FEMALE TRACHEOSTOMY HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT – PAEDIATRIC COMPLEX CARE

Harmony HealthCare; Stanmer; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Harmony HealthCare is seeking a Female Tracheostomy Healthcare Assistant to support a child with complex needs in the family home in Sussex. The role requires tracheostomy care experience and a compassionate, observant approach to non-verbal communication.

Shifts cover a mix of day and night hours on a full-time pattern, with weekend work. You will deliver clinical care, monitor vitals, manage PEG feeding and medication administration, and work closely with the family to provide comfort and

Qualifications

• Experience working with children with complex healthcare needs.
• Tracheostomy care experience and tube changes.
• Experience with single-person tracheostomy tube changes.
• Competence in oral and/or nasal suctioning.
• Experience with PEG feeding and management.
• Knowledge of medication administration.
• Experience with nebuliser therapy.
• Clinical observations and oxygen saturation monitoring.
• Patient, compassionate and observant approach.
• Able to recognise and respond to non-verbal communication.
• Comfortable in a home with pets (cats).

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, person-centred care in the family home.
• Deliver safe tracheostomy care and tube changes.
• Administer suctioning as required.
• Support PEG feeding, flushing, medication administration, balloon checks and venting as per care plan.
• Administer medication safely.
• Provide nebuliser therapy as prescribed.
• Monitor oxygen saturation and vital signs.
• Support daily routines and wellbeing.
• Recognise and respond to service user expressions and distress.
• Maintain positive relationship with the family.

Skills

Tracheostomy care

Pediatric complex care

Non-verbal communication

Observation and safety

Compassionate patient approach

Job description

FEMALE TRACHEOSTOMY HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT – PAEDIATRIC COMPLEX CARE

Location: Sussex (BN18)

Pay: £17.00 per hour Monday to Friday, including holiday pay

Weekend rate: £17.50 per hour, including holiday pay

Hours: Full-time

Working pattern: Monday to Sunday, including weekends

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a compassionate, reliable and experienced Female Complex Healthcare Assistant with tracheostomy experience to support a child with complex clinical needs in her family home.

The service user lives with her parents and sister. She is generally happy and sociable, and it is important that carers are attentive, patient and able to recognise her individual ways of communicating.

She is unable to make vocal sounds and communicates through facial expressions. She will smile when happy and show a crying facial expression when upset. Carers must be observant and able to recognise changes in her expressions and respond sensitively to her needs.

This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced healthcare assistant who is confident delivering clinical care while providing comfort, reassurance and positive interaction.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Providing high-quality, person-centred care in the family home.
• Delivering safe tracheostomy care, including single-person tracheostomy tube changes.
• Providing oral and/or nasal suctioning as required.
• Supporting PEG feeding, flushing, medication administration, balloon volume checks and venting in line with the care plan.
• Administering medication safely and accurately.
• Providing nebuliser therapy as prescribed.
• Monitoring oxygen saturation levels and recognising changes in clinical presentation.
• Carrying out clinical observations, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature and respiratory rate.
• Supporting the service user's daily routines, comfort and wellbeing.
• Observing facial expressions and recognising signs of happiness, distress or discomfort.
• Responding appropriately when the service user becomes upset by following agreed processes to identify and address possible causes.
• Encouraging the service user to wear her glasses.
• Working respectfully alongside the family and maintaining a positive relationship within the home.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Previous experience working with children with complex healthcare needs.
• Practical tracheostomy experience and confidence with tracheostomy tube changes.
• Experience with single-person tracheostomy tube changes.
• Competence in oral and/or nasal suctioning.
• Experience with PEG feeding and management.
• Knowledge of medication administration.
• Experience with nebuliser therapy.
• Confidence carrying out clinical observations and oxygen saturation monitoring.
• A patient, compassionate and observant approach.
• Ability to recognise and respond to non-verbal communication.
• The family has two cats, so applicants must be comfortable working in a home with pets.

SHIFT PATTERNS

Day shifts:

• Monday: 10:00am–8:00pm
• Tuesday: 2:00pm–9:00pm
• Wednesday: 12:00pm–8:00pm
• Thursday: 8:00am–8:00pm
• Friday: 9:00am–8:00pm

Night shifts:

• Monday: 10:00pm–10:00am
• Tuesday: 10:00pm–8:00am
• Wednesday: 10:00pm–8:00am
• Thursday: 10:00pm–10:00am
• Friday: 10:00pm–8:00am
• Saturday: 10:00pm–8:00am
• Sunday: 10:00pm–9:00am

TRAINING AND INDUCTION

You will be required to complete three days of package-specific training, including virtual and face-to-face sessions. Additional training, potentially up to five days, may be required depending on your experience and the Clinical Care Manager's assessment of your competencies.

SHADOW SHIFTS

You will be offered between three and five shadow shifts to help you become familiar with the service user's clinical needs, communication, routines and family environment. Shadow shifts are paid at a lower rate.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

We are looking for someone who is clinically confident, caring and dependable, with experience supporting children with complex healthcare needs. You should be attentive to non-verbal communication, able to recognise subtle changes in the service user's presentation and confident providing safe tracheostomy care.