Job Description

Health Care Assistant Community
St Leonards
£29, 500–£32, 500 a year
Full–time
PCD310049

We are looking for a Health Care Assistant to join our evolving community team who is passionate about palliative care and have transferable skills and experience. You will be able to build a natural and trusted rapport with patients and families and provide compassionate care and support to those who need it most through home visits and telephone advice and support.

Our ideal candidate has excellent communication skills, sound judgement, and a real commitment to patient-centered interdisciplinary team working. You will be able to openly and honestly support people with sensitive topics including loss, grief and dying.

While palliative care experience is desirable, it is not essential to join our Hospice team as a Health Care Assistant.
Main duties of the job

Person Specification

Experience

Skills & Knowledge

Qualifications

Qualifications

2. 24 Take responsibility for continuing
professional development, participating in Education and Training opportunities.

At St Michaels Hospice, we are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive work environment for our employees. We offer a range of benefits to ensure that our employees feel valued and supported, including:
• A good pension scheme with the option to continue any existing the organisation pension scheme membership
• Benenden Health membership
• Up to 33 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Subsidised employee meals and free refreshments
• Free parking
• Supportive supervision and a proactive Education Department to support with your continued professional development including preceptorship if you are newly qualified
• Access to the employee discount card scheme and its discounts

Job responsibilities

Clinical care

2. 1 Recognise and work within role limitations and personal competencies,
informing registered professionals of any issues and seek support where needed.

2. 2 Enable patients with activities of daily living with
attention to their personal priorities, preferences
and goals.

2. 3 Enable delivery of personalised plans of care, considering
the physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs
of the patient and those important to them.

2. 4 Contribute to assessment of patients and carers needs using
best practice tools and outcome measures.

2. 5 Practice a rehabilitative approach to palliative care to enable
patients to be as independent as possible and participate in meaningful
activities that enhance their quality of life.

2. 6 Provide dignified, compassionate
and respectful care to patients who are dying in line with personal end of life
care plans.

2. 7 Proactively identify and respond to the needs of family members
and carers, including timely referral to members of the interdisciplinary team.

2. 8 Support all registered professionals to provide care and
support in-person in patients homes in
the community or over the telephone.

2. 9 Understand the range of services offered across the integrated
clinical team, including through the Wellbeing Programme, Bereavement Service
and Sara Lee Trust, and proactively refer patients in a timely way.

2. 10 Provide support and information to families and professional
colleagues.

2. 11 Support patients, families and carers
contacting the Telephone Support Line through provision of information, onward
referral and clinical escalation.

2. 12 Undertake bereavement calls.

Interdisciplinary Working

2. 13 Be committed to integrated teamwork and show respect for others.

2. 14 Participate in and contribute knowledge of a patient and/ or
family to interdisciplinary team meetings, family meetings and professionals
meetings.

2. 15 Contribute to the Transfer of Care between community and
inpatient settings.

2. 16 Liaise effectively with external partners including district
nurses, care agencies and ambulance services in a timely way to support
seamless patient care.

Communication and Relationships

2. 17 Be aware of and actively demonstrate the St Michaels
Hospice values in your practice.

2. 19 Create a trusted rapport with patients and family members to
explore sensitive topics including dying, death, loss and spiritual beliefs
with empathy and compassion.

2. 20 Consistently demonstrate effective verbal, non-verbal and written
communication with all members of the Hospice Integrated Clinical Team.

2. 21 Uphold the highest standard of performance and conduct at all times.

2. 22 Actively supervise and mentor any new Health Care Assistants joining

2. 23 Be aware of the Hospice vision, mission and strategy including
a compassionate communitys approach.

Clinical Governance

2. 25 Comply with the Hospice Statutory and
Mandatory training requirements.

2. 26 Be aware of the Care Quality Commission Key Domains: Safe,
Caring, Responsive, Effective and Well-led and be able to give examples of how
you demonstrate these in your role.

2. 27 Be fully aware of and act in accordance with
all Hospice policies and

procedures.

2. 28 Maintain accurate, timely, patient healthcare records on the
electronic patient record system.

2. 29 Participate in relevant clinical governance subgroups.

2. 30 Proactively maintain own health and wellbeing, participating in
clinical supervision and seeking support in a timely way.

2. 31 Evidence practice through a competency
framework to a minimum of level 1.

Legal
and Ethical Responsibilities

2. 32 Work within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Legislation,
Guidelines and Procedures.

2. 33 Maintain the confidentiality of patients and
those important to them.

Essential
• Experience of working with Adults in a Health Care setting
Desirable
• Previous experience of working with patients at the end of life and supporting families
• Experience working with patients with long term conditions using a rehabilitative approach

Essential
• Ability to demonstrate effective communication skills with colleagues, patients and others both in-person and via telephone/ video call
• Ability to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team
• Keyboard skills and computer literacy
• Be willing to learn about Palliative, Holistic, Rehabilitative and Person-Centered Care
Desirable
• Knowledge of the challenges that can experienced when caring for patients with Long-Term Conditions
• Knowledge of the challenges that can be experienced when caring for patients at the end of their life

Essential
• Good standard of general education in Maths and English
Desirable
• Completed or working towards Level 3 Vocational Qualification in Health and Social Care

Essential
• Good standard of general education in Maths and English
Desirable
• Completed or working towards Level 3 Vocational Qualification in Health and Social Care