St Michael’s Hospice

Healthcare Assistant

This job is now closed

Job summary

You will be part of a large multidisciplinary team providing high quality, individualised, hands on palliative care to our patients. As a Health Care Assistant, you will be able to provide the best possible care for our patients and you will provide support to our nursing team. The position will cover a range of shifts, both day and night duty over a seven-day period. The role of the Health Care Assistant is to ensure that St Michael's are able to continue to deliver high quality palliative care and support to our patients and their families. This role requires effective communication, and the ability to establish supportive and working relationships with our patients and families as well as our Multidisciplinary team. This post is conditional to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Main duties of the job

Provide personal care (e.g., washing, emotional support) following care plans. Assist with meal choices and feeding, ensuring dietary needs are met. Monitor and report patient conditions, and contribute to adjusting care plans. Maintain a safe, respectful, and comfortable environment for patients. Perform clinical tasks like simple dressing changes, observations, and checking prescriptions. Support the team with patient care, documentation, and report changes to the nurse in charge. Promote health and safety for patients, visitors, and staff. Assist with the care of deceased patients and help with bereavement care.

About us

Based in the beautiful village of Bartestree, approximately 5 miles east of Hereford city, St Michaels Hospice has been providing the highest quality care, free of charge, to the local community for nearly 40 years. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, a transferrable NHS pension or you can enrol onto our own Hospice pension. We have a Life Assurance and we offer a superb working environment and facilities, generous study leave allowance, discounts with local suppliers, individualised training needs analysis, advanced communication skills training, employee counselling service, free on-site parking, competitively priced meals and beverages, free tea, coffee and chilled water, friendly, welcoming work environment, 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays.

Date posted

11 February 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£23,464 a year Enhanced pay for Evenings/Weekends/Bank Holidays

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

B0210-25-0000

Job locations

Bartestree

Hereford

HR1 4HA

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Health Care Assistant

Hours: Various Full and Part Time positions available

Department: Patient Services

Location: St Michaels Hospice, Bartestree

Reports to: Ward Sister/Charge Nurse/Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Job Purpose: To provide high quality, individualised, palliative nursing care to patients, using a rehabilitative approach, in order to enable people to live fully until they die.

Responsibility Areas:

Care Provision

To provide personal care e.g. washing and emotional support independently under the delegated direction and supervision of registered nurses, following care plans and care guidelines.

Help patients with their meal choices and feeding ensuring dietary needs are met.

Report and escalate changes in condition noticed in patients and work with the multidisciplinary team to adapt care plans appropriately.

Provide a comfortable, safe and welcoming environment for patients, ensuring that privacy and dignity are maintained at all times.

Observe and monitor elimination and record appropriately, perform urinalysis and record and report findings.

Perform simple dressing changes following the care plan.

Perform clinical observations/practices, and ensure accurate recording of these.

Check drug prescription and dosage with the registered nurse.

Be aware of the indications for use of syringe drivers.

Understand the complications/harm e.g. falls, pressure sores that can be caused by patient immobility and contribute to the prevention of such complications.

Responsible for the timely disposal and documentation of clinical waste and laundry.

Care for the deceased patient by administering last offices.

Communication

Establish and maintain effective communication and working relationships with the Multidisciplinary Team.

Encourage patients/relatives/carers to express what is important to them to identify their needs, ensure that this information is recorded and informs the care plan.

Recognise own limitations when offering emotional support, referring to the registered nurse as appropriate.

Contribute to the bereavement care offered to families, reporting any vulnerabilities to the registered nurse.

To maintain confidentiality at all times adhering to hospice policy.

Keep accurate records of the care provided, countersigned by a registered nurse, in relevant clinical IT systems where relevant.

Provide reports to the nurse in charge following care provision ensuring information is shared across multi professional team in a timely manner.

Promote awareness of child and adult protection issues and hospice policy.

Provide volunteers with information to enable them to give appropriate care to patients and their visitors.

Encourage user feedback.

Follow the clinical incident reporting process.

Health and Safety

Act at all times to promote the safety and wellbeing of patients, visitors and volunteers.

Ensure the environment is free from hazards and all nursing equipment is clean, in good working order, safely and appropriately used and stored.

Safe storage and use of hazardous substances according to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations.

Contribute to health and safety risk assessments and actions as required.

Checking building to ensure environment is clean and tidy.

Education

Attend mandatory training and in service training opportunities.

Develop and maintain own knowledge and skills in palliative care.

Act as a mentor and role model to new staff members.

Person Specification

A) Specialist Knowledge and Experience

Essential

Some experience of caring

Basic IT skills

Desirable

Care Certificate

NVQ Level 3 in Care

Experience of working with people requiring palliative care.

B) Skills and Behaviours

Patient Focus: Puts the patient first, works hard to meet their needs and look after their interests.

Relating to others Quickly builds rapport and easily establishes relationships. Relates well to different types of people, listens and gets on with them.

Organisation: Organises own time effectively. Prioritises workload.

Communication: Speaks clearly, fluently and demonstrates active listening.

Reliability: Follows directions from supervisors and respects policies and procedures. Shows commitment to the organisation and task completion.

Resilient: Remains calm and self-controlled under pressure. Reacts well to change and stays positive despite setbacks. Keeps difficulties in perspective.

Our values

Respect, dignity and the privacy of our patients and families always come first

Compassion and respect towards each other

People are at the heart of everything we do

Transparency and candour

Collaborative working and a common-sense approach

Equal Opportunities Statement

At St Michaels Hospice we are committed to an equal opportunities approach in everything we do. This means that we seek to ensure anyone connected with St Michaels, from patients and families through to donors, supporters, volunteers and staff are treated fairly, appropriately and with dignity and respect.