Senior Health Care Support Worker - Ward 5B

St. Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a Senior Health Care Assistant to join Ward 5B, a 36-bed Medicine for Older People ward on level 5 at Whiston Hospital. The care is consultant-led and delivered by a multidisciplinary team.

The SHCSW will work with geriatrics, nursing, therapies and social care to provide patient-centred care, support learners, and supervise junior staff while following Trust policies and ensuring safe, compassionate care in a busy elderly

Qualifications

• NVQ level 3 Health & Social Care or equivalent.
• Care Certificate (level 1)
• Literacy and numeracy functional skills level 2 or equivalent

Responsibilities

• Work with all members of the multidisciplinary team to deliver safe, high-quality, compassionate, person-centred care.
• Support/supervise learners, new staff and junior staff where required.
• Record patient information in accordance with local and trust policies.
• Undertake personal care duties for patients within the care setting accessing supervision from a registered healthcare practitioner.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Teamwork

Mentoring staff

Adaptability

Time management

Flexibility

Stress management

IT skills (basic)

Professionalism

Learning support

Education

NVQ level 3 Health & Social Care

Care Certificate

Functional skills level 2 (literacy & numeracy)

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Health Care Assistant to join our busy team here in Ward 5B.

5B is a 36 bedded Medicine for Older People ward based on level 5 at Whiston Hospital.

The care on 5B is Consultant led and delivered by an expert multidisciplinary team of Geriatricians, Nurses, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapists, Resident Doctors and Social workers; their aim to provide patient centred comprehensive medical care to older people.

Geriatricians and the Multidisciplinary team are concerned with all aspects of health and illness in older people and treat a wide range of general medical conditions but also possess the specialist skills that are needed to diagnose and manage illness in patients with multiple conditions and those living with frailty.

There is 37.5 hour and also 18 hour contracts available.

Main duties of the job

The Senior Health Care Support Worker (SHCSW) will:

• Work with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to deliver the Trust's vision and values providing safe, high quality, compassionate, person centred care.
• Support/supervise learners, new staff and junior staff where required.
• Record patient information in accordance with local and trust policies.
• Undertake personal care duties for patients within the care setting accessing supervision from a registered healthcare practitioner.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

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

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Work as part of a team and duties will be delegated by the registered healthcare professional.
• Act within the scope of your training and competence, knowing who to ask for help and support if you are not sure.
• Work within agreed ways of working, following relevant Trust standards, policies and protocols.
• Communicate compassionately and effectively with individuals and their families, carers and health care practitioners using a range of techniques, maintaining confidentiality and using tact, empathy, persuasion and reassurance.
• Observe, assess and respond to patients needs appropriately, escalating concerns to Nursing staff as required including instigating emergency procedures as per policy.
• Organises self and supervises other junior staff or learners in general work tasks or when delivering patient care with supervision from nursing staff.
• Prioritises a range of delegated clinical care duties.
• Acting on own initiative, undertake personal care duties and support activities of daily living, e.g. mouth care, personal hygiene and toileting needs, demonstrating person centred care.
• Assist the registered healthcare practitioners with clinical tasks, follow care plans, notice and report changes, assist with risk assessments, obtain samples and some specimens.
• Safely deliver care duties including manoeuvring of patient equipment such as hoists and wheelchairs.
• Gather evidence to assist registered healthcare practitioner in obtaining a patient/client history.
• Undertake delegated procedures as required within the limits of required training and measured competence e.g venepuncture / ECG recording / blood glucose monitoring, clinical observations, taking specimens, escalating any abnormalities to the registered nurse.
• Support of patients feeding, diet and nutritional needs and accurately record patients nutritional intake and fluid intake and output, noticing and reporting changes to the nursing staff.
• Ensure patient property is managed as per Trust policy.
• Monitor levels of supplies and order supplies for the department as appropriate
• Demonstrates own duties to new starters, contributing to the learning environment. Where requested, supports/supervises work of students and other junior staff.
• Occasionally participates in audits, surveys, development activities.
• To work in line with Trust policies and procedures
• Contributes to maintaining a safe, healthy working environment.
• Follow the principles for implementing a duty of care, always acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm.
• Work in partnership with the individual, their carers/ families and the wider healthcare team.
• Maintain and further develop your own skills and knowledge through development and learning activities; maintain evidence of your personal development and actively prepare for and participate in appraisal.
• Participate in team handovers.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• NVQ levels 3 Health and Social Care or equivalent experience
• Care Certificate (equivalent to level 1)
• Literacy and numeracy functional skills level 2 or equivalent

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of personal care and related procedures
• Demonstrable experience of working in a patient care/health related role
• Knowledge of relevant legislation related to healthcare
• Experience of working in a team

Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written formats
• Good interpersonal skills
• Able to work within a team
• Experience of supporting junior staff and learners
• 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 long periods during the shift such as manual handling patients to supporting patient's personal care.
• Concentration, focus and frequent record keeping requirements. Carrying out time critical tasks.
• 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 support
• Daily exposure to distressing situations which may include challenging behaviour, care of chronic health conditions, patient end of life care/care after death.
• Able to carry out direct clinical care as required on ward or department

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.