Health Care Assistant

Gateshead Health; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateshead Health is recruiting a Healthcare Assistant for our Rapid Response Nursing Team in Gateshead. The role involves delivering a range of community-based care in patients' homes across the Gateshead borough and beyond, with travel as required.

You will work closely with the multidisciplinary team and provide compassionate, high-quality support seven days a week. You will need to be adaptable, patient-centred and able to prioritise effectively.

Qualifications

• GCSEs including English and Maths required.
• NVQ Level 2 in health or social care or equivalent.
• Full manual driving license is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, person-centred care in patients' homes.
• Support with clinical tasks under supervision.
• Maintain accurate records and liaise with the team.

Skills

Communication

Independent working

Team collaboration

IT literacy

Education

GCSEs including English & Maths

NVQ Level 2 in health or social care

Full manual driving license

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Healthcare Assistant to join our Rapid Response Nursing Team in Gateshead.

Our Rapid Response Team provides planned and unplanned nursing care to people in their own homes, responding quickly when there is a risk of deterioration in their health and wellbeing. Our aim is to help patients remain safely and independently at home to prevent avoidable hospital admissions.

As a Healthcare Assistant within the team, you will play an important role in delivering a range of clinical interventions and providing high-quality, person-centred care to patients in the community.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and compassionate individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. You will be able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and have a positive approach to supporting service developments that enhance patient care and improve outcomes.

The post is based in Gateshead and involves travelling to patients across the Gateshead borough and, where required, to patients living outside the borough who are registered with a Gateshead GP. The successful candidate will therefore need to be able to meet the travel requirements of the role.

The Rapid Response Team provides a seven-day service, and the post holder will be required to work flexibly across seven days.

Main duties of the job

As a Healthcare Assistant within the Rapid Response Team, you will play an important role in supporting the delivery of high-quality, responsive care to patients across Gateshead.

Much of your work will take place in patients' own homes and other community settings. You will, at times, work under the supervision and guidance of senior members of the team, but will also be expected to work independently with no direct supervision. You will therefore need to be confident using your own initiative, while recognising when to seek professional advice, guidance or support.

You will work closely with the Rapid Response Lead and wider multidisciplinary team, liaising with a range of professionals and partner organisations, including local authorities, GP practices, other healthcare providers and acute hospital services. Effective communication and partnership working will be essential to providing coordinated and seamless care for our patients.

You will have an important role in carrying out a range of interventions and nursing tasks that support patients to achieve the best possible health outcomes and, wherever possible, remain safely and independently at home.

The role also involves the effective use of IT systems and completion of administrative tasks. You will need to be organised, adaptable and able to prioritise your workload to ensure care and associated tasks are completed in a timely, safe and professional manner.

About us

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronymICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

** Overseas sponsorship is not available for Band 4 and below. Applications falling within Band 4 or lower cannot be sponsored.**

Job responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, person-centred care that promotes patients' dignity, independence, choice and wellbeing.
• Undertake a range of clinical interventions following appropriate training and competency assessment. This may include simple wound dressings, blood pressure monitoring, pulse oximetry, blood glucose monitoring, venepuncture and other diagnostic procedures.
• Undertake additional monitoring and investigations, such as ECGs and spirometry, following relevant training and within your agreed scope of practice.
• Support registered healthcare professionals with clinical procedures as required.
• Support patients with their medicines in accordance with agreed care plans, Trust procedures and your level of competency.
• Observe and monitor patients' health and wellbeing, recognising and promptly reporting any significant changes or concerns to senior members of the Rapid Response Team.
• Contribute to the assessment, delivery and evaluation of care, including health promotion activities that support patients to maintain or regain their independence.
• Follow infection prevention and control procedures and ensure the safe disposal of clinical waste in accordance with Trust policy.

Job responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, person-centred care that promotes patients' dignity, independence, choice and wellbeing.
• Undertake a range of clinical interventions following appropriate training and competency assessment. This may include simple wound dressings, blood pressure monitoring, pulse oximetry, blood glucose monitoring, venepuncture and other diagnostic procedures.
• Undertake additional monitoring and investigations, such as ECGs and spirometry, following relevant training and within your agreed scope of practice.
• Support registered healthcare professionals with clinical procedures as required.
• Support patients with their medicines in accordance with agreed care plans, Trust procedures and your level of competency.
• Observe and monitor patients' health and wellbeing, recognising and promptly reporting any significant changes or concerns to senior members of the Rapid Response Team.
• Contribute to the assessment, delivery and evaluation of care, including health promotion activities that support patients to maintain or regain their independence.
• Follow infection prevention and control procedures and ensure the safe disposal of clinical waste in accordance with Trust policy.

Communication and Team Working

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the multidisciplinary team, recognising and valuing the contribution of each team member.
• Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, families and carers, ensuring dignity, privacy and confidentiality are maintained at all times.
• Maintain effective communication with senior colleagues, including providing timely updates on patients and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Liaise professionally with a wide range of internal and external colleagues and partner organisations to support coordinated and seamless patient care.
• Contribute to ensuring patients receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place, from appropriately skilled members of the team.
• Respond appropriately and professionally to telephone and other enquiries, taking or escalating action as required.

Documentation and Administration

• Maintain accurate, timely and confidential patient records in accordance with agreed standards and Trust policies.
• Use relevant electronic clinical systems, including EMIS Community, as part of your day-to-day role.
• Provide administrative support to the Rapid Response Team where required to support the safe and effective delivery of clinical services.
• Assist with the collection, recording and collation of activity and service data.
• Remain aware of team priorities and contribute to meeting service requirements and deadlines.

Quality, Safety and Professional Responsibilities

• Contribute to maintaining high standards of patient care and raise any concerns relating to quality or patient safety appropriately.
• Work in accordance with Trust policies and procedures, including those relating to Health and Safety, Infection Prevention and Control, confidentiality and lone working.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion and respect the individual needs, rights, beliefs and choices of patients and their families.
• Take responsibility for maintaining and developing your knowledge, skills and competencies, completing statutory and mandatory training as required.
• Participate in relevant training, study days and team meetings and contribute positively to your own development and that of the wider team.
• Work flexibly to meet the changing needs and priorities of the Rapid Response service.

Additional Information

This is a community-based role involving regular local travel, and you will be required to work independently in accordance with the Trust's Lone Worker Policy.

Flexibility is essential, as you will be expected to support the Rapid Response Team in responding to changing patient and service needs.

This list is not exhaustive. As the service continues to develop, you may be required to undertake additional duties appropriate to your skills, competencies and the grade of the post.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Good standards of general education- minimum of 4 GCSE's or equivalent including English Language and Maths
• Educated to NVQ level 2 in health or social care or equivalent knowledge/experience
• Full Manual Drivers License

knowledge and skills

• Basic IT skills, clerical and administrative skills
• Ability to work on his/her own initiative
• Ability to communicate accurately verbally and in writing with a wide range of people
• Awareness of moving& handling

Experience

• Experience of working independently
• Experience of working to tight deadlines
• Experience of team working
• Experience of working with health/social care environment
• Working in NHS organization

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.