Nursing/Allied Health Professional Senior Support Worker

NHS; Exeter; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity to join the Interstitial Lung Disease team as a Senior Support Worker. You will provide support and education to patients with life-limiting respiratory illnesses, ensuring high-quality patient care and assisting with treatment plans. The role involves working closely with a multi-disciplinary team and requires excellent communication skills and flexibility.

Benefits

27 days paid annual leave plus bank holidays

Staff discounts on shopping and fitness

Cycle to work scheme

NHS Pension scheme

Funding for qualifications and CPD opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in respiratory conditions and patient support.
• Ability to drive and conduct home visits.

Responsibilities

• Support and educate patients with ILD and their families.
• Assist with planning and delivering patient care.

Skills

Communication

Patient Care

Flexibility

Job description

Go back to Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Nursing/Allied Health Professional Senior Support Worker

The closing date is 22 May 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our holistic, multi-disciplinary Interstitial Lung Disease team. We are looking for a highly motivated, innovative, and patient-centred individual to develop the support we offer to people with life-limiting respiratory illness.

If you are flexible, experienced, committed to offering high-quality patient care, and have excellent communication skills, we would be delighted to meet you.

Main duties of the job

For more detail about the main duties of this role, please see the job description section below. As a key member of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, you will join an exceptional team working together to help our patients stay healthy when they need it most.

About us

Stretching across Northern, Eastern, and Mid Devon, we have a workforce of over 15,000 staff, making us the largest employer in Devon. Our core services, which we provide to more than 615,000 people, cover more than 2,000 square miles across Devon, with some specialist services extending to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

We deliver a wide range of emergency, specialist, and general medical services through North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford).

Alongside our two acute hospitals, we provide integrated health and social care services across various settings, including community inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, and people's homes. We also offer primary care services, specialist community services, and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC).

Our state-of-the-art equipment, leading technologies, and strong links to local universities position us at the forefront of research and innovation, enabling us to provide world-class care to our communities.

It’s never been a more exciting time to join the Royal Devon, as you’ll help shape our services as we continue our integration journey.

Job responsibilities

For more information on the Job Description and Responsibilities, please click the link below.

More detail about the role

An opportunity has arisen to join the Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) service nursing and allied healthcare professional team within the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. The Exeter ILD Service provides a regional specialist service covering the South West Peninsula (Devon, Cornwall, and parts of Somerset and Dorset).

This Nursing/AHP Senior Support Worker role for the ILD Service is an innovative development within the ILD Team. Your key role will be providing support and education for patients with ILD and their families/carers under the supervision of a registered healthcare professional. The post will enable you to work within the existing ILD service, supporting patients via telephone, in outpatient clinics, in group settings, and in the community.

You will ensure patients and carers understand the diagnosis pathway and assist with planning and delivering patient care, ensuring timely investigations, diagnosis, and treatment. The ILD service aims to support symptom management, helping patients maintain quality of life, and managing medication side effects through blood monitoring and regular contact. We also link patients and families to appropriate support services and groups.

You will need a car and the ability to drive, as you will support our dietitian, occupational therapist, and physiotherapist on home visits. As you gain knowledge and experience, there will be opportunities to assist with face-to-face or telephone clinics, ambulatory oxygen clinics, and pulmonary rehabilitation assessments. Competencies will support your personal and professional development within this Band 3 Senior Support Worker role.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic about learning about ILD, with some knowledge of respiratory conditions and their impact on patients and families/carers. You should demonstrate this in your application and clearly show how you meet the person specification requirements.

The Exeter South West Peninsula ILD service team is dynamic and keen to support staff development. You will be supported by a team including ILD consultants, ILD nurses, ILD administrators, pharmacists, physiotherapists, dietitians, and occupational therapists. You will have opportunities to contribute to service advancement and quality improvement initiatives.

Working Pattern: 37.5 hours per week, 8:30 to 16:30, Monday to Friday.

Interview Date: 27 May 2025

For further information, please contact: Jessica Mandizha (ILD Clinical Nurse Specialist) or Rebecca Davies (ILD Physiotherapist) on 01392 403701

As an inclusive employer, the Royal Devon values diversity and is committed to creating a culture of inclusivity where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities, recognizing the benefits of a diverse workforce that reflects our communities.

Preference will be given to staff with Priority and 'At Risk' status, including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy when sufficient applications are received.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was established in April 2022, bringing together the expertise of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.

We will work together to support your development, which may include funding for qualifications, days off for study, CPD opportunities, or rotational placements to hone your skills. Wherever your NHS journey takes you, we'll help you get there.

Looking after you is important to us.

We promote work-life balance through flexible working and family-friendly policies. Starting NHS staff receive 27 days of paid annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 33 days plus bank holidays.

Our occupational health services include counselling, wellbeing activities, and groups.

Salary is not the only benefit

Staff discounts on shopping, fitness, leisure, and options to spread the cost of technology and appliances from major retailers.

You will also have access to:

National discount services (Blue Light Card, Health Service Discounts), salary sacrifice schemes including nursery access, car lease schemes, and the NHS Pension scheme.

Cycle to work scheme

These are just some of the benefits we offer. If interested, we would love to hear from you.

Person Specification

General Requirements

• See the job description above; a full job description can be downloaded if applicable.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A Disclosure check will be required to assess any criminal convictions.

Employer name

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust