Health Care Assistant, Hospice at Home

Saint Francis Hospice

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Job summary

Saint Francis Hospice is a dynamic, forward thinking organisation delivering specialist palliative care services in Havering, Brentwood, Barking & Dagenham and Redbridge. Our Hospice at Home Team is a Team of Nurses and Health Care Assistants who provide hands on nursing, support and care to patients and their carers in their own home. The Team supports individuals in their last few weeks of life to enable them to remain at home to die.

Main duties of the job

We are currently looking to recruit into our dedicated Hospice at Home Team. This is an excellent opportunity for Health Care Assistants with significant care/community experience who would like to work in end-of-life care.

If you are an avid and enthusiastic team worker, have excellent communication skills and are confident and able to work independently, unsupervised, and flexibly we would be delighted to hear from you. The post holder should have the ability to travel efficiently and effectively across various locations within the hospice catchment area and must have the ability to be insured for business use on their vehicle.

About us

We are a dynamic, forward thinking organisation delivering a full range of specialist palliative care services for patients with life limiting illness. We achieved Outstanding in our CQC inspection & have reconfigured our services to meet the changing needs of our local community. We support 5 Clinical Commissioning Groups & have a robust governance structure in place. We provide inpatient clinical services within a modern, personal & friendly 18-bedded unit, as well as Specialist Community Crisis Support Service, Hospice at Home Service & Specialist Day Therapy Service. We also have the hospice Pepperell Education Centre that has an excellent reputation for delivering high quality education programmes and study days.

All communication regarding your application including invitations to interviews will be sent to the email address you have stated on your application form, if you could also provide a contact telephone number as well. Please ensure that you provide contact business email addresses for your referees, one of which must be your current or most recent employer.

Please note that we are a charity & not part of an NHS Trust & we are situated in a quiet location in the village of Havering-atte-Bower, outskirts of Romford, therefore please consider our location when applying.

We are not a Licensed Sponsor & therefore are unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not have the Right to Work in the UK.

Date posted

30 January 2024

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£21,619 to £24,046 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

B0483-079

Job locations

St. Francis Hospice

Broxhill Road

Havering-atte-bower

Romford

RM4 1QH

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

To provide appropriate physical, emotional and spiritual care in agreement with the individual and family enabling them to continue to provide nursing care for the individual if that is their wish

To introduce the hospice services and the ethos of hospice care in the home environment

To provide care for named individuals with palliative care needs in their own homes in accordance with the individuals care plan as defined by the District Nurse.

To work under the direction of the Hospice at Home Team Lead and in close coordination with senior staff nurses within team as well as external professionals involved in individual care

Communicates with individuals, carers and health professionals in a professional manner

To provide physical care complying with moving & handling policy and continually perform risk assessment in the persons home

To teach, empower and enable families to care for the individual

Communicate effectively and appropriately with individuals and carers and liaise with other professionals involved in their care, all working cohesively regarding any clinical decision making to ensure consistent high standard of care for individual at home.

Recognises changes in palliative care symptoms and conditions and notifies other health care professionals as necessary

Supports individuals with the self-administration of prescribed oral medication where the person is self-medicating and no carer available.

Undertakes regular monitoring of syringe driver function whilst caring for a patient and undertakes first line troubleshooting when problems occur.

To monitor the persons condition and to record all observations accurately using remote technology and Icare.

To make accurate notes in last days of care plan if commenced.

Ensures individual records and verbal feedback to the team are maintained appropriately, accurately and that all documentation is kept up to date using the remote Icare.

To have an understanding of the role of other professionals involved in the persons care and ensure full communications maintained at all times between all relevant parties.

To be aware of the function and use of equipment commonly used in the care of palliative care individuals.

Cares for the body after death and supports family members/carers after death.

Undertakes delegated clinical tasks and procedures linked to Saint Francis Hospice competencies for HCAs which are specific to the immediate care environment.

Participates in audits, surveys or other clinical governance activities as requested by service lead

To be aware of team dynamic and to be willing to work as part of a team

To be able to have a flexible approach to working as part of a rota and ensure follow Lone working policy guidance

To have an understanding and awareness of behaviours and interpersonal skills that are vital to effective team working and practice them at all times.

Use opportunities to increase skill set and encourage development of HCA role e.g. use of iCare, Deputising Coordinator role for service allocation as required, and referral to Marie Curie/internal hospice Services.

Participate and contribute to hospice Widening Access groups and Service Improvement Groups as appropriate

Responsible to use opportunities to increase use and skills with IT with use of iCare, and email as appropriate.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To take responsibility for own professional and personal development which will be monitored in supervision sessions and in a yearly appraisal.

To adhere to the policies and conditions of service of Saint Francis Hospice relating to sickness and absence, conduct, Health and Safety, Data Protection and any others that are relevant.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensure that computerised data is managed with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

To report any accidents/incidents/near misses or potential hazards and to work in accordance with the hospices Health and Safety at Work Policy.

The hospice is a designated no smoking area, a policy which must be observed by the post holder.

Some information received or supplied during the course of duty will be of a confidential nature confidentiality is not to be breached and is a disciplinary matter.