Health Care Assistant - Specialist Hospice at Home

Weldmar Hospicecare; Dorchester; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospice organization is seeking a Health Care Assistant to join their team in Dorchester. The role involves providing compassionate care to patients at home, particularly at end-of-life. The ideal candidate should possess an NVQ Level 2-3 in care and have a minimum of 2 years' experience in a similar role. You will work closely with clinical teams to ensure high-quality care delivery and will be expected to travel within the defined catchment area. Flexibility and commitment to patient support are essential.

Benefits

Bespoke training and development

Supportive work environment

Mileage reimbursement

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years working experience in direct care giving.
• Experience providing care at end of life is desirable.
• Ability to work independently in patients' homes.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on care and reassurance to patients and families.
• Work collaboratively with clinical teams.
• Take part in training and development for skills enhancement.

Skills

Compassionate care

Communication skills

Empathy

Teamwork

Palliative care knowledge

Education

NVQ Level 2-3 in care

Job description

Health Care Assistant - Specialist Hospice at Home

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

Clinical SalaryScale: £24,937 26,598 per year FTE

Interviews: 25 February 2026

You'll be joining Weldmars Specialist Hospice at Home team in South Dorset, delivering outstanding patient within the community in Dorchester, Weymouth, Portland and surrounding areas.

Our South Hub is based at our Inpatient Unit in Dorchester. As Health Care Assistant you will provide assurance to patients and family members, who will have access to a range of support from those working within the hub, other clinical specialists from our multi‑disciplinary team, and to our patient and family support services, as well as to hands on care if required. This will enable them to live as well as possible at home, and reducing the likelihood of hospital admissions. Demonstrating our values, you’ll work collaboratively with your clinical colleagues and external agencies to provide an agile and responsive service based on patient needs identified by the Specialist Hospice at Home team.

Main duties of the job

• Passionate about delivering quality care and have experience in a similar role, ideally with experience of supporting those at end of life.
• Have access to bespoke training and development provided by Weldmar to ensure that you have all the skills, knowledge and expertise to deliver compassionate care.
• This unique opportunity sees you having the time to make a real difference, not only to our patients at end of life, but also to their families and carers who we support also.

The role requires you to possess a full valid driving licence, your own transport and business insurance.

Your core hours will be Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, with a requirement to provide weekend cover on a rota basis, anticipated to be 1 in 6 weeks.

An Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check is required for this role, please refer to the job description.

About us

About Weldmar Hospicecare: Rated Outstanding by the CQC, Weldmar Hospicecare provides specialist care to adults in Dorset with a life limiting illness, and support to 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 provided free of charge and mainly funded by the continued support of our local community, via fundraising initiatives and events, our retail chain, and gifts left in wills, enabling us to raise the £27,500 we need every day to keep our services going.

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Health Care Assistant

Department: Weldmar Specialist Hospice at Home

Location: Specialist Hospice at Home hubs

South Hub (Dorchester), West Hub (Bridport) and 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 that provides specialist end of life care to patients and those that are important to them throughout Dorset. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes by Weldmars Specialist Hospice at Home service, and via Wellbeing Services held across the county or as inpatients at our hospice in Dorchester. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers ensure that we can continue to support patients through one of life’s most difficult journeys. We work closely with other health care providers including the NHS to ensure that our patients receive the highest possible care.

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

Job Purpose

The team of Health Care Assistants work from a number of locations across our catchment area within the specialist Hospice at Home hubs.

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

• Provide reassurance to patients and/or families, reducing the likelihood of hospital admission.
• Offer hands on care to patients at home.
• Provide emotional support and advice.

Scope and Limits of Authority

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

Reporting to a Weldmar Community Nurse, the Health Care Assistant works under the direction of the WCN/WCNS team in the hub:

• Ensure safe care is delivered to patients in their own home, as allocated.
• To establish and maintain effective positive communication with each member of the area hub team. Respecting the contribution each member brings, ensure the team works collaboratively and compassionately.
• To work independently and with other members of the team, as well as external agencies when needed.
• To demonstrate respect, kindness and empathy at all times as a visitor in a patient’s own home.
• To recognise difficult or unexpected situations that required additional assistance and know who and when to contact.
• Through patient and family education to empower them to feel safe at home, if that’s where they choose to be.
• To be agile and responsive to needs of patients.

The role requires flexibility in accordance with service and patient need. Hours of working will be 9‑5 to include weekends on a rota basis.

There will be a requirement to attend the Specialist Hospice at Home hub in person and virtually.

Mileage can be claimed from home as your base.

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

Job tasks

• Provide high standards of care to the patients and family, including hands on care and emotional support.
• Work with palliative patients in the last year of life.
• Apply knowledge and understanding of patients individual needs in a non‑judgemental and caring manner.
• Provide opportunities to listen to patients and family members, enabling them to share what is important to them.
• Communicate sensitively in a way patient will understand.
• Clearly record all care required on electronic records.
• Have ability knowledge and skills required for safe moving and handling of patients.
• Identify any element of risk and ensure that risk is managed appropriately under the direction of the Specialist Hospice at Home team/line manager.
• Work closely with all members of the Specialist Hospice at Home team, undertaking joint visits with other health care professionals as required.
• Work with care agencies if required, offering informal teaching if needed.
• Maintain confidentiality and dignity of patients at all times.
• Prompt patients with prescribed oral medications where patient is self‑administering medications.
• Report any accidents or incidents that might occur to the patient, relative or member of staff, in accordance with Weldmar policy.
• Attend mandatory training provided by Weldmar.
• Attend line management meetings, supervision and team meetings as required.
• Offer gentle touch/ hand/ foot massage to patients after appropriate training.

Qualifications

• 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 patient’s own home.
• Good awareness of own limitations, and able to recognise 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

• 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 person’s 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 Weldmar’s suite of Wellbeing Supports.
• Committed to self‑development.
• Flexible approach.
• Post holders must hold a driving licence 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.

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.