Job summary
Healthcare Assistant / Twilight Healthcare Assistant - Inpatient Unit
-
Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week) - Part time (22.5 hours per week) - Part time (24.5 hours per week) Please state your full or part time hours preference in your application.
- Location: Watford Peace Hospice
- Salary: £24,937 per annum (pro rata)
- Closing date: 20 April 2026 at 12 noon
- Interview date: TBC
These roles are to support the Inpatient Unit and is required over a 7-day period. You will need to support the effective management of out of hours calls for our community services.
Main duties of the job
You will therefore need to demonstrate your abilities in the following areas:
-
Proactively contribute to the delivery of high-quality safe evidence-based care.
- Deliver high quality specialist palliative and end of life care as part of the Inpatient Unit multidisciplinary team.
- Under the direction of a multi skilled team, support the assessment, planning, and evaluation of individualised patient centred care, ensuring a holistic approach that is sensitive and responsive to the patients' ever-changing needs.
- To support the smooth running of a shift, ensuring staff and patients are safe.
- To support the management of calls (call handling service) for all our community services.
- As a member of the wider organisation, demonstrate delivery of the agreed vision and values.
About us
At Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, our unique care provides a lifeline of compassion and support to
patients, carers, and families facing progressive life-limiting illness.
We provide palliative and end of life care support, including bereavement services, within
Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire and our patient services are available to adults, as well as patients
transitioning into adult services (16 to 25 years.) Bereavement support is offered for all ages to families of
patients and those around them, as well as throughout the community, in schools and workplaces.
We are proud to offer care in the place that best suits the individuals needs, whether that's at home, in a
care home, in a short stay in our inpatient unit, out in the community, or in our purpose-built Living Well
Centre facilities. As a hospice care charity, we have offered this support, free of charge, for over 40 years.
Our staff team of 340+ includes a wide range of patient-facing disciplines plus operational support based
in Watford, Tring, St Albans, Chalfont St Giles and Berkhamsted. The Charity is now one of the larger UK
hospice charities, reaching a GP population of 797,037 of whom 75% live in Hertfordshire and 25% in
Buckinghamshire.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide care that meets the holistic needs of individual patients and their carers/families,
including physical, emotional, spiritual, practical and if appropriate, pre- and post- bereavement
needs.
- To work in accordance with the individual patients care plans, observing and promptly reporting any
identified patient or family needs.
- Under the direction of the Registered Nurse participate in the assessment, admission, discharge and
handover of patients.
- Under the direction of the registered nurse, provide general nursing care to allocated patients. This
includes bathing, toileting, personal hygiene (i.e. eye, mouth, nail care) and basic observations.
- Under the direction and observation of the registered nurse, and following training and achievement
of Rennie Grove and Peace Hospice Care agreed competency frame work, undertake delegated and
agreed extended HCA roles.
- Adherence to and updating individualised care plans and ensure that any change relating directly or
indirectly to the patients care or wellbeing is promptly and accurately reported to the Staff Nurse or
nurse in charge.
- To actively welcome all visitors, especially new patients and their carers, ensuring they are greeted
on arrival and informed of the general facilities, unit layout and the various services and information
available.
- To follow agreed guidance when receiving out of hours calls from patients or their carer, ensuring
appropriate communication is used and documented as per agreed guidance.
- To demonstrate good communication skills, ensuring quality time is spent being / sitting with the
patients and ensuring they are treated with courtesy and respect at all times.
- Ensure privacy, dignity
and confidentiality for patients and relatives in line with PHC policies and procedures.
- Depending on the patient's general wellbeing and dependency needs, assist the rehabilitation and
wellbeing team to provide therapeutic and diversion activities to individual patients.
- Under direct supervision from the registered nurse ensure individual patients nutritional and
hydration needs are met, including offers of regular nutrition and hydration with support from IPU
volunteers.
- Follow all agreed policies for manual handling, infection control and health and safety, ensuring a
safe environment for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors visiting the service.
- Alongside the registered nurse, provide volunteers with their daily brief on the patients and which
duties and activities are required to be undertaken for their session.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide care that meets the holistic needs of individual patients and their carers/families,
including physical, emotional, spiritual, practical and if appropriate, pre- and post- bereavement
needs.
- To work in accordance with the individual patients care plans, observing and promptly reporting any
identified patient or family needs.
- Under the direction of the Registered Nurse participate in the assessment, admission, discharge and
handover of patients.
- Under the direction of the registered nurse, provide general nursing care to allocated patients. This
includes bathing, toileting, personal hygiene (i.e. eye, mouth, nail care) and basic observations.
- Under the direction and observation of the registered nurse, and following training and achievement
of Rennie Grove and Peace Hospice Care agreed competency frame work, undertake delegated and
agreed extended HCA roles.
- Adherence to and updating individualised care plans and ensure that any change relating directly or
indirectly to the patients care or wellbeing is promptly and accurately reported to the Staff Nurse or
nurse in charge.
- To actively welcome all visitors, especially new patients and their carers, ensuring they are greeted
on arrival and informed of the general facilities, unit layout and the various services and information
available.
- To follow agreed guidance when receiving out of hours calls from patients or their carer, ensuring
appropriate communication is used and documented as per agreed guidance.
- To demonstrate good communication skills, ensuring quality time is spent being / sitting with the
patients and ensuring they are treated with courtesy and respect at all times.
- Ensure privacy, dignity
and confidentiality for patients and relatives in line with PHC policies and procedures.
- Depending on the patient's general wellbeing and dependency needs, assist the rehabilitation and
wellbeing team to provide therapeutic and diversion activities to individual patients.
- Under direct supervision from the registered nurse ensure individual patients nutritional and
hydration needs are met, including offers of regular nutrition and hydration with support from IPU
volunteers.
- Follow all agreed policies for manual handling, infection control and health and safety, ensuring a
safe environment for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors visiting the service.
- Alongside the registered nurse, provide volunteers with their daily brief on the patients and which
duties and activities are required to be undertaken for their session.
Person Specification
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Care certificate/NVQ qualified level 2 or evidence of working at equivalent or apprenticeship standard
- in health or social care.
- Previous experience in a health / social care work setting.
- IT experience and willingness to input into an electronic record system following induction training.
- Willing to undertake direction and delegated duties reporting concerns.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective communications at all times.
- An understanding of the importance of Safeguarding adults.
- Sensitivity and understanding to the needs of your team and customers, many of whom may have
- experienced Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care services or be bereaved.
Desirable
- Experience of supporting palliative / EOLC patients and their families.
- An understanding of palliative and hospice care.
Person Specification
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Care certificate/NVQ qualified level 2 or evidence of working at equivalent or apprenticeship standard
- in health or social care.
- Previous experience in a health / social care work setting.
- IT experience and willingness to input into an electronic record system following induction training.
- Willing to undertake direction and delegated duties reporting concerns.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective communications at all times.
- An understanding of the importance of Safeguarding adults.
- Sensitivity and understanding to the needs of your team and customers, many of whom may have
- experienced Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care services or be bereaved.
Desirable
- Experience of supporting palliative / EOLC patients and their families.
- An understanding of palliative and hospice care.
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.
