Job responsibilities
Job Title: Palliative Care Support Worker
Spinal Point Range: 5,6
(Plus, unsocial hours payments see below)
Hours: 22.5 hours per week
Department: Hospice Care Services
Location: St Michaels Hospice, Bartestree
Reports to: Hub Team Manager, Sister/Charge Nurse/ Senior Nurse (depending on setting)
Job Purpose: In and across all areas of St Michaels provision of Care. To deliver individualised, holistic palliative nursing care to patients and their families in their own homes/inpatient care setting to enhance their quality of life.
Care Provision
Provide individualised care to the patient and family members under the delegated direction of registered nurses, following care plans and risk assessment.
Following appropriate training to undertake a range of clinical care interventions e.g. stoma care.
Develop and utilise skills in decision-making to enhance patient care, working in an autonomous environment, where appropriate
Perform simple dressing changes following care plan
Contribute to clinical and health and safety risk assessments.
Using discretion and judgement in emergency situation.
Escalate changes in condition of patients/relatives to the nurse on duty.
Provide emotional/psychological support to the patient and their family, identifying referrals to the wider hospice services.
Ensure patients privacy and dignity are maintained at all times. Maintain a safe environment for both patients and staff
Provide final care for the deceased patient
Understand the complications/harm e.g. falls, pressure sores etc. that can be caused by patient immobility and contribute to the prevention of such complications.
Helping with food preparation, ensuring dietary needs are meet and helping to feed patients when indicated.
Provide medication management up to and including tier 3, working within your own personal competency
Be aware of the indications for use of syringe drivers
Responsible for the timely disposal and documentation of clinical waste and laundry, appropriate to care setting
Communication
Create and promote a positive image for the organisation.
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.
Communicate in a professional and effective manner, with an open and honest approach with internal and external health care professionals, patients, relatives and carers.
Recognise own limitations when offering emotional support.
Contribute to the bereavement care offered to families, reporting any vulnerabilities to the registered nurse.
Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
Promote awareness of child and adult protection issues and hospice policy.
Be a team player, following guidelines and policies.
Keep accurate records of the care provided.
Working inter-professionally within the organisation.
Provide volunteers with information to enable them to give appropriate care to patients and their visitors.
Encourage user feedback
Health and Safety
Act at all times to promote the safety and wellbeing of patients, relatives/carers, visitors and volunteers
Be aware of patients that are at risk e.g. of falling and ways to prevent falls.
Contribute to health and safety risk assessments and actions as required.
Follow the incident reporting process.
Follow policies of dress code to enable safe practice and ensure infection control is adhered too.
Ensure the environment is free from hazards and all nursing equipment is clean, in good working order, safety and appropriately used and stored
Safe storage and use of hazardous substances according to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations.
Report faulty equipment to the facilities team using the WAM system
Adhere to all of SMH policies and procedures
Education
Attend mandatory training and service training opportunities.
Develop and maintain own knowledge and skills in palliative care.
Undertake an appraisal and personal development review annually; considering aspirations for the future with a long-term goal; utilising education facilities offered at the hospice to enhance learning opportunities.
Act as a mentor and role model to new staff members.
Person Specification
1) Specialist Knowledge and Experience
Essential
Experience of delivering hands on care.
Experience of dealing with challenging situations
Basic IT skills
Dependant on care setting, be in possession of a full UK driving licence, be over 21 and have held a full licence for 12 months.
Desirable
Care Certificate
NVQ Level 3 in care or equivalent
Experience of delivering hands on care for people requiring palliative care
2) Skills and Behaviours
Team Working: Fits in with the team. Develops effective and supportive relationships with colleagues. Is considerate towards them and creates a sense of team spirit.
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.
Planning and organising: Organises own time effectively. Prioritises work load.
Communication: Speaks clearly, fluently and demonstrates active listening.
Reliability: Follows direction from supervisors and respect policies and procedures. Show 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.
3) Special Conditions
This post is conditional to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Requirement to work evenings, weekends and nights.
Dependant on care setting may be prepared to travel throughout county.
Unsocial hours payments:
Saturdays Payment at basic salary + 33.33%
Sundays Payment at basic salary + 66.66%
Bank Holidays Payment at basic salary + 66.66%
Nights Payment at basic salary + 33.33%
Our values
What matters to you is whats important to us
To ensure we deliver upon this every day, we empower people to work collaboratively to reach thebest possible decisions, realise them in thebest possible wayand at thebest possible time.
We value:
Knowledge, judgment, and kindness in reaching thebest possible decisions
Courage, integrity, and passion in realising those decisions in thebest possible way
Honesty, empathy, and determination in doing so at thebest possible time.
Living our values influencesthe way we behave. The way we behave informsthe way we do things. The way we do things isthe St Michaels way
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.
