Complementary Therapist
St John'S Hospice North Lancashire And South Lakes
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Job summary
St Johns Hospice in Lancaster invites a registered Complementary Therapist with an Oncology Massage qualification to join our Community Wellbeing team. You will deliver holistic therapies to patients in hospice, their homes and in community settings, supporting physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing.
We seek a compassionate, well-organised professional who can work with our clinical teams to provide tailored therapies while maintaining high standards of care and safeguarding.
Qualifications
- Registered therapist with suitable professional registration.
- Must have full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle.
- Experience in palliative care or oncology supportive therapy is desirable.
Responsibilities
- Provide holistic, person-centred complementary therapies to hospice patients, at the Hospice, in patients' homes and in community settings.
- Collaborate with clinical teams to integrate therapies into care plans.
- Assess patients using risk-based approach and document outcomes.
- Support volunteers and maintain infection control and safety standards.
Skills
Education
Job description
This role matters:
This is a unique opportunity for a registered Complementary Therapist with an Oncology Massage qualification to join St John's Hospice and make a real difference to the lives of people living with life-limiting illness.
As part of our Community Wellbeing team, you'll use your specialist skills to provide holistic, person-centred therapies that support physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing.
Working in the Hospice, in patients' homes and across our North Lancashire and South Lakes community, you'll deliver complementary therapies that help people build confidence, maintain a sense of control and focus on what is meaningful to them.
We're looking for someone who is compassionate, organised and committed to delivering person-centred care. Could you use your specialist skills to help bring comfort, calm and connection to those who need it most?
Our Community Wellbeing service works closely with our experienced and dedicated clinical teams, as well as wider district nursing colleagues, to ensure people receive timely and appropriate complementary therapies. We are proud that our specialist palliative services extend beyond symptom management to support the whole person.
If you want a role with real purpose, where every day you can use your professional skills to support people at an important time in their lives, we'd love to welcome you to our team.
You will help develop and provide a complementary therapy service offering holistic individually tailored care to St Johns Hospice patients, in the Hospice setting, in patient's own homes and in community outpatient settings.
You will liaise with the Hospice clinical teams and wider district nursing teams as appropriate, ensuring good communication for the benefit of the patients you are supporting.
You will use community risk assessments and your own professional assessments to ensure safe, appropriate complementary therapy for palliative and end of life patients.
Working closely with the existing CT role at the Hospice you will deliver complimentary therapy to Hospice patients as directed by the Head of Community Wellbeing.
You will support policy, procedure and protocol to ensure the safe delivery of complementary therapies, having had appropriate training.
You will be a member of a recognised professional complementary therapy association, and support volunteer therapists within the Hospice.
- This role is for 22.5 hours per week, to be worked over 3 days.
- The pay scale advertised is pro-rata.
- NHS Pension may be continued subject to eligibility or St Johns Hospice Pension Scheme (8% employer contribution).
- It is essential that you have a full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle (with business insurance) during working hours. You will be entitled to claim out of pocket expenses (mileage and parking) in accordance with our policy.
St Johns exists to promote and provide skilled and compassionate palliative care of the highest quality. The Hospice provides care in a variety of settings, directly serving our local communities from Grasmere to Garstang and from Sedbergh to Morecambe. The Hospice is rated good by CQC.
Hospice care at St Johns is provided free of charge. The NHS contributes 25% of the Hospices annual running costs, the remaining being obtained via the generosity of the public.
St Johns Hospice provides Specialist Palliative Care services and support to those affected by life-shortening illnesses. These currently include:-
- In-patient care, currently 13 beds
- Provision of community specialist palliative care through a combined team of Clinical Nurse Specialists, our Hospice at Home Team and our night sitting and day respite services
- Specialist clinics with a Consultant in palliative medicine
- Lymphoedema clinics and service
- Education for community GPs, nurses, undergraduates (nursing, medical and allied health professionals)
- Bereavement and family support
- Complementary Therapy
To provide these services, the Hospice employs around 220 staff and is well supported by our dedicated volunteers.
The Hospice does not currently provide respite care or long-term care for patients. We aim to assess and manage patients symptoms in order for them to return home wherever possible, supported by our Community Services and Family Support teams.
Responsible for:
- Providing complementary therapies to patients known to the Hospice, and their carers where appropriate.
- Supporting complementary therapy volunteers within the Hospice setting.
- Develop existing services to include a range of complementary therapies which can be delivered to patients in their own homes, on the in-patient unit as well as outpatients, and in community outpatient settings.
- Carry out therapy treatments and provide after care advice and guidance in accordance with local policies, procedures and National Guidance (e.g. NICE and ensuring confidentiality is always maintained).
- Prioritise and coordinate complementary therapy referrals, assessing each patient and offering the appropriate therapy intervention.
- Liaise and work with Hospice at Home, CNS, Inpatient unit and day therapy teams.
- Plan and participate in group activity in Hospice and South Lakes day services, offering small CT treatments on a regular basis.
- Always give the best standards of care, taking into consideration the holistic needs of the patient and family.
- Ensure all patient information entered on EMIS is clear, concise, legible and accurate and meets the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998. Ensure the data is inputted correctly to produce relevant reports for the Hospice and commissioners.
- To oversee the records of any of the volunteer complementary therapists' activities and monitor the treatments given to patients on the ward, raising any concerns to the Head of Community Wellbeing if needed.
- Inform the Medical, Clinical team and relevant professional bodies of any adverse reactions to essential oils or products used in treatments immediately.
- Give, on average, three treatments per patient / family member, to ensure appropriate and timely discharge of clients from allocated complementary therapy caseload.
- Represent complementary therapies service within relevant multi-disciplinary meetings as appropriate if requested to do so.
- Report any identified risks as required such as safeguarding issues noted when visiting patients in their own homes.
- Be professionally accountable for own practice and adhere to Code of Conduct as laid down by FHT (Federation of Holistic Therapies) or similar UK governing body.
- Deliver a choice of therapies based on own training and competency, to individually assessed needs, considering issues such as patient allergies, medical contraindications and skin integrity.
- Ensure all patient appointments are used to maximum capacity ensuring access and availability of these essential services
- Ensure adherence to infection control policies and procedures when giving therapies, adhering to correct hand washing, PPE at all times.
- Always work within scope of knowledge and experience, requesting help and advice if needed
- Avoid any behaviour which discriminates against your fellow employees or potential employees on grounds of their sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, religion or belief, race, disability, age, pregnancy or maternity.
- Behave in a manner that ensures the security of hospice property and resources.
- Minimise waste when using products.
- Monitor and maintain complementary therapy stock, ensuring cost efficiency when ordering.
- To maintain a personal commitment to the expansion and development of professional skills and knowledge in line with relevant professional body & Hospice requirements and those developments related to annual individual performance review, taking ownership for own development needs.
- Keep up to date with skills and knowledge through means such as reading journals, research articles and linking with other practising complementary therapists in other North West hospices.
- Keep an up-to-date portfolio to meet relevant professional bodies requirements.
- Participate in annual appraisal when job description and objectives will be reviewed.
- Maintain personal and professional development including e-learning, mandatory training and own professional learning. (Certificates were appropriate to HR- in person spec).
- Work autonomously but in compliance with the FHT or other relevant professional body's code of ethics and professional conduct, national frameworks and local hospice policies and procedures.
- Ensure risk policy is adhered to at all times and manage risks within own area of work.
- Ensure all incidents are reported to the Clinical Governance & Improvement Department using the online form.
- Maintain confidentiality at all times, which includes, patients, relatives, staff and volunteers.
- Deal promptly and sensitively with complaints, referring to Head of Community Wellbeing for any verbal complaints, and to Director of Nursing & Quality for any written complaints
- Work within the specific role boundaries of the Hospices complementary therapy protocols and Hospice Clinical Governance framework.
- Report any incidents to the Head of Community Wellbeing.
- Work in accordance with the Lone Worker policy when working in the community.
- Report any concerns in relation to safeguarding issues relating to any clients or staff to the appropriate member of staff.
- Monitor the quality of aromatherapy oils by dating when opened, correct disposal of out-of-date products etc. Complete monthly consumable audits to ensure stability of oils used.
- Ensure essential oils are stored safely and correctly.
- Ensure data sheets up to date.
- Abide by all relevant hospice policies and procedures.
- Be able to recognise and respond to stress and well-being in self and make use of support available for staff, both inhouse and employee assistance programme.
- Provide reports on area of work and make recommendations for any changes in service delivery.
- Proactively contribute to the future development of the complementary therapy service in line with patients changing needs.
- Attend regular clinical supervision sessions.
- Be an ambassador for St Johns Hospice as a charity, engaging in public speaking and fundraising initiatives as required and encouraging members of the team to do the same.
- Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade as agreed with the Head of Community Wellbeing or Director of Nursing & Quality.
- Be willing to embrace development or training opportunities as they arise.
Enhanced DBS disclosure + Barring Check required for this post.
Please refer to the uploaded Job description for full details of the points below
- Confidentiality
- Health and Safety
- External Interests
- Statutory Training
- Flexibility
- Safeguarding
- Disclosure and Barring
- Equality and Inclusion
- Volunteers
- Experience in caring for patients with life limiting illnesses.
- Experience of collaborative working.
- Experienced in evidence-based practice working.
- Experience of working in a palliative care setting.
- Experience of mindfulness, wellbeing and relaxation.
- Commitment to working in the charitable sector.
- Empathy with charitable aims of the Hospice.
- Evidence of enthusiasm in work settings.
- Resilience.
- Self-motivated.
- Positive attitude towards change.
- Committed to continual professional development.
- A flexible approach to working patterns.
- Good attendance and punctuality record.
- Member of a complementary therapy professional body.
- Commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Full UK Driving Licence & access to own vehicle during working hours. Business class motor insurance.
- Minimum of 3 years experience in complementary therapy.
- Excellent interpersonal skills both written and verbal.
- Ability to assess and deliver care to meet complex needs.
- Ability to reflect on practice.
- Good organisation and time management skills.
- Understands the complexity of caring for patients and families with life limiting illnesses.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office systems proficiently.
- Palliative care bereavement awareness.
- Advance care planning knowledge.
- Leadership & management skills.
- Use of electronic patient records.
- Understanding of COSHH, and data sheets.
- Relevant complementary therapy qualifications, e.g. Diploma.
- Up to date registration & indemnity insurance on relevant professional register.
- Oncology Massage qualification.
- Bereavement / counselling qualification or training.
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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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