Healthcare Assistant

Pilgrims Hospices; Ashford; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Pilgrims Hospices in Ashford is seeking a Healthcare Assistant to join our multidisciplinary team and support patients on our hospice ward. You will work under the Nursing team to ensure patients receive high-quality care in a safe, caring environment.

We require flexibility for full or part-time shifts, including nights and weekends, with ongoing training and CPD opportunities. We are committed to staff wellbeing and a supportive workplace culture.

Qualifications

• Flexible approach to working hours, including nights and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Assist nursing team with basic care and follow care plans to meet patients' health needs.
• Support patients with personal care while maintaining privacy and dignity.
• Assist patients to eat and drink as independently as possible.
• Make beds and clean equipment, performing tasks independently when appropriate.
• Maintain accurate records at the point of care and report to the registered nurse.
• Use and store equipment safely in line with instructions.
• Attend mandatory training and ensure patient safety in line with care plans.
• Assist in transferring deceased patients and perform last offices respectfully.

Job description

We are seeking well-motivated and forward thinking Healthcare Assistant to join our multi-disciplinary team, in supporting patients at our Ashford Hospice.

The successful candidate will join a busy and dynamic ward where they will be assisting the Nursing team in ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care in a safe and pleasant environment.

• Working under the direct supervision of the registered nurse administers as directed in the patients’ care plan, basic nursing care to patients in order to meet their fundamental health care needs
• Assisting patients with personal care whilst maintaining privacy and dignity at all times
• Assisting patients to eat and or drink as independently as possible
• Undertaking some tasks independently without direction and supervision i.e. making beds and cleaning of equipment
• Maintaining accurate records at the point of care using the hospice’s electronic record and reports relevant information directly to the registered nurse
• Using and storing all equipment safely and correctly in accordance with Hospice and manufacturer’s instructions
• Attending mandatory training
• Ensuring patient’s safety at all times and that any care given is in line with training received and follows either verbal direction from a registered nurse or is directed via written nursing care plans or multidisciplinary goal setting sheets
• Assisting in transferring deceased patients to the relevant areas in the hospice setting
• Assisting in giving the deceased last offices respecting their spiritual, cultural and religious needs

Recognising the need to support employees working within this particular field, we provide an extensive range of physical and psychological support measures through our health and wellbeing programme, to ensure your success, including:

• A supportive and friendly working environment
• Regular quality interactions with our clinical and medical teams
• Strong working relationships with other members of the multi-disciplinary teams
• On-going training and CPD/career development
• Access to a range of resources to ensure our staff have access to help and support where and when they need it; and
• Regular self-care and development sessions

We are recruiting for both full and part time positions. As our wards operate on a shift working basis, candidates need a flexible approach to working hours, including the ability to work nights and weekends.

About us

As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end-of-life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families – both in the community and in-patient units.

Our Vision

“Of a community where people with a terminal illness and their family and friends are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life”.

We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our Vision and our charitable aims. Pilgrims Hospices continues to create a highly skilled, motivated, engaged and healthy workforce by providing an environment where staff and volunteers feel highly motivated to perform their roles to a consistently high standard, and actively role model our charitable behaviours and values.

To achieve our Vision , we have a shared set of values and behaviours that enable us to be the people and the charity that patients and their loved ones need us to be. They form our CODE , which guides us in our daily working and decision making:

Compassionate We treat everyone with compassion and care

Open We communicate openly, honestly and effectively

Dynamic We are dynamic, improving and developing our service

Empowered We empower people to achieve their outcomes

Other benefits

As an Employer of Choice, our commitment to supporting our employees and volunteers is a key priority.

Our Health and Wellbeing Strategy is an important step in ensuring the sustainability of our workforce, and clearly outlines our strategic intentions to improve employee capability, resilience, and engagement, to adapt to and embrace change as the health sector continues to develop.

Our hospices offer:

• Modern, friendly and highly professional working environments
• Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning
• Alignment with NHS pay rates and continuity in membership of the NHS pension scheme
• A sense of achievement in supporting a worthwhile cause
• A sense of wellbeing
• A good work-life balance
• Locations across well-populated areas of east Kent – all providing very good road and rail links
• NHS and financial discounts i.e. Blue Light Card
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free hospice parking

We invest in our employees, which is one of the key things that makes us an award-winning employer of choice.