Job Summary
At Birmingham Hospice our teams are committed to improving the quality of life for people living with life-limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families and loved ones during one of the most challenging periods they will ever face.
Our hospice at home team support patients with a palliative diagnosis and those that are reaching end of life in the patients own setting.
We are looking for an experienced, innovative, patient-centred, compassionate and motivated healthcare assistant to join this fantastic team. You will be working alongside dedicated urgent response nurses and clinical nurse specialists caring for palliative patients within their own homes. You will be required to deliver personal care and adapt to the changing needs of a patient and their families whilst being sensitive to their spiritual, psychological and social needs.
Main duties of the job
Our Requirements:
Level 3 NVQ in health or social care or show a willingness to work towards
Experience of working in a care role in the health care sector and/or other care related experience[LS1]
Competent in English and Maths (up to GCSE level or equivalent)
The ability to work flexibly, use your initiative and prioritise your workload
Good communication skills both written and verbal
Competent IT skills including use of databases, email, and Word
You will need to be a car driver with access to your own vehicle and hold a current full UK driving licence
In return, we offer the opportunity to be part of an amazing charity, competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, retail discount scheme, wellbeing programmes, comprehensive training and the opportunity to develop your career through ongoing professional development and support.
For further information and an informal discussion about the role please contact Lynne Sweeney, Hospice at Home Team Leader by email: -
Informal discussions are strongly encouraged.
About Us
Birmingham Hospice provides expert palliative and end of life care for people and their families living with life-limiting illnesses.
We believe that all people in Birmingham should have access to the best specialist care and support - when, where and how they need it. Our vision is a future where everyone with a life-limiting illness will live and die with dignity and in comfort. Our mission is to enable more people from all communities to access the care of their choice at the end of life.
During a recent CQC inspection our sites have been rated outstanding, with independent health care regulators highlighting that colleagues and services are caring, responsive and well-led.
Our outstanding teams are passionate about providing the very best care, and patients and their loved ones are at the heart of everything we do.
Our values of kindness, respect, innovation, togetherness, positivity and openness are at the centre of who we are, what we do and how we behave. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, welcoming, caring and supportive team. We are offering a competitive salary, with generous holiday allowance, a contribution pension scheme, and a commitment to investing in our people through employee benefits and ongoing professional development.
Details
Date posted
16 June 2025
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£24,471 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
B0060-25-0022
Job locations
76 Grange Road
Erdington
Birmingham
B24 0DF
Job Description
Job responsibilities
JOB DESCRIPTION
Happy to talk about Flexible Working
Job Title:
Health Care Assistant
Department:
Hospice at Home (as part of the integrated community team)
Hospice Band:
Clinical Band 3
Reports To:
Band 6 sister/ charge nurse
Responsible For:
DBS Required
Enhanced
Job Purpose
To carry out and ensure the delivery of a high standard of direct patient care alongside team colleagues and with support from qualified staff.
Main Duties And Responsibilities
Key areas of work
Assist the Registered Nurse in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care.
Carry out high standard of direct patient care alongside team colleagues
Report verbally (including hand-over) to appropriate team members
Document any care given in patient held notes and/or System One
Contribute to multidisciplinary discussions.
Be sensitive to the spiritual, psychological and social needs of the patients and their families.
To supervise and support all nursing assistants and to assist in the induction of all newly staff.
Contribute to the learning environment e.g. teaching on the in-house training days and training new members of staff
Undertaken training for clinical skills relevant to post and maintain up-to-date practice.
To take emergency action as necessary to safeguard the patients and carers and report any concerns to the nurse in charge as soon as possible.
To maintain accurate documentation of care given and to report any changes in condition or circumstances of the patient to the relevant key worker and the nurse in charge on duty in a timely manner.
To participate in audit activities.
Be aware of and undertake infection control measures to minimise the risks of infection.
To perform administrator duties is required.
Attend mandatory and in service training as identified and required.
At all times to represent Birmingham St Marys Hospice in a professional and caring manner maintaining professional boundaries in relationships with patients and their families or carers.
To be part of a rota to provide a 7 day service, 365 days per year including late shifts and weekend working.
To work flexibly across all hospice services. This may require working late shifts, weekends and night shifts.
Clinical
Accurately recording vital signs monitoring if appropriate for the patient
Accurately performing urinalysis and recording the results and reporting on them to the registered nurse
Taking and recording and reporting appropriately blood sugar levels using the relevant equipment
Simple wound dressings
Last offices
Catheter Care/stoma care
Reporting on patients condition
Setting up oxygen equipment and administration as prescribed
Use of nebulisers
Administration of eye drops/ear drops/nose drops
Oral Suction
Monitoring of Syringe driver site
Skin care/pressure area care assess pressure areas and skin integrity and report changes to nurse in charge
Promotion of continence/management of incontinence
Communication
To convey messages and information to all team members, patients and their families as appropriate.
Good communication skills, both oral and written.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
General Duties
Confidentiality
All employees are required to uphold the confidentiality of all information records in whatever format, encountered in the course of employment and after it.
- All employees are bound by the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations when, in the course of their employment, they deal with information records relating to individuals
Equality and Diversity
The Hospice is committed to promoting an environment that values diversity. All staff are responsible for ensuring that they treat individuals equally and fairly and do not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The Hospice expects all staff to behave in a way that recognises and respects diversity in line with the appropriate standards.
Health and Safety
- All employees have a responsibility under the terms of the Health and Safety at Work Act1974 to protect and promote their own health and that of others in the workplace
- All employees must comply with all Hospice Health and Safety Procedures
Infection Control
The prevention and control of infection is the responsibility of everyone who is employed by the Hospice. Employees must be aware of infection control policies, procedures and the importance of protecting themselves and their clients in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Information Governance
- All employees are responsible for ensuring they undertake any training relating to information governance, read the Hospices policies, procedures and guidance documents relating to information governance, and understanding how this affects them in their role.
Professional Development
- All employees must participate in an annual appraisal and develop a personal development plan with their Line Manager
- All employees are responsible for maintaining their statutory and mandatory training.
Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
- The Hospice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All employees and volunteers are expected to behave in such a way that supports this commitment
Pandemic or major incident
In the event of a pandemic or major incident, the post holder may be asked to undertake other duties not necessarily commensurate to the banding of this role. This could include duties in any part of the Hospice. Prior to undertaking any duties, the member of staff will have full training and induction. We will not ask any member of staff to undertake duties for which they are not competent or where they feel unsafe in their environment or could put patients or themselves at risk.
The job description is not exhaustive and may be amended following appropriate consultation in the light of business needs
Job Description
Job responsibilities
Main Duties And Responsibilities
Key areas of work
Assist the Registered Nurse in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care.
Carry out high standard of direct patient care alongside team colleagues
Report verbally (including hand-over) to appropriate team members
Document any care given in patient held notes and/or System One
Contribute to multidisciplinary discussions.
Be sensitive to the spiritual, psychological and social needs of the patients and their families.
To supervise and support all nursing assistants and to assist in the induction of all newly staff.
Contribute to the learning environment e.g. teaching on the in-house training days and training new members of staff
Undertaken training for clinical skills relevant to post and maintain up-to-date practice.
To take emergency action as necessary to safeguard the patients and carers and report any concerns to the nurse in charge as soon as possible.
To maintain accurate documentation of care given and to report any changes in condition or circumstances of the patient to the relevant key worker and the nurse in charge on duty in a timely manner.
To participate in audit activities.
Be aware of and undertake infection control measures to minimise the risks of infection.
To perform administrator duties is required.
Attend mandatory and in service training as identified and required.
At all times to represent Birmingham St Marys Hospice in a professional and caring manner maintaining professional boundaries in relationships with patients and their families or carers.
To be part of a rota to provide a 7 day service, 365 days per year including late shifts and weekend working.
To work flexibly across all hospice services. This may require working late shifts, weekends and night shifts.
Clinical
Accurately recording vital signs monitoring if appropriate for the patient
Accurately performing urinalysis and recording the results and reporting on them to the registered nurse
Taking and recording and reporting appropriately blood sugar levels using the relevant equipment
Simple wound dressings
Last offices
Catheter Care/stoma care
Reporting on patients condition
Setting up oxygen equipment and administration as prescribed
Use of nebulisers
Administration of eye drops/ear drops/nose drops
Oral Suction
Monitoring of Syringe driver site
Skin care/pressure area care assess pressure areas and skin integrity and report changes to nurse in charge
Promotion of continence/management of incontinence
Communication
To convey messages and information to all team members, patients and their families as appropriate.
Good communication skills, both oral and written.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
General Duties
Confidentiality
All employees are required to uphold the confidentiality of all information records in whatever format, encountered in the course of employment and after it.
- All employees are bound by the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations when, in the course of their employment, they deal with information records relating to individuals
Equality and Diversity
The Hospice is committed to promoting an environment that values diversity. All staff are responsible for ensuring that they treat individuals equally and fairly and do not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The Hospice expects all staff to behave in a way that recognises and respects diversity in line with the appropriate standards.
Health and Safety
- All employees have a responsibility under the terms of the Health and Safety at Work Act1974 to protect and promote their own health and that of others in the workplace
- All employees must comply with all Hospice Health and Safety Procedures
Infection Control
The prevention and control of infection is the responsibility of everyone who is employed by the Hospice. Employees must be aware of infection control policies, procedures and the importance of protecting themselves and their clients in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Information Governance
- All employees are responsible for ensuring they undertake any training relating to information governance, read the Hospices policies, procedures and guidance documents relating to information governance, and understanding how this affects them in their role.
Professional Development
- All employees must participate in an annual appraisal and develop a personal development plan with their Line Manager
- All employees are responsible for maintaining their statutory and mandatory training.
Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
- The Hospice is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All employees and volunteers are expected to behave in such a way that supports this commitment
Pandemic or major incident
In the event of a pandemic or major incident, the post holder may be asked to undertake other duties not necessarily commensurate to the banding of this role. This could include duties in any part of the Hospice. Prior to undertaking any duties, the member of staff will have full training and induction. We will not ask any member of staff to undertake duties for which they are not competent or where they feel unsafe in their environment or could put patients or themselves at risk.
The job description is not exhaustive and may be amended following appropriate consultation in the light of business needs
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Recent experience in a health care sector in community, care home or acute setting.
- Demonstrable experience in palliative and end of life care or related speciality.
Qualifications
Essential
- Good standard of education
- NVQ level 3 in Health and Social care or equivalent experience or working towards.
Personal Skills and Attributes
Essential
- Good communication skills both verbal and written including the ability to maintain accurate and legible care records. Interpret and follow basic written instructions and communicate in a concise, accurate and legible way.
- Ability to recognise, report and communicate concerns and changes in a timely manner
- Ability to use ones own initiative and prioritise workload
- Willingness to learn new skills and undertake training
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
- Car owner/driver with full current UK driving licence
- Basic IT skills.
Person Specification
Essential
- Good communication skills both verbal and written including the ability to maintain accurate and legible care records. Interpret and follow basic written instructions and communicate in a concise, accurate and legible way.
- Ability to recognise, report and communicate concerns and changes in a timely manner
- Ability to use ones own initiative and prioritise workload
- Willingness to learn new skills and undertake training
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
- Car owner/driver with full current UK driving licence
- Basic IT skills.
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.
Employer details
Employer name
Birmingham Hospice
Address
76 Grange Road
Erdington
Birmingham
B24 0DF
Employer's website
https://www.birminghamhospice.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
Birmingham Hospice
Address
76 Grange Road
Erdington
Birmingham
B24 0DF
Employer's website
https://www.birminghamhospice.org.uk (Opens in a new tab)