Job summary
We have a very exciting opportunity to join the Upper GI Nursing team. The Macmillan support worker would be an integral part of the Cancer MDT Team and will provide a direct contact for patients and their families during the whole of the patient pathway including diagnostic, treatment, and aftercare phases of their journey.
The role will also support patients through the health and social care system enabling them to make choices that are best for their cancer and their life.
The post holder will be required provide administrative support to the Cancer Nurse Specialist and support the implementation of the Recovery Package including assisting with holistic needs assessments and treatment summaries and providing a single point of access, including rapid re-entry into the system for those people identified as having urgent or specialist needs
Whilst the post holder will be expected to be able to work autonomously, they will be closely supported and supervised by the CNS of that team.
The information and nature of the communication required is sensitive due to the nature of cancer. Communication in this context requires a high degree of empathy, understanding, diplomacy, honesty and integrity.
Candidates are required to present certificates for qualifications at interview stage.
Please note this vacancy may close earlier than the specified closing date if a high volume of suitable applications are received.
Main duties of the job
The Macmillan Support Worker role is an integral part of the Cancer MDT Team and will provide a direct contact for patients and their families during the whole of the patient pathway including diagnostic, treatment and aftercare phases of their journey.
The role will also support patients through the health and social care system enabling them to make choices that are best for their cancer and their life.
About us
Choose Well - Choose WWL
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values 'the WWL Way'.
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Key results from the job holder
- Triage incoming calls, using a risk assessment framework and initiate appropriate response according to protocols and individual pathways, using good communication skills, basic clinical awareness and appropriate tools and procedures, liaising as appropriate when non routine and refer complex decisions to the team for assessment and review.
- Provide basic telephone advice and refer on or sign-post to other sources of support
- Coordinate the necessary assessments, appointments or investigations to fast track people back into the system if required
- Demonstrate the ability to recognise and respond appropriately when faced with a sudden deterioration or an emergency situation, alerting the team or enabling rapid response as appropriate
- Organise the distribution of patient files and ensure patients receive the appropriate information leaflets and signposting support to the appropriate services.
- Guide people through the use of self-assessment resources
- Document and monitor all aspects of care coordination and service delivery, supporting data collection for audit
- Demonstrate in practice the Macmillan Human Rights Standard for Cancer Care
Planning and Organisational Duties
- Coordinate the care for a defined group of patients assessed by a registered practitioner as having level one care needs for supported self-management.
- Organise and prioritise the designated workload in relation to identified needs
- Contribute to the setting up of holistic needs assessments and the typing of the individual care plan and treatment summaries.
- Support the actions recommended from the care plan with the patient and carer, in line with standard operating procedures and protocols and modify as appropriate
- Evaluate outcomes of care delivery with the registered practitioner and coordinate and organise appointments and assessments and ensure all patients on the Supported Self-Management pathway receive their follow up bloods, CT scans etc.
- Make pre planned outbound telephone calls to patients to assess ongoing needs to enable a proactive prevention approach
- Identify indicators of need or changes in need through telephone contact and respond appropriately
- Coordinate the handover with other teams to facilitate safe and effective transition of care between services in order to provide seamless support for people
- Provide administrative support to the Patient Support Groups.
- Assist with the planning of Health and Well-being events.
- Act as advocate and facilitator to resolve issues that may be perceived as barriers to care.
Communications and Key Working Relationships
- Support people to access appropriate information and support, by sign-posting to a range of support services and take an approach which helps people to self-manage where appropriate
- Advise patients on individual self-care management principles and provide consistent planned aftercare to reinforce and further promote this information
- Support the delivery of patient and carer training and education, including use of equipment
- Encourage and support active and healthy lifestyle choices
- Support CNS to coach patients and carers to understand what signs, symptoms or situations to be aware of that would indicate concern
- Ensure that patients and carers know how to make contact when they feel that their condition or needs have changed, including what to do out of hours
- Coordinate remote surveillance and monitoring through appointments for investigations and feedback of results for non-complex cases
- Coordinate face to face appointments for those with complex results from remote surveillance and monitoring investigations
- Comment on proposed changes to policies and procedures
- Support and contribute to audit processes, governance, research, clinical research trials and service development
- Refer patients and carers to the appropriate people to ensure that they know how to safely use any equipment at home.
- Co-ordination with all members of the MDT team
- Liaison with Lead Cancer Nurse and Living with and Beyond Cancer Manager.
Responsibility for Finance
- Order supplies and equipment as needed by the team
Responsibility for Human Resources
- Demonstrate self-directed learning, actively seeking role development opportunities to enhance practice, knowledge and role progression
- Identify personal education needs and skills development with the registered practitioner
- Make sure that people affected by cancer are aware that they are interacting with a Macmillan professional andknow about the full range of resources and services available through Macmillan.
- Actively engage with Macmillan Cancer Support to contribute expertise and experience and support the Macmillan Corporate Strategy.
- Carry out some administration duties required by the role
- Understand that there will be frequent exposure to distressing/highly distressing situations and when to seek appropriate support/advice
- Demonstrate an awareness of the limits of own practice and knowledge and when to seek appropriate support/advice
Responsibility for Health & Safety
- Demonstrate an awareness of the limits of own practice and knowledge and when to seek appropriate support/advice
- Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Responsibility for Teaching
- Provide general supervision of less experienced staff and support to other new Macmillan Cancer Support Workers
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities
Key results from the job holder
- Triage incoming calls, using a risk assessment framework and initiate appropriate response according to protocols and individual pathways, using good communication skills, basic clinical awareness and appropriate tools and procedures, liaising as appropriate when non routine and refer complex decisions to the team for assessment and review.
- Provide basic telephone advice and refer on or sign-post to other sources of support
- Coordinate the necessary assessments, appointments or investigations to fast track people back into the system if required
- Demonstrate the ability to recognise and respond appropriately when faced with a sudden deterioration or an emergency situation, alerting the team or enabling rapid response as appropriate
- Organise the distribution of patient files and ensure patients receive the appropriate information leaflets and signposting support to the appropriate services.
- Guide people through the use of self-assessment resources
- Document and monitor all aspects of care coordination and service delivery, supporting data collection for audit
- Demonstrate in practice the Macmillan Human Rights Standard for Cancer Care
Planning and Organisational Duties
- Coordinate the care for a defined group of patients assessed by a registered practitioner as having level one care needs for supported self-management.
- Organise and prioritise the designated workload in relation to identified needs
- Contribute to the setting up of holistic needs assessments and the typing of the individual care plan and treatment summaries.
- Support the actions recommended from the care plan with the patient and carer, in line with standard operating procedures and protocols and modify as appropriate
- Evaluate outcomes of care delivery with the registered practitioner and coordinate and organise appointments and assessments and ensure all patients on the Supported Self-Management pathway receive their follow up bloods, CT scans etc.
- Make pre planned outbound telephone calls to patients to assess ongoing needs to enable a proactive prevention approach
- Identify indicators of need or changes in need through telephone contact and respond appropriately
- Coordinate the handover with other teams to facilitate safe and effective transition of care between services in order to provide seamless support for people
- Provide administrative support to the Patient Support Groups.
- Assist with the planning of Health and Well-being events.
- Act as advocate and facilitator to resolve issues that may be perceived as barriers to care.
Communications and Key Working Relationships
- Support people to access appropriate information and support, by sign-posting to a range of support services and take an approach which helps people to self-manage where appropriate
- Advise patients on individual self-care management principles and provide consistent planned aftercare to reinforce and further promote this information
- Support the delivery of patient and carer training and education, including use of equipment
- Encourage and support active and healthy lifestyle choices
- Support CNS to coach patients and carers to understand what signs, symptoms or situations to be aware of that would indicate concern
- Ensure that patients and carers know how to make contact when they feel that their condition or needs have changed, including what to do out of hours
- Coordinate remote surveillance and monitoring through appointments for investigations and feedback of results for non-complex cases
- Coordinate face to face appointments for those with complex results from remote surveillance and monitoring investigations
- Comment on proposed changes to policies and procedures
- Support and contribute to audit processes, governance, research, clinical research trials and service development
- Refer patients and carers to the appropriate people to ensure that they know how to safely use any equipment at home.
- Co-ordination with all members of the MDT team
- Liaison with Lead Cancer Nurse and Living with and Beyond Cancer Manager.
Responsibility for Finance
- Order supplies and equipment as needed by the team
Responsibility for Human Resources
- Demonstrate self-directed learning, actively seeking role development opportunities to enhance practice, knowledge and role progression
- Identify personal education needs and skills development with the registered practitioner
- Make sure that people affected by cancer are aware that they are interacting with a Macmillan professional andknow about the full range of resources and services available through Macmillan.
- Actively engage with Macmillan Cancer Support to contribute expertise and experience and support the Macmillan Corporate Strategy.
- Carry out some administration duties required by the role
- Understand that there will be frequent exposure to distressing/highly distressing situations and when to seek appropriate support/advice
- Demonstrate an awareness of the limits of own practice and knowledge and when to seek appropriate support/advice
Responsibility for Health & Safety
- Demonstrate an awareness of the limits of own practice and knowledge and when to seek appropriate support/advice
- Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions.
Responsibility for Teaching
- Provide general supervision of less experienced staff and support to other new Macmillan Cancer Support Workers
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 in health related subject (E.G. Health and Social Care/Diagnostics and Therapeutics
- Educated to 5 GCSE-Level level (or equivalent qualification) or relevant equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Relevant health or social care experience
- Experience of multi-professional working
- Experience in the use of data management
- Evidence of good communications skills
- Understanding of person-centred/holistic care
- Understanding of the health and social care environment
- Experience of coach/teaching patients and carers
Skills
Essential
- IT Skills
- Able to use own initiative
- Effective organisation skills
- Ability to communicate both verbally and non-verbally with people at all levels
- Good observation skills
- Ability to work within a team
- Ability to motivate self and others
- Flexible attitude to working
- Accurate written communication of information
- Ability to prioritise own workload
- Ability to ask sensitively about information needs
- Ability to retrieve information from a wide range of sources and in different formats
- Competent to a high-level using Microsoft Office packages
Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to deal with complex and difficult emotional situations
- Ability to show empathy and understand the difficulties faced by people affected by cancer
Additional
Essential
- Recognition of own limitations
- Demonstrates enthusiasm for the role
- Able to travel between sites
- Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ Level 3 in health related subject (E.G. Health and Social Care/Diagnostics and Therapeutics
- Educated to 5 GCSE-Level level (or equivalent qualification) or relevant equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Relevant health or social care experience
- Experience of multi-professional working
- Experience in the use of data management
- Evidence of good communications skills
- Understanding of person-centred/holistic care
- Understanding of the health and social care environment
- Experience of coach/teaching patients and carers
Skills
Essential
- IT Skills
- Able to use own initiative
- Effective organisation skills
- Ability to communicate both verbally and non-verbally with people at all levels
- Good observation skills
- Ability to work within a team
- Ability to motivate self and others
- Flexible attitude to working
- Accurate written communication of information
- Ability to prioritise own workload
- Ability to ask sensitively about information needs
- Ability to retrieve information from a wide range of sources and in different formats
- Competent to a high-level using Microsoft Office packages
Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to deal with complex and difficult emotional situations
- Ability to show empathy and understand the difficulties faced by people affected by cancer
Additional
Essential
- Recognition of own limitations
- Demonstrates enthusiasm for the role
- Able to travel between sites
- Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role, i.e. with confidence and accuracy, using correct sentence structures and vocabulary, and without hesitation
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name
Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Royal Albert Edward Infirmary
Wigan Road
Wigan
WN2 1NN
Employer's website
http://www.wwl.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
