Job summary
Were looking for a compassionate and motivated Living Well Assistant to join our dedicated Wellbeing Services team at Dougie Mac Hospice. This is a rewarding, hands-on role supporting patients and carers to live as well as they can, for as long as they can.
As a key member of the Living Well team, youll help deliver high-quality, person-centred care that focuses on physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. Youll work closely with nurses, therapists, volunteers and other professionals to provide meaningful support from personal care and practical help to running group sessions that promote confidence, independence and wellbeing.
If youre caring, reliable and passionate about making a difference, wed love to hear from you. This role offers variety, purpose, and the opportunity to be part of a values-led team making a genuine impact in peoples lives every day.
Main duties of the job
As a Living Well Assistant, you will:
Provide personal and emotional care to patients accessing the Living Well service.
Support with daily living activities, mobility and comfort, maintaining dignity and compassion at all times.
Assist in the planning and delivery of group sessions and wellbeing workshops for patients and carers.
Carry an independent caseload, completing holistic assessments and ongoing reviews.
Work collaboratively with the wider Wellbeing Services team and contribute to multidisciplinary meetings.
Support volunteers and students involved in Living Well activities, ensuring sessions run smoothly and safely.
Record and maintain accurate documentation in line with hospice policies.
Promote self-management approaches that empower patients and carers to maintain their quality of life.
This is a varied and fulfilling role that combines direct care with wellbeing support, helping each person achieve what matters most to them.
About us
Dougie Mac provides compassionate care and support for adults, young adults, and children with life-limiting conditions across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. As a values-driven organisation, we strive to deliver high-quality, person-led, and inclusive care across our inpatient, community, and supportive care services. Following our merger with Approach Dementia Support and expansion into children and young adult services, Dougie Mac now supports more people than ever before across all age groups and diagnoses.
Our team is made up of dedicated, skilled professionals who are committed to delivering responsive and meaningful care in line with our hospice values. We offer a collaborative working environment with access to professional development, reflective practice, and staff wellbeing support.
Dougie Mac is proud to be a financially independent local charity, offering a competitive salary and benefits package including generous annual leave, contributory pension scheme, funded study opportunities, hospice-paid healthcare cash plan, and free on-site parking.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Principal Duties & Responsibilities:
1.Champion self-management approaches that enable patients/carers to develop their coping skills, self-care and optimise their quality of life.
2.To work in an autonomous manner, being responsible for managing and prioritising own workload while having recourse to other professionals for guidance. This may involve initiating and implementing a range of activities at any one time, some of which will be complex and entail liaising with other professionals.
3.Provide and receive enquiries/telephone calls; respond appropriately with empathy, understanding and redirecting/ signposting as necessary.
4.Ensure the effective initial living well assessments of service referrals to establish the suitability and scope of the service required.
5.To carry an independent caseload of clients and deliver appropriate holistic support based on their assessment, with regular review, monitoring and feedback.
6.Responsible for the retention and maintenance of comprehensive records, relating to own work, and coordination of work to Wellbeing Services Volunteers.
7.To engage and collaborate with the Wellbeing Services teams, wider hospice and external stakeholders to achieve the best possible continuity of care and support.
8.To contribute to the development, review and monitoring of the teams operational policies and services by identifying service gaps, developing and facilitating well-led living well group programmes to improve service delivery and feedback as appropriate.
9.Facilitate wellbeing centre programmes, development of workshops and develop more structed weeks into current delivery model.
10.Support the discharge pathway and identify appropriate signposting to community-based provision for the purpose of signposting and consultative as part of the discharge process.
11.To participate in bi-monthly training and peer support wellbeing services volunteer meetings as necessary in collaboration with the Team Leader. Working with other team members to identify volunteer opportunities and effectively engage and support volunteers across wellbeing services.
12.Participate and contribute in multi professional meetings, acting as the patients/carers advocate and representing the team.
13.Working with the team members to identify opportunities for and effectively engage and support volunteers across wellbeing services.
14.Contribute to the review and quality improvement activities to ensure continuous service improvement.
15.To work with pre- and post-bereavement hospice/community groups.
16.To ensure personal compliance with hospice compulsory training requirements.
17.To participate in regular team meetings and peer support from other senior professional colleagues.
18.To participate in regular appraisals with the Team Leader, including the operation of a Personal Development Plan.
19.To undertake CPD activities as are required to maintain and enhance skills necessary for the delivery of high-quality services and participate in the Hospices training programmes as required.
20.To act at all times in a professional manner, respecting the needs of colleagues and co-operating to maintain a harmonious working environment.
21.To recognise and manage the potentially distressing effects of working with progressive illnesses, maintaining personal resilience while accessing the support, guidance, and resources available through the hospice.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Principal Duties & Responsibilities:
1.Champion self-management approaches that enable patients/carers to develop their coping skills, self-care and optimise their quality of life.
2.To work in an autonomous manner, being responsible for managing and prioritising own workload while having recourse to other professionals for guidance. This may involve initiating and implementing a range of activities at any one time, some of which will be complex and entail liaising with other professionals.
3.Provide and receive enquiries/telephone calls; respond appropriately with empathy, understanding and redirecting/ signposting as necessary.
4.Ensure the effective initial living well assessments of service referrals to establish the suitability and scope of the service required.
5.To carry an independent caseload of clients and deliver appropriate holistic support based on their assessment, with regular review, monitoring and feedback.
6.Responsible for the retention and maintenance of comprehensive records, relating to own work, and coordination of work to Wellbeing Services Volunteers.
7.To engage and collaborate with the Wellbeing Services teams, wider hospice and external stakeholders to achieve the best possible continuity of care and support.
8.To contribute to the development, review and monitoring of the teams operational policies and services by identifying service gaps, developing and facilitating well-led living well group programmes to improve service delivery and feedback as appropriate.
9.Facilitate wellbeing centre programmes, development of workshops and develop more structed weeks into current delivery model.
10.Support the discharge pathway and identify appropriate signposting to community-based provision for the purpose of signposting and consultative as part of the discharge process.
11.To participate in bi-monthly training and peer support wellbeing services volunteer meetings as necessary in collaboration with the Team Leader. Working with other team members to identify volunteer opportunities and effectively engage and support volunteers across wellbeing services.
12.Participate and contribute in multi professional meetings, acting as the patients/carers advocate and representing the team.
13.Working with the team members to identify opportunities for and effectively engage and support volunteers across wellbeing services.
14.Contribute to the review and quality improvement activities to ensure continuous service improvement.
15.To work with pre- and post-bereavement hospice/community groups.
16.To ensure personal compliance with hospice compulsory training requirements.
17.To participate in regular team meetings and peer support from other senior professional colleagues.
18.To participate in regular appraisals with the Team Leader, including the operation of a Personal Development Plan.
19.To undertake CPD activities as are required to maintain and enhance skills necessary for the delivery of high-quality services and participate in the Hospices training programmes as required.
20.To act at all times in a professional manner, respecting the needs of colleagues and co-operating to maintain a harmonious working environment.
21.To recognise and manage the potentially distressing effects of working with progressive illnesses, maintaining personal resilience while accessing the support, guidance, and resources available through the hospice.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent (A)
- Ability to travel independently throughout the locality with access to suitable vehicle for business purposes (A)
Desirable
- NVQ level 3 or higher in Health and Social Care or equivalent (A)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of identifying patient / carers needs (A / I)
- Experience of social care and/or emotional supportive services (A / I)
- Experience of supporting patients and their families to meet their social, practical and emotional needs (I)
- Experience of working as an advocate for patients and their families (I)
- Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team (I)
Desirable
- Experience of providing social care and support to people with palliative/end of life care needs (I)
- Experience of supporting people with grief and loss (I)
- Support with memory work (I)
- Working in a Palliative Care Multidisciplinary Team setting (A / I)
- Working with bereaved adults and children Working with children and families (A / I)
- Knowledge of benefit system (A / I)
- Experience in Triaging referrals (A / I)
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Ability to manage and prioritise allocated caseload (I)
- Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills (A / I)
- Good organisational skills (I)
- Knowledge of current care, support and safeguarding policy & practice A / I)
- Understand the emotional, physical and financial impacts of illness, disability, and bereavement on individuals and their families (I)
- Ability to use and create electronic records and other digital systems (A/I)
- Tact and diplomacy in dealing with a variety of situations (I)
- Ability to work effectively with your team and other professionals (A / I)
- To be able to meet the requirements of the post
- Flexible working to meet shift requirements
- Present a professional appearance appropriate to the role
Desirable
- Knowledge and ability to provide consultation and training to other professionals (A / I)
- Leading and supporting group sessions (I)
- To be skilled in working with anxious and distressed patients and families (I)
- Ability to work with people affected by a life limiting illness or bereavement and the emotional impact this has (I)
- Self-aware with critical reflective ability, flexible and adaptable to variety of tasks within the role (A / I)
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent (A)
- Ability to travel independently throughout the locality with access to suitable vehicle for business purposes (A)
Desirable
- NVQ level 3 or higher in Health and Social Care or equivalent (A)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of identifying patient / carers needs (A / I)
- Experience of social care and/or emotional supportive services (A / I)
- Experience of supporting patients and their families to meet their social, practical and emotional needs (I)
- Experience of working as an advocate for patients and their families (I)
- Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team (I)
Desirable
- Experience of providing social care and support to people with palliative/end of life care needs (I)
- Experience of supporting people with grief and loss (I)
- Support with memory work (I)
- Working in a Palliative Care Multidisciplinary Team setting (A / I)
- Working with bereaved adults and children Working with children and families (A / I)
- Knowledge of benefit system (A / I)
- Experience in Triaging referrals (A / I)
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Ability to manage and prioritise allocated caseload (I)
- Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills (A / I)
- Good organisational skills (I)
- Knowledge of current care, support and safeguarding policy & practice A / I)
- Understand the emotional, physical and financial impacts of illness, disability, and bereavement on individuals and their families (I)
- Ability to use and create electronic records and other digital systems (A/I)
- Tact and diplomacy in dealing with a variety of situations (I)
- Ability to work effectively with your team and other professionals (A / I)
- To be able to meet the requirements of the post
- Flexible working to meet shift requirements
- Present a professional appearance appropriate to the role
Desirable
- Knowledge and ability to provide consultation and training to other professionals (A / I)
- Leading and supporting group sessions (I)
- To be skilled in working with anxious and distressed patients and families (I)
- Ability to work with people affected by a life limiting illness or bereavement and the emotional impact this has (I)
- Self-aware with critical reflective ability, flexible and adaptable to variety of tasks within the role (A / I)
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.
