileostomy and colostomy care.
  • Delivering patient nursing care as delegated by the RN, including dressing of minor wounds
  • Provides emotional support allowing time for patients and family/carers to talk, using listening and empathic skills
  • Providing death and bereavement care and family support.
  • Participates in patient reporting and documenting of care
  • Ensure patient area environment and equipment is clean, tidy and in working order
  • Develops and complies individual patient care pathways with guidance of RN
  • Supports admission procedures, including taking patient details
  • Undertakes specific observation and monitoring tasks as delegated by RN, and reports back, including blood sugar levels, blood pressure, temperatures, CSU samples and sending samples for testing
  • Applies relevant standard to care nursing practice, reporting all incidents, errors, falls and accidents
  • Attends monthly nurse team meetings (when on duty) for updating of all aspects of clinical and the Weldmars information, and for support of colleagues. Also attends meetings called by the Chief Executive Officer
  • Maintains a safe environment within the hospice, and to ensure that all equipment is clean, safe and maintained in goof the Weldmars policies, procedures and competencies

Development of Knowledge and Skills

  • Attends mandatory training provided by the hospice
  • Attends appropriate in-house and external education sessions, conferences and seminars in order to develop understanding of palliative care
  • Attending and adhere to standards as set by appropriate course (eg NVQ, Diploma in care, apprenticeship programme) if applicable
  • Participates in individual performance review and appraisal giving and receiving feedback about clinical practice and developmental needs
  • Participates in clinical supervision (optional)
  • Undertakes induction and mentoring support to new care staff
  • Participates in and reports back from delegated corporate projects (eg Clinical Governance Working Groups)
  • Participates in agreed audit or relevant research
  • Reports all acquired knowledge from training and education sessions back to the multidisciplinary team at in house education sessions or by way of written reports

Wellbeing

  • Maintain own physical health in order to fulfil the physical effort demanded of the care role

  • Self - awareness to maintain own and others emotional wellbeing and seek support and guidance from colleagues and peers as required
  • Resilience to handle the emotional impact of working within death and dying

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working within healthcare setting
  • Experience and understanding of team working
  • Experience of working in palliative care or a related specialist area (desirable)

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Good interpersonal skills, including empathy and open-minded A
  • approach to patients
  • Ability to understand the importance of boundaries in relationships with patients and their families
  • Emotionally able to work within the field of palliative care
  • Flexible approach to changing workload and unpredictable requirements, and adaptable to change
  • Willingness to and interest in acquiring new skills
  • Ability to write simple notes and maintain required records
  • Commitment to team working and willingness to assist and support colleagues flexibly
  • Demonstrable interpersonal skills, including listening, negotiating, communication of ideas
  • Ability to contribute to corporate change and development projects with confidence in own contribution
  • Good written communication skills
  • Ability to induct and mentor newer members of staff
  • Ability to undertake work without direct supervision
  • Ability to work a variety of shifts including evenings, weekends, public holidays and nights

Qualifications

Essential

  • Some knowledge of care requirements and understanding of patients personal needs
  • Obtained or working towards the Care Certificate (within Probationary period)
  • Some understanding of the emotional needs of patients and their families
  • Understanding of importance of confidentiality
  • Basic literacy and numeric skills
  • Possess or willing to work towards Diploma in Care Level 3
  • Developed knowledge of a range of patient care requirements within a specialist healthcare environment and ability to apply this within own work, including care plans
  • Understanding of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and their families/carers
  • Knowledge equivalent to NVQ/QCF level III (either gained through qualification or several years effective experience)
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working within healthcare setting
  • Experience and understanding of team working
  • Experience of working in palliative care or a related specialist area (desirable)

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Good interpersonal skills, including empathy and open-minded A
  • approach to patients
  • Ability to understand the importance of boundaries in relationships with patients and their families
  • Emotionally able to work within the field of palliative care
  • Flexible approach to changing workload and unpredictable requirements, and adaptable to change
  • Willingness to and interest in acquiring new skills
  • Ability to write simple notes and maintain required records
  • Commitment to team working and willingness to assist and support colleagues flexibly
  • Demonstrable interpersonal skills, including listening, negotiating, communication of ideas
  • Ability to contribute to corporate change and development projects with confidence in own contribution
  • Good written communication skills
  • Ability to induct and mentor newer members of staff
  • Ability to undertake work without direct supervision
  • Ability to work a variety of shifts including evenings, weekends, public holidays and nights

Qualifications

Essential

  • Some knowledge of care requirements and understanding of patients personal needs
  • Obtained or working towards the Care Certificate (within Probationary period)
  • Some understanding of the emotional needs of patients and their families
  • Understanding of importance of confidentiality
  • Basic literacy and numeric skills
  • Possess or willing to work towards Diploma in Care Level 3
  • Developed knowledge of a range of patient care requirements within a specialist healthcare environment and ability to apply this within own work, including care plans
  • Understanding of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and their families/carers
  • Knowledge equivalent to NVQ/QCF level III (either gained through qualification or several years effective experience)

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

Weldmar Hospicecare

Address

Herringston Road

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 2SL


Employer's website

https://www.weld-hospice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Weldmar Hospicecare

Address

Herringston Road

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 2SL


Employer's website

https://www.weld-hospice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

People Services Adviser

Natasha Leneghan

recruitment@weld-hospice.org.uk

01305269898

Details

Date posted

31 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£24,793 to £26,444 a year FTE

Contract

Bank

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

B0149-25-0012

Job locations

Herringston Road

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 2SL


Supporting documents

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