Senior Palliative Care Support Worker

St Peter’s Hospice; Bristol; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health and hospice care provider in England is looking for a Senior Palliative Care Support Worker. This role demands the delivery of holistic care for patients in their final weeks, including emotional and psychological support for patients and families. Applicants should possess a Level 2 qualification in health and social care and demonstrate strong communication and IT skills. The ideal candidate will be adaptable, able to work autonomously, and committed to high-quality end-of-life care.

Benefits

Supportive work environment

Training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in working with patients at the end of life.
• Ability to manage physical aspects of the role.
• Competency in IT to use EMIS for patient records.

Responsibilities

• Provide holistic palliative care for patients at the end of life.
• Monitor patients' conditions and record findings accurately.
• Support patients and families during emotional distress.

Skills

Excellent communication

IT skills

Adaptability

Organisational skills

Education

Health & social care qualification Level 2 or above

Palliative care qualification Level 3

Job description

Senior Palliative Care Support Worker (Band 3)

The role of Senior Palliative Care Support Worker requiresindependent working in the community; applicants should have excellentcommunication skills and IT skills. You must be adaptable, reliable and highlyorganised in order to prioritise your workload effectivelyThis is a role where no two days are the same and you have the chance to improvethe experience of patients and families when life is at its most difficult for them.

Main duties of the job

To provide holistic palliative care in the last 4 weeks of lifeTo provide emotional, physical and psychological support topatients, their families and carersTo work as part of the Hospice at Home team providing packagesof care and support for patients in their own homes. This willinvolve a variable shift pattern over 7 days including some nightshifts. Colleagues engage in both lone working and working in pairsTo work autonomously to provide planned care for individualpatients with the support of, and accountability too, the Hospice atHome Registered nursesTo role model the values of the hospice at all times by followingthe St Peters Hospice PCSW Code of Conduct and to contribute to apositive team cultureTo promote the safety and well-being of patients and theirfamilies at the end of life by following Hospice policies andprocedures and working as part of a wider multi-disciplinaryteam.

About us

Weve spent over 40 years helping people die in peace, and with dignity. Combining compassion with clinical expertise, we provide patients with the best possible care at the end of their lives.Were here for the people around our patients too those closest to them. Before, during and after a bereavement, we provide support thats remembered forever.We think its that unforgettable support that inspires people to give back to St Peters. To fundraise for us. Donate. Volunteer. Were not exaggerating when we say that we couldnt do what we do without our wonderful supporters. We really cant thank them enough.We want to help many more people to die well. And were doing this by teaching others. As a centre of educational excellence, we share our skills with other health professionals, helping the NHS and care homes to provide better end-of-life care.Were here for all, for free, forever.

Job responsibilities

Provide nursing care for patients at the end of lifeMonitor the patients condition and record findings accuratelyverbally and in writingRecognize changes in patients' conditions and take appropriate actionto escalate concerns in a timely mannerHave the ability to identify non-clinical concerns ie safeguarding,environmental risk, psychosocial challenges and communicate tothe relevant health care professionalsEffectively manage volatile or unpredictable situations and callfor help and assistance as appropriate for lone working thisincludes the use of a Lone worker deviceCope with the emotional impact of delivering a service wherepatient death is a regular occurrence and supporting family andcarers witnessing end of life can present challenging andheightened emotional environments.Work collaboratively as a Hospice at Home team member and aspart of the multidisciplinary team to provide effective care deliveryacross an integrated health systemSupport patients and carers to manage loss and change, includingbereavement support and advice on what to do when someone diesMaintain a safe working environment for patients, carers and staffthrough following policy and procedural guidelines and attendingstatutory and mandatory trainingWork within the limits of own competence and responsibility andask for help as necessaryCompetencies related to physical care provision as well as statutoryand mandatory training need to be undertaken and kept up to dateand staff are expected to attend training provide for them to keepthem safe and effective in their role.Use hospice resources efficiently and effectively thinkingof cost and environmental issuesPrioritize own workload and manage own time to ensurepriorities are met and quality is not compromisedThis role requires the post holder to be physically able to providecare through the moving and handling of patients and equipment.Working in patients homes there may be access issues such asmultiple flights of stairs. The applicant will need to consider if theyare able to manage the physical aspects of the role.This post requires a driving license and access to a car withbusiness insuranceCommunication (KSF 2)Will frequently be required to use sensitive communication, usingthe highest level of interpersonal and communication skills, e.g.When dealing with dying patients, deteriorating patients and forpatients with anxiety, agitation and panic attacks and supportingcarers who may be in a highly distressed stateAble to demonstrate active listening skills and understand complexinformation about the patient to be able to effectively addresspatient's needsEnsure effective communication with the Hospice at Home team aswell as with the wider multidisciplinary health care team.Both verbal and written communication skills are accurate, makingrelevant and up to date records on EMIS and document using visitand shift summary templates according to hospice guidelinesAbility to communicate with patients whose first language is notEnglish or patients who have communication or language problemsRespect the need for confidentiality of patient's details both verballyand writtenAble to demonstrate the English language proficiency level requiredfor this postGovernance, Quality and Clinical Practice (KSF1)Maintain quality in own work and encourage others to do soMonitor the quality of own work and alerts line manager toquality issues, reporting any errors or issues according to policyDiscuss with line manager areas that would support thedevelopment and improvement of care deliveryAdapt own work, takes on new tasks as agreed and asks for help ifneededAttend and participate in team meetings and help evaluate theservice when asked to do soQuality improvement suggestions are welcomed by your linemanagerAlert line manager if ways of working, polices or strategies arehaving a negative impact on the service and therefore onpatientsPeople and People Development (KSF 1- 2)Develop own skills and knowledge and provide information toothers to help their developmentIdentify when support needed in any areas of own work includingidentifying the need for any reasonable adjustments for them to carryout their role or participate in e-learning for example.Prepare for and takes part in own appraisal processIdentify (with support if necessary) what development gapscurrently exist and how they may be metProduce a personal development plan with appraiserTake an active part in learning/development activities and keep arecord of themMaintain clinical competencies via external and internal training anddevelopmentSupport students on placement including shadowing on a shift asappropriateMentor new health care assistants with the support of theHospice at Home registered nursesHas the ability to reflect on intense situations, with colleaguesand/or by engaging with clinical supervision and reflectivepracticeHealth Safety and Security (KSF 2)Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and othersFollow hospice policies, procedures and risk assessments to keepself and others safe at workWork in a way that reduces risks to health, safety and securityKnow what to do in an emergency at work, knows how to gethelp and acts immediately to get helpFollows the lone working policy including the use of the soloprotect device at all timesLook for potential risks to self and others in work activities andprocessesManage identified risk in the best way possibleReport actual or potential problems that may put health, safetyor security at risk and suggests solutionsSupport and challenge others in maintaining health, safety andsecurity at workConsiders own mental and emotional resilience in order to beable to support patients and their families at end of lifeUses equipment appropriately, once trained and instructs carersin the use and care of simple equipmentEquality and Diversity (KSF 2)Support equality and valuediversityTreat everyone with dignity and respectAllow others to express their views even when different from theirownDo not discriminate or offer a lesser service because of othersdifferences or different viewpointsChallenge bias, prejudice and intolerance if appropriate or bring itto the attention of their line managerUse clear language when carrying out duties that patients andfamilies can relate toIs aware of the impact of their own behaviour on others

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A nationally recognised qualification/apprenticeship in health & social care at Level 2 or above or the equivalent level of knowledge and skills gained through relevant experience
• Ability and willingness to undertake appropriate training for required clinical activities
• A national recognised qualification/apprenticeship in health & social care, or palliative care, at Level 3 or above (e.g., City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in End of
• Life Care)

Experience

• Willingness to develop palliative care knowledge and skills for caring for patients at the end of life
• Experience of working in a health or social care setting
• Be able to work as a member of a team
• Basic IT skills
• Good numeracy and literacy skills
• Experience of working in patients homes
• Experience of working with patients at the end of life
• Experience of working with multiple teams
• Experience of working independently with the support
• from a registered nurse

Additional Criteria

• Committed to providing high quality patient care
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Able to adapt quickly to changing situations
• Ability to support people in a highly distressed state
• Able to complete documentation accurately
• Able to demonstrate an awareness of healthcare policies and procedures
• Strong IT skills: previous use of word, outlook
• Experience of using EMIS

Additional Criteria

• An understanding and empathy for the work of the Hospice
• Have a full driving licence and have access to a vehicle during working hours
• Compassionate and trustworthy
• Ability to establish good relationships with work colleagues, patients and families
• Flexible and adaptable to change, able to work a range of shifts
• Enthusiasm and commitment to working with patients at the end of their lives and their families

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.