Health Care Support Worker - Stroke Ward 15B

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Sefton; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust is seeking a patient-facing Care Assistant to join the Nursing Team on the ward. You will provide personal care, assist with feeding, mobility and hygiene, and help maintain accurate nursing documentation under supervision.

You will support high standards of care, work as part of a team, and comply with Trust policies, health and safety requirements, and safeguarding procedures. Training will be provided where required.

Qualifications

• Completion of Trust Care Certificate within 4 months of appointment.
• Basic literacy and numeracy skills.
• NVQ Level 2 Health and Social Care or equivalent (desirable).
• Care Certificate (level 1) desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide personal care and hygiene assistance to patients.
• Assist with feeding and mobility as directed.
• Complete body-maps, skin bundles, and fluid balance charts.
• Maintain accurate nursing documentation countersigned by a registered nurse.
• Support infection prevention, health and safety practices.

Skills

Effective communication

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Direction and guidance

Self-awareness

Time management

Adaptability

Reliability

Stress management

Inclusive mindset

Punctuality

Professional conduct

Basic IT skills

Education

NVQ Level 2 Health and Social Care or equivalent

Care Certificate / Level 1

Trust Care Certificate (completion)

Tools

None

Job description

Job overview

To work as part of the Nursing Team undertaking household support tasks and direct care tasks as delegated by the Nurse in Charge.

To support the qualified Nursing Staff in the maintenance of high standards of nursing care to patients.

To assist in providing an environment within the ward that is conductive to patient recovery and pleasant for patients and their families.

To accept responsibility for specifically delegated functions within the ward which the Nurse in Charge feels are appropriate for untrained staff to undertake.

To ensure where entries are made in nursing documentation, that these are correct, legible and comprehensive and countersigned by a registered nurse.

To understand and adhere to all Trust Policies.

To ensure the Health and Safety of patients, relatives and other staff is considered and not prejudiced by the post-holder at any time

Main duties of the job

To provide the patients with assistance to maintain their hygiene and provide all personal care as required. Assist with feeding and mobilising as per therapy guidelines. To complete patients' individual paperwork, such as body-maps, skin bundles and fluid balance charts.

Please note, this position is not eligible for sponsorship as it is not on the occupation shortage list.

Working for our organisation

The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.

From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.

The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.

Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:

• CARE that is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
• SAFETY that is of the highest standards
• COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
• SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
• PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients

Our achievements include:

• Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please find attached Job Description and Person Specification for main responsibilities and requirements.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Completion of Trust Care Certificate within 4 months of appointment
• Basic literacy and numeracy skills

Desirable criteria

• NVQ level 2 Health and Social Care or equivalent
• Care Certificate (equivalent to level 1)

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of personal care and related procedures
• Experience of working in a team

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a patient care/health related role

Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written formats
• Good interpersonal skills
• Able to work within a team
• Able to accept direction and guidance
• Aware of own limitations
• Flexible in working hours
• Able to prioritise own workload and manage time effectively
• Flexible, adaptable and responsive to change
• Reliable and professional
• Ability to cope in stressful and challenging situations
• Inclusive and non-judgmental
• Punctual, motivated and committed
• Effective role model demonstrating Trust values
• Basic IT skills

Other

Essential criteria

• Frequent, moderate effort for several short periods during the shift such as manual handling patients to supporting patients personal care
• Occasional requirement for concentration, with few competing demands for attention
• Aware that developing resilience to distressing situations is necessary without losing the ability to care compassionately
• Aware of the process for accessing staff health and wellbeing supportOccasional exposure to distressing situations which may care of chronic health conditions, patient end of life care/ care after death
• Able to carry out direct personal care as required on ward or department
• Occasional exposure to patients with challenging behaviours

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact