Call Handler (Health Care Assistant)

NHS; Exeter; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Exeter is seeking a Call Handler (Health Care Assistant) to provide holistic and person-centered care for patients with complex life-limiting illnesses. The successful candidate will assist with triage processes and liaise with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure timely support. Ideal applicants will have relevant qualifications and demonstrable experience in palliative care within health and social care settings.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable clinical experience in adult specialist palliative care.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Ability to evaluate own strengths and development needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide a first point of telephone contact for patients and healthcare professionals.
• Assist in identifying appropriate palliative care for patients.
• Attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary team meetings.

Skills

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Clinical Experience in Palliative Care

Ability to Work Autonomously

Education

Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care

Level 4 qualification in Health and Social Care

Job description

As a Call Handler in our Clinical Co-ordination Centre, you will be the first point of contact for patients, carers and healthcare professionals calling the charity. Liaising with registered nursing staff, Clinical Nurse Specialists and wider community teams, you will ensure patients are prioritised appropriately.

About us

Hospiscare has been supporting people in Exeter, Mid and East Devon with terminal illnesses for over 40 years. Our services include support at home, a specialist palliative care ward, out-patients clinics, and supportive therapies.

We support close to 2,200 local people each year, in some of the hardest times possible. As a local charity, we raise around £10 million each year to continue to provide our care. Our staff, volunteers and supporters help us to care for people when they're most in need, no matter what their individual circumstances may be.

We're proud to be rated as 'five star' by patients and families and as 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, to have been awarded a Mind Bronze Award for wellbeing at work and to be a Disability Confident employer.

Job responsibilities

Job Description

1. JOB DETAILS

Job Title: Call Handler (Health Care Assistant)

Band: 3

Location: Clinical Coordination Centre, Searle House EX2 5JJ

Responsible To: Community Cluster Team Leader (CCTL)

Responsible For: N/A

Accountable to: Head of Community and Supportive Care Services

2. JOB PURPOSE

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Description

1. JOB DETAILS

Job Title: Call Handler (Health Care Assistant)

Band: 3

Location: Clinical Coordination Centre, Searle House EX2 5JJ

Team/Directorate: ExeterCommunityCluster

Responsible To: Community Cluster Team Leader (CCTL)

Responsible For: N/A

Accountable to: Head of Community and Supportive Care Services

2. JOB PURPOSE

To provide holistic and person-centred careand support by telephone for patients with complex life-limiting illnesses.

To work within the multi-disciplinary teamand alongside registered nursing staff to contribute to the delivery of a highstandard of evidence-based specialist palliative care.

3. KEY RESULT AREAS/PRINCIPALDUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

3.1Main Responsibilities

Provide a first point of telephone contact forpatients, carers and healthcare professionals to ensure a timely responsewhenever information or support is required.

Liaise with Hospiscares Clinical Nurse Specialistteams to ensure a consistent approach to the triage process and that patientsare prioritised appropriately.

Assist in the identification of appropriatepalliative and end of life care for patients in order to provide safe andeffective treatment and support to patients and those close to them.

Communicate in a sensitive and professional manner withpatients, relatives, colleagues and others, considering potential barriers tounderstanding, to promote and maintain Hospiscares values and to ensuredignity and respect are observed.

Adhere to Hospiscares clinical recordkeepingpolicy when providing and sharing verbal, digital or written information andinstructions, to ensure patient confidentiality is observed at all times.

Attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary teammeetings and case discussions to inform decisions which ensure patients receivethe best possible care.

Assist with the identification and assessment ofcomplex bereavement to enable a seamless handover to Hospiscares SupportiveCare team.

InfectionPrevention and Control

Maintaininga safe environment for patients, visitors and employees is everyonesresponsibility. All staff are requiredto adhere to Hospiscares Infection Prevention and Control Policy and makeevery effort to maintain high standards of infection prevention and control atall times. This includes ensuringpersonal and team compliance with all relevant policies and procedures, andacting upon or reporting any identified risks.

Disclosure and Barring Service

This rolerequires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced level check withAdults Barred List.

3.2 KeyContacts

Internal

ClinicalCoordination Centre team

Community Cluster Team LeaderCommunity Clinical Nurse SpecialistteamsHead of Community and Supportive CareServicesMedical team

InpatientUnit team

Supportive Care Services

ClinicalAdministration

External

Patientsand those close to them

RoyalDevon & Exeter Hospital

NHSCommunity Services

GeneralPractitioners

Socialand Domiciliary Care Workers

Residentialand Nursing Homes

Providersof out-of-hours services

3.3 Health& Safety

Ensurethat Health and Safety guidelines and fire regulations are strictly adhered to

Complywith safe working practices as defined by Hospiscare

Completeonline training as and when required

Takereasonable care for your own health and safety and that of others who may beaffected by acts or omissions at work

Reportany accidents, incidents or near misses as soon as reasonably practicable

Manageown work life balance and general wellbeing, including any relevant pressuresin respect of lone working, travel, difficult environments and challengingsituations

3.4 General

Be aware of and adhere to Hospiscarepolicies and procedures at all times

Take part in progress/performancereviews throughout the year

Cooperate with other Hospiscare departments

Attend training courses and completeonline training modules as required to meet the requirements of the post

Take responsibility for own personaldevelopment, seeking out opportunities to learn new skills

Undertake any other duties as requestedby management which are reasonably deemed to be within the scope of the role

3.5 Other

Apply the Hospiscare values and behaviours to everyaspect of the role at all times

Promote and maintain thebrand standards of Hospiscare

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care or equivalent/similar
• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• Level 4 qualification or Foundation degree in Health and Social Care or equivalent
• Communication Skills training

Experience

• Demonstrable clinical experience in adult specialist palliative care
• Demonstrable experience of working as part of a team within Health and Social Care
• Experience of assessing, planning and evaluating individualised care plans for patients at end of life
• Experience of working with volunteers
• Experience of working under appropriate supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team and of multi-agency partnership working
• Experience of providing and receiving complex sensitive information
• Experience of working within the community setting

Knowledge

• Understanding of the complexities of working with individuals at times of distress and conflict
• Understanding of the importance of effective team working in a healthcare context
• Awareness of the principles of advance care planning
• Awareness of theoretical nursing models and understanding of their impact on delivery of care
• Awareness of key issues relating to End of Life care including policy developments

Skills

• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills
• Developed skills in recognising and responding to the changing physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs of palliative care patients and those close to them

Personal attributes

• Ability to work autonomously and act on own initiative, seeking advice/escalating issues when appropriate
• Flexible and adaptable with the ability to respond positively in a rapidly changing environment.
• Commitment to continuing professional development.
• Ability to act as a patient advocate
• Ability to evaluate own strengths and development needs
• Awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in all areas of work

Additional requirements

• Capable of fulfilling the physical demands of the role, including administering of basic life support
• Able and willing to be flexible and work across Hospiscare clinical environments including in the Community and on the Inpatient Unit when required
• Able to participate in the 7 day/week rota

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.