Discharge Support Assistant

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust; Lewes; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Lewes is seeking a Discharge Support Assistant to join their multidisciplinary team. The role focuses on facilitating safe and timely patient discharges while ensuring all parties are informed of the discharge plans. Ideal candidates will have qualifications in care and experience working with patients. Excellent communication and IT skills are essential for this position, which offers a salary range of £24,937 to £26,598 per year. Flexible working options available.

Benefits

Excellent training and development opportunities

Supportive flexible working patterns

Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts

Qualifications

• Demonstrate basic numeracy and literacy skills.
• Previous experience in a caring role is essential.
• Understanding of healthcare needs in a health setting.

Responsibilities

• Work with the MDT to facilitate safe and timely discharge.
• Monitor patient progress towards discharge dates.
• Ensure patients and relatives are aware of discharge plans.

Skills

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Excellent organization and prioritization skills

Good IT skills including Microsoft packages

Ability to use own initiative

Education

NVQ II or III in care or equivalent knowledge

GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

Care Certificate

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen to help us enhance our in-patient services to ensure we provide the best patient experience and clinical outcomes. Are you looking for a new challenge? Do you enjoy working within a team?

Do you like working at a fast pace and want to make a positive contribution to the patient experience?

This role is fundamental in supporting patient flow throughout the trust and maximising the use of resources across Health & Social Care systems. The main focus of this role will include supporting the ward staff to expedite discharges, both simple and complex patients awaiting their discharge.

We are looking for enthusiastic, driven and motivated staff, to complement our existing team. Excellent communication skills and knowledge of national patient flow drivers are essential for the role.

Lewes Intermediate Care Unit - 1 post - Hours (30 hrs)

Please note: Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules, this role may not be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered. Candidates requiring sponsorship should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk websitebefore applying to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role.

Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes - GOV.UK

Health and Care Worker visa: If you'll need to meet different salary requirements - GOV.UK

Main duties of the job

The Discharge Support Assistant (DSA) will be expected to work as part of the multidisciplinary (MDT) ward team under the direction of the Nurse in Charge.

They will co-ordinate and facilitate the safe and timely discharge of patients from the Intermediate Care Unit (ICU) in line with the SCFT trust standards and policies to ensure the patients journey is as smooth as possible and without any unnecessary delays.

The Multidisciplinary Intermediate Care Teams comprise of:

Medics, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Ward Managers, Nurses, Health care Support Workers, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, rehab Support Workers and Ward Administrators.

They are supported by:

General Manager, Locality Matron and Deputy Matron

The team delivers excellent patient centred care to support individuals to return to their chosen place of residence after a period of recovery and rehabilitation.

About us

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.

We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.

Why work for us?

• Positive 2022 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
• Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
• Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Research opportunities
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
• Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
• Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
• Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
• Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
• Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Work with the MDT to facilitate safe and timely discharge

Ensure that all patients and their relatives/carers are aware of discharge plans and the expected date of discharge.

Effectively monitor patient progress towards agreed discharge dates taking action to ensure delays are promptly addressed by the relevant service /individual.

Provide the ward manager, or an appropriate Nurse in Charge, with up-to-date information on the discharge progress of individual patients ensuring any anticipated delays are highlighted.

Liaise with the ward manager, or an appropriate Nurse in Charge, the Matron and the Head of Capacity and Escalation for advice and support in managing complex discharges

Liaise with the System Capacity and Flow team in a timely way to ensure patient flow (discharges from and admission to ICU) is maintained including notifying the team when a patient has been discharged

Ensure accurate and up to date documentation within the patient records, detailing progression of discharge plans.

Support the ward manager in the collection of accurate data regarding Medically Ready for Discharge (MRD) patients in advance of the regular Medically Ready for Discharge Forums and any Multi Agency Discharge Events (MADE).

Build good relationships with other team members (both internal and external)

Contribute to the delivery of patient flow improvements including for example golden discharge initiatives, SAFER bundle etc as directed and implemented in the Trust

Facilitate ward welcome meetings for patients arriving in the ICU

Main Tasks

Coordinate Best Interest Meetings/Decision Support Tool (DST) assessments/Case conferences/MDT meetings as required, ensuring notes are taken and action plans are agreed.

Send discharge letters via S1 to the patients allocated GP within the first 24 hours of discharge

Assist in the requisition of equipment required on discharge, liaising with appropriate agencies to ensure availability for date of discharge including arranging transport as required.

Make onward referrals and requests to SCFT services, adult social care, other community providers, voluntary and private sectors according to ongoing identified health and social care need

Ensure that follow up appointments are scheduled and communicated to the ward team to ensure that the patient receives their prescribed care/treatment

Support the MDT by attendance at relevant discharge related meetings such as board meetings, MDT meetings as required

Ensure each patient is discharged with any required equipment/supplies that have been specified as discharge dependent.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ II or III in care or equivalent knowledge and skills
• Demonstrate basic numeracy and literacy skills
• GCSE English and Maths or equivalent
• Care Certificate

Experience

• Previous experience in a caring role
• Use of IT in the workplace
• Experience working with patients
• Worked as a member of a multidisciplinary team

Skills and Knowledge

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organisation and prioritisation skills
• Able to use own initiative
• Good IT skills to include; use of Microsoft packages, word outlook and data bases
• Understanding of healthcare needs in health setting

Other Requirements

• Demonstrate behaviours consistent with trust values

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.

£24,937 to £26,598 a yearper annum pro rata