Healthcare Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Description and Person Specification

Job Title:

Healthcare Assistant Day Services

Line Manager:

Day Services Manager

Professionally Accountable to:

Director of Patient Services

JOB PURPOSE:

Planning, co-ordination, implementation & evaluation of the Day Hospice service.

Support, with others, volunteers within Day Hospice.

Encourage patients self-ownership of their physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs.

Ensure that the rights and choices of individuals are actively promoted and supported and their beliefs and preferences are appropriately acknowledged.

Contribute to an inclusive culture where employees and volunteers feel valued and included, regardless of their differences. Encourage open communication, respect for diverse perspectives, and a commitment to fairness and equity.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical

Provide planned care for individual patients with the support of the Senior Health Care Assistant

Role model the values of the hospice at all times and contribute to a positive team culture.

Achieve a relaxed and informal situation in which to enable the patient and their family/carers adequate time to discuss anxieties and problems.

Have the ability to monitor the patients condition and record findings accurately and report the patients condition and progress both verbally and in writing.

Recognise changes in patients conditions and take the appropriate action.

Assist the multi-disciplinary team with the manual handling, transfer and mobility of patients.

Support patients and carers to manage loss and change.

Assist in ensuring safe practices at all times in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act maintaining high standards of care for patients.

Promote health education with patients and their carers.

Participate in the multi-disciplinary team meeting including the planning, delivery and evaluation of patient care.

Maintain accurate electronic patient records

Report and record all accidents, incidents and complaints.

Work within the limits of own competence and responsibility and ask for help as necessary.

Personal Responsibilities

Light physical effort is required and sometimes moderate is needed, eg carrying equipment.

Maintain effective communications and good working relationships with professional colleagues, patients and relatives, staff, volunteers and work colleagues.

Participate in relevant internal meetings as requested.

Report and record all accidents and refer any incidents or complaints to the line manager.

Educational Responsibilities

Participate in the orientation and development of new volunteers.

To keep up-to-date on legal, health and safety and insurance requirements and developments to safe guard Weston Hospicecare, our volunteers and service users.

Undertake training to maintain current skills.

Keep up-to-date with statutory and mandatory or other in service training.

Keep up-to-date with current practice and legislation.

Maintain and extend personal knowledge and expertise in all aspects of the role and to share information.

Professional Responsibilities

Comply with the policies and procedures of Weston Hospicecare.

Maintain confidentiality.

Be familiar with fire, emergency and safety regulations, ensuring attendance as statutory updates.

Participate in the performance review process.

Maintain a smart, professional appearance at all times in line with hospice policy.

Maintain a responsible attitude toward economy and acre of equipment and other resources.

Health and Safety

Under the provision of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, it is the duty of every employee:

To take reasonable care of themselves and others at work

To co-operate with the hospice as far as is necessary to enable them to carry out their legal duty

Not to intentionally or recklessly interfere with anything provided, including personal, protective equipment for health and safety or welfare at work

Weston Hospicecare operates an In-house NO SMOKING policy for staff.

Data Protection

You are required to control and process data held on computer. This must be undertaken lawfully in compliance with the UKs GDPR and Data Protection Act. Breaches of confidentiality in relation to confidential, personal or sensitive data will result in disciplinary action, which may include dismissal.

Scope of the Job Description

This job description reflects the immediate requirements and objectives of this post. It is not an exhaustive list of the duties, but gives a general indication of work undertaken which may vary in detail in the light of changing demands and priorities. Substantive changes will be carried out in consultation with the post holder.

This job description is subject to periodic review and amendment.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• * Nationally recognised qualification/apprenticeship in health & social care at level 2 or above or the equivalent level of knowledge and skills gained through relevant experience matching the professional skills required within the job description.

Desirable

• * Qualification in palliative care

Experience

Essential

• * Two years experience of working in a care environment
• * Numeracy, literacy and IT skills at a functioning level
• * Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of palliative care
• * Ability to work as a team member in multi professional setting
• * Ability to prioritise own work
• * Ability to adapt skills to a palliative care setting
• * Personal sensitivity, ability to react to stress in others and to oneself
• * Empathetic approach with good interpersonal skills
• * Ability to take part in reflective practice and clinical supervision activities

Desirable

• * Experience of working with terminally ill/palliative care patients
• * Knowledge of the pressures that exist for patients & families who are living with a life limiting condition
• * Experience of working with distressed patients and their families & carers
• * Experience of working with volunteers

Communication and People Skills

Essential

• * Able to demonstrate clear & effective communication skills both written and verbal
• * Sensitive communication and listening skills
• * Ability to maintain a professional attitude
• * Able to work effectively as part of a team
• * Basic IT skills

Desirable

• * Experience of using an electronic patient record system

Organisational Skills

Essential

• * Work within own limitations and recognise when support is needed
• * Flexible, reliable and good timekeeping skills
• * Good organisational skills

Special Knowledge

Essential

• * Care Quality Commission Regulations
• * Data Protection

Desirable

• * Up to date knowledge of clinical aspects of palliative care
• * Statutory Requirements and Regulations

Other Requirements

Essential

• * Physical ability to use appropriate moving and handling techniques and equipment
• * Able to maintain high standards of care
• * Reliable
• * Physically and mentally resilient to deal with the demands of the role
• * Enthusiastic and passionate about working in palliative care
• * Respond actively and positively to change
• * Self-motivated
• * Ability to work flexibly to meet changing circumstances
• * Commitment to ongoing learning and development
• * Flexibility on working hours

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

Weston Hospicecare Limited

Address

Jackson-Barstow House

28 Thornbury Road

Weston-super-Mare

Somerset

BS23 4YQ

Employer's website

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