Health Care Assistant (North Dorset)

NHS; Sturminster Newton; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in North Dorset is seeking compassionate and dedicated Health Care Assistants for their Specialist Hospice at Home Service. This role involves delivering exceptional patient care, emotional support, and fostering trusting relationships with patients and their families. The successful candidates will receive comprehensive training to develop their skills in providing end-of-life care, making a real difference in patients' lives.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years experience in direct care giving, preferably in palliative care.
• Must have a valid driving license and ability to utilize various IT systems.
• Skills in providing personal care with dignity and respect.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on care and emotional support to patients at home.
• Work collaboratively with the Specialist Hospice at Home team.
• Ensure safe care is delivered in patients' own homes and maintain effective communication.

Skills

Communication

Empathy

Relationship Building

Flexibility

Emotional Resilience

Education

NVQ Level 2-3 in Care

Job description

37.5hours per week (30 hours considered) - Permanent contract

Clinical SalaryScale: £24,793 - £26,444 per year FTE

We're looking for caring and enthusiastic HealthCare Assistants to join our new Specialist Hospice at Home Service in NorthDorset

As Health Care Assistantyou'll be joining Weldmar at an exciting time, joining our newly formedSpecialist Hospice at Home team in North Dorset, delivering outstanding patientcare within the community.

Main duties of the job

You will have access to bespoke training anddevelopment provided by Weldmar to ensure that you have all the skills,knowledge and expertise to deliver compassionate care. This unique opportunitysees you having the time to make a real difference, not only to our patients atend of life, but also to their families and carers who we support also.

With the ability tobuild trusting relationships, youll work collaboratively with your clinicalcolleagues and external agencies to provide an agile and responsive servicebased on patient needs identified by the Specialist Hospice at Home team. Thisnew and exciting service will provide reassurance to patients and familymembers, reducing the likelihood of hospital admission and providing hands oncare if required.

A Disclosure and BarringService (DBS) Check is required for this role, please refer to the jobdescription

About us

AboutWeldmar Hospicecare: RatedOutstanding by the CQC, Weldmar Hospicecare providesspecialist care to adults in Dorset with a life limiting illness, and supportto their loved ones. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes,in the community, and at our Inpatient Unit in Dorchester. All care is providedfree of charge and mainly funded by the continued support of our localcommunity, via fundraising initiatives and events, our retail chain, and giftsleft in wills, enabling us to raise the £27,500 we need every day to keep ourservices going.

Job responsibilities

Job Description and Person Specification

Job Title: Health Care Assistant

Department: Weldmar Specialist Hospice at Home

Location: Specialist Hospice at Home hubs

North Dorset

Hours of work: 37.5 (Part time hours considered)

Grade: Clinical Salary Scale Band 3

Reports to: Weldmar Community Nurse

Responsible for N/A

Job Context

Weldmar Hospicecare is an independent charity thatprovides specialist end of life care to patients and those that are importantto them throughout Dorset. This care is given in the comfort of patients ownhomes by Weldmars Specialist Hospice at Home service, and via WellbeingServices held across the county or as inpatients at our hospice in Dorchester.Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers ensure that we can continue tosupport patients through one of lifes most difficult journeys. We work closelywith other health care providers including the NHS to ensure that our patients receivethe highest possible care.

We do receive some funding from the NHS but themajority of our income is generated by our fundraising and retail teams, whichplays a vital part in securing income to fund our care, both now and in thefuture.

Job Purpose

The team of HealthCare Assistants work from a number of locations across our catchment areawithin the specialist Hospice at Home hubs.

The postholder will work collaboratively with clinical colleagues and external agenciesto provide an agile and responsive service based on needs identified by the SpecialistHospice at Home team.

Providea reassurance to patients and/ or families, reducing the likelihood of hospitaladmission.

Offeringhands on care to patients at home

Providingemotional support and advice

Scopeand Limits of Authority

Workingclosely with other colleagues in the community you will be providing care,advice, support and informal teaching to patients and family members.

Reportingto a Weldmar Community Nurse, the Health Care Assistant works under thedirection of the WCN/WCNS team in the hub:

Ensuringsafe care is delivered to patients in their own home, as allocated.

Toestablish and maintain effective positive communication with each member of thearea hub team. Respecting the contribution each member brings, ensure the teamworks collaboratively and compassionately

To workindependently and with other members of the team, as well as external agencieswhen needed.

Todemonstrate respect, kindness and empathy at all times as a visitor in apatients own home.

Torecognise difficult or unexpected situations that required additionalassistance and know who and when to contact.

Throughpatient and family education to empower them to feel safe at home, if thatswhere they choose to be.

To beagile and responsive to needs of patients

Theroles requires flexibility in accordance with service and patient need. Hoursof working will be 9-5 to include weekends on a rota basis.

Therewill be a requirement to attend the Specialist Hospice at Home hub in personand virtually.

Mileagecan be claimed from home as your base

Theremay be a requirement to travel outside of local hub area on occasions.

Jobtasks

Toprovide high standards of care to the patients and family, including hands oncare and emotional support.

To workwith palliative patients in the last year of life.

Toapply knowledge and understanding of patients individual needs in anon-judgemental and caring manner.

Toprovide opportunities to listen to patients and family members, enabling themto share what is important to them.

Tocommunicate sensitively in a way patient will understand.

Clearlyrecord all care required on electronic records.

To haveability knowledge and skills required for the safe moving and handling ofpatients.

Toidentify any element of risk and ensure that risk is managed appropriatelyunder the direction of the Specialist Hospice at Home team/line manager.

To workclosely with all members of the Specialist Hospice at Home team, undertakingjoint visits with other health care professionals as required.

To workwith care agencies if required, offering informal teaching if needed.

Maintainconfidentially and dignity of patients at all times.

Toprompt patients with prescribed oral medications where patent isself-administrating medications.

Toreports any accidents or incidents that might occur to the patient, relative ormember of staff, in accordance with Weldmar policy.

Toattend mandatory training provided by Weldmar.

Toattend line management meetings, supervision and team meetings as required.

Tooffer gentle touch/ hand/ foot massage to patients after appropriate training

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

• Skills and Abilities
• Skilled at working with people providing intimate and personal care to them in a respectful and dignified manner.
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to build trusting relationships enabling effective communication with patients and carers
• Show empathy and present a calm, courteous and compassionate manner.
• Ability to follow plans of care and taking direction from senior colleagues
• Ability to work autonomously and safely in a persons home and or other setting such as clinic, care home.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of boundaries in relationships with patients and their families.
• Ability to work unsupervised as a lone worker as needed and the ability to work as a supportive team member.
• Able to demonstrate self-care and emotional resilience including access to clinical supervision, line management, and Weldmars suite of Wellbeing Supports.
• Committed to self-development.
• Flexible approach
• Post holders must hold a driving license with appropriate business insurance, have access to a car and be prepared to travel throughout the defined catchment area.
• Must be IT literate and confident, and be able to use a number of IT systems and Weldmar databases.

Qualifications

• Qualifications and Knowledge
• NVQ Level 2-3 or higher in care or experience from a relevant role.
• A minimum of 2 years working experience of direct care giving in a similar role is essential, and experience of delivering care at end of life is desirable.
• Knowledge of palliative care would be advantageous.
• Able to work independently and with other members of the SH@H team in the patients own home.
• Good awareness of own limitations, and able to recognize the need to ask for assistance and for onward referral.
• Commitment to developing skills and knowledge of the care of the dying person and family.

Experience

• N/A

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.