Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Management and Leadership
Contribute to the Development of Team Learning and support implementation of new systems for measuring quality and Audit.
Work collaboratively, contributing to the development of other services provided by the Hospice.
Assist the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker to ensure the Services provided are profound, recognising different cultural approaches towards life, death and bereavement needs.
Participate in the Hospice appraisal system setting realistic objectives to maintain a personal professional profile and demonstrate a high level of specialist practice.
Patient and Family
To be proactive assisting the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker in triaging and responding to appropriate incoming referrals from the In-patient Unit, Living Well Centres/Day Hospice, and the Hospice Clinical Nurse Specialists and other agencies.
Support patients and their families to deal with the impact of whats happening to them, loss, and bereavement and to have a good life and a good death.
To assess and review the psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual needs of our patients, their carers and relatives which will contribute towards a holistic assessment within the multi-professional team with a recognition of the diversity, values and human rights that may influence the decisions of people who use the service.
To work in partnership with patients and carers requiring specialist palliative or end of life care to identify and respond to changing psychosocial needs. Provide practical and emotional support.
To assist the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker, working with patients and their families using one to one, group and family techniques and involving other members of the multi-professional team as appropriate.
Facilitate discussions that resolve chaos and conflict and negotiate solutions to disputes about how people will live.
Assist the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker to implement appropriate strategies to enable the patient, family, and carers to adjust to new and changing situations. Consider and co-develop alternative ways of meeting peoples needs who choose not to take up existing services.
To provide written assessment reports and negotiate health and social care packages, including nursing home placements.
To advocacy services regarding welfare benefits.
To assess the bereavement needs of family members and others close to the patient.
To use effective interpersonal skills to communicate sensitive information where agreement and cooperation is required and where there may be barriers to understanding such as vulnerable and at-risk patients.
To advocate for and ensure that the holistic needs of patients and families are identified and met.
To work independently in community settings, and assess, manage, and document clinical risk.
To undertake holistic assessment of patients and families to ensure that needs are met and support complex discharge.
Multidisciplinary Team
Assist the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker to provide consultations to other disciplines on psychosocial aspects of care, particularly issues related to Mental Capacity and Safeguarding.
Work closely with the multidisciplinary team to plan patient and family care and provide psychosocial intervention.
To maintain knowledge of local community services and to liaise with community agencies on behalf of patients and their families / carers.
To participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings, discharge planning meetings and case review meetings.
To have open and honest conversations with the wider team as well as with patients and families to ensure a person-centred approach.
To be a resource for wider team, patients and families regarding wider social care policy and expertise.
To implement effective communication and referral processes and enable effective multi-professional and multi-agency working to support the smooth transition of patients between services.
To attend meetings between healthcare professionals and patients and families around discharge planning and ongoing support.
To actively contribute to the Patient Services clinical governance framework through participation in education, development, research, and audit initiatives.
Operational
To ensure patient and service records are recorded and maintained in accordance with the Birmingham Hospice Operational and Practice Guidelines.
To support the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker to develop and embed social work as an integral part of the in-patient and community teams to provide expert psychological support to patients and their families referral to appropriate hospice services when needed.
To build relationships with wider social care, health, and voluntary organisations to ensure patients and familys needs are met.
To develop and strengthen relations with Local Authority Teams and other organisations through attendance at meetings, training events and joint working, seeking always to promote the interests and rights of patients, families, and carers.
Identify opportunities for teaching and training opportunities at Birmingham Hospice. Supporting the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker to educate and deliver training and support to others which will include psychosocial aspects of care and support, MCA, DoLS and Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), Safeguarding and Best Interest decisions.
Adhere to Birmingham Hospice policies and social work professional standards.
Service Improvement
To support the Band 7 Palliative Care Social Worker to contribute to and participate in development of new initiatives in Palliative Care Social Work in line with team specific and organisational priorities.
To be willing to develop and trial new ways of working to ensure best outcomes for patients and families. Planning and evaluation on practice.
Identify opportunities for audit and research, innovation and quality improvement and take an active role in working with others to deliver improvement programmes and be committed to improving services.
Professional
To reflect on practice and performance formally and informally with the Palliative Care Social Worker Team.
To know own limitations and where to access support and guidance.
Continue to develop the emotional intelligence essential to undertake the role.
To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work and to engage in professional self-development.
To adhere to the Social Work England Code of Conduct and comply with local and national standards of practice.
To effectively utilise clinical supervision.
To develop personal and professional skills and knowledge relevant to palliative care social work.
To update and develop knowledge of statutory and legislative changes which impact on the lives of patients, their carer(s) and family.
- To always act as a role model and ambassador for the Birmingham Hospice
General Duties
Confidentiality
All employees are required to uphold the confidentiality of all information records in whatever format, encountered in the course of employment and after it.
- All employees are bound by the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations when, in the course of their employment, they deal with information records relating to individuals.
Equality and Diversity
The Hospice is committed to promoting an environment that values diversity. All staff are responsible for ensuring that they treat individuals equally and fairly and do not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The Hospice expects all staff to behave in a way which recognises and respects diversity in line with the appropriate standards.
Health and Safety
- All employees have a responsibility under the terms of the Health and Safety at Work Act1974 to protect and promote their own health and that of others in the workplace
- All employees must comply with all Hospice Health and Safety Procedures
Infection Control
The prevention and control of infection is the responsibility of everyone who is employed by the Hospice. Employees must be aware of infection control policies, procedures and the importance of protecting themselves and their clients in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Information Governance
- All employees are responsible for ensuring they undertake any training relating to information governance, read the Hospices policies, procedures and guidance documents relating to information governance, and understanding how this affects them in their role.
Professional Development
- All employees must participate in an annual appraisal and develop a personal development plan with their Line Manager
- All employees are responsible for maintaining their statutory and mandatory training.
Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
The Hospice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All employees and volunteers are therefore expected to behave in such a way that supports this commitment.
The job description is not exhaustive and may be amended following appropriate consultation in the light of business needs
