Hospital to Home Outreach Worker

Age UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A charitable organization is looking for a Hospital to Home Outreach Worker in Greater London. The role involves providing emotional and practical support to service users after hospital discharge, ensuring they understand available care options. Responsibilities include helping to assess needs, improving patient experience during discharge, and supporting service users in their homes. Candidates should have experience with vulnerable individuals, interpersonal skills, and ideally a relevant Care Certificate or NVQ Level 2 in Health & Social Care.

Qualifications

• Experience of one-to-one work with vulnerable service users.
• Understanding of hospital discharge procedures.
• Knowledge of local services available to adults and their carers.

Responsibilities

• Assess the needs of service users before discharge.
• Aid the discharge process and improve patient experience.
• Provide practical and emotional support to service users.
• Develop relationships with service users and their families.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Planning and organization

IT skills

Understanding of safeguarding

Ability to drive

Ability to speak community languages

Education

Care Certificate or CQF Diploma NVQ Level 2

Tools

Charity Log (CRM)

Job description

Hospital to Home Outreach Worker

The hospital to home service works collaboratively with hospitals to support people when they are discharged from hospital to return home. As a Hospital to Home Outreach Worker you will provide temporary practical and emotional support to service users within their home and make sure they understand the care and treatment choices available to them. The service is time limited, usually up to 4 or 6 weeks, to adjust and settle back in their homes.

Responsibilities

• Assess the needs of service users either in hospital before discharge, or in their homes, and understand what barriers and enablers might be to moving home.
• Aid the discharge process and improve patient experience through tasks such as key cutting, co‑ordinating with colleagues for the setup of the home environment, checking heating, electric and gas is functional prior to discharge, allowing access to the property for cleaning/repairs.
• Provide practical and emotional support needed to enable service users to move home and/or remain safely at home.
• Be vigilant and make referrals/signpost for additional needs that our wider team, or partners can support (e.g. benefit checks, energy advice, carers support, befriending).
• Help maximise service user independence by adopting an enabling approach.
• Develop a listening and caring relationship with the service user and their families/carers.
• Provide domestic practical support within the home such as light cleaning, washing (e.g. bedding), changing bed sheets, preparing and serving drinks and simple meals with or for the service user customer, ensuring nutritional needs are met.
• Accompany service user outside the home e.g. hospital/GP appointments.
• Support customers with other tasks e.g. making telephone calls on their behalf, reading and responding to correspondence, completing simple forms as directed by the customer.
• Ensure services provided by AUKEL in the community are safe and person centred.
• Report safeguarding concerns in accordance with AUKEL safeguarding procedures.
• Work within AUKEL's expectations of professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• Provide cover in the case of sickness and annual leave periods of colleagues.
• Support service user reviews, ensuring all visiting information is uploaded on to AUKEL's organisational case management system.
• Meet with volunteers to provide support and guidance.
• Work with a range of professionals including supporting health and social care professionals with patient discharge, liaising with the hospital health and social care professionals (e.g. Social Workers) to facilitate smooth supported discharge, handypeople & contractors, administration.
• Input all records, reviews, and visiting information to service user's case notes in a timely manner to maintain up‑to‑date and accurate records on AUKEL's case management system (currently Charity Log/Call‑round App).
• Report all "no access" failed visits, or changes in service users' condition or circumstances in accordance with AUKEL's policies and procedures.
• Ensure service user comment sheets are completed.
• Support the return of customer comment sheets and general feedback in respect of your own service users.
• Deliver all work in line with AUKEL quality mark standards.
• Commit to undertaking the Care Certificate, if not already held or in possession of NVQ level 2.
• Complete essential training as required by AUKEL to provide safe services.
• Work in collaboration with other agencies providing support within the customer's home under the direction of the service manager and project officer/s.
• Represent AUKEL and participate in appropriate external meetings and events to remain aware of local, regional, and national issues affecting quality and compliance issues affecting care and home support services.
• Meet regularly with your line manager for support, supervision, and appraisal.
• Attend team and staff meetings, and other meetings as required.
• Undertake any other duties within the competence of the post holder as may be required from time to time for the continued smooth running of AUKEL.
• Complete any training which is required to fulfil the role.
• Carry out the duties of the post in accordance with AUKEL policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities, Mental Capacity, Deprivation of Liberty, Food Hygiene, Health & Safety, Confidentiality, Complaints, GDPR, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults etc.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience of one-to-one work with vulnerable service users, including those with multiple issues and needs either through paid or unpaid position.
• Care Certificate or CQF Diploma NVQ Level 2, or equivalent, in Health & Social Care.
• Experience of working collaboratively with external partners, understanding and commitment to empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
• Understanding of the principles of confidentiality in practice.
• Understanding of safeguarding and when to raise a concern.
• Understanding of stigma and discrimination, and the impact this has on people's lives.
• Knowledge of local services available to adults and their carers.
• Understanding of hospital discharge procedures.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Good English verbal and written communication skills.
• Good planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritise and manage time and resources in a competent manner.
• IT skills to the level of being able to use Word, email, internet, mobile phone apps and logging information on AUKEL's CRM.
• Can demonstrate AUKEL values (accountable, kind, flexible, inclusive, collaborative) in the way the service is delivered.
• Ability to speak community languages e.g. Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, Turkish etc.
• Able to use Charity Log (CRM used by AUKEL). Training will be provided as necessary.
• Ability to drive with use of own vehicle (mileage and essential car users will be paid).