Health Care Assistant - Cork

depaul; Cork; On-site; EUR 31,047 - 37,946; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave for up to 3 years service

Health Assistance plan

Pension matched by the employer

Job summary

Depaul in Cork is seeking a Health Care Assistant for a 12-month fixed-term contract. The successful candidate will provide essential personal care and hygiene support to residents, ensuring their dignity and well-being in line with Depaul’s standards.

The role includes monitoring residents' needs, assisting with medication, and maintaining a safe living environment. Applicants should have relevant healthcare experience and a QQI/FETAC level 5 qualification.

Qualifications

• One year’s full-time experience as Health Care Assistant, preferably in a residential setting.
• Experience in assisting with personal care management is essential.
• Infection Control and Manual Handling certifications.

Responsibilities

• Assist residents with daily care, hygiene, and nutritional needs.
• Monitor and report health concerns to the nurse.
• Support residents in taking their medication as prescribed.

Skills

Personal care experience

Team communication

Crisis response

Understanding of Health and Safety

Education

QQI/FETAC level 5 Healthcare Support Major Award

Good standard education

Job description

Health Care Assistant - Cork

12 Month Fixed Term Contract (with the possibility of extension)

€34,497.25 / Annum

Full Time 35 Hours / Week

Scope of Responsibility

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to provide support to our organisation’s central services in Cork. Depaul is a values-led organisation working with a number of services throughout the Republic of Ireland. This role will report directly to the Local Management Team and will be responsible for ensuring that the day-to-day personal care, hygiene and nutritional needs of high support need residents and infection control in their personal living areas. This is an exciting opportunity to join a diverse team of talented individuals.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Offer personal care & support in regard to hygiene issues in accordance with Depaul’s career standards, to uphold the dignity and respect of the residents
• Prompting service users to take their medication regularly.
• Assisting high support needs residents with getting up in the morning, washing dressing and changing of clothes, incontinence management etc. in privacy of rooms.
• Monitor for pressure areas occurring and know what measures to put in place to prevent them.
• As required, adapt levels of assistance to needs of particular residents, encouraging maximum levels of independence.
• Apply the Depaul Carer’s personal standard of hygiene in assisting in the prevention of infection.
• Operate effectively to prevent cross-infection, using recognised Infection Control measures.
• Assist with maintaining a safe and hygienic environment for residents
• Offer laundry support for residents – in particular those with incontinence issues.
• Support and assist residents where possible to be active themselves in maintaining good standards of cleanliness in bedrooms.
• Ensure the nutritional needs of residents are met. Assist with feeding of residents when required.
• Promote and support the importance of a well‑balanced diet for residents with high support care needs
• Where appropriate ensure that food is stored hygienically and safely.
• Offer support and intervene, as directed by the nurse, to the residents in regard hydration and nutrition.
• Liaise with Shift Co‑ordinator, as often as required, and participate fully in Handovers, when in attendance
• Link in with on‑site nurse daily, as required, especially in regard to resident care.
• Report health issues or concerns to Nurse, Shift co‑ordinator and LMT as required.
• Report all Incidents (as instructed by the Local Management), as per Depaul’s Incident Management procedure.
• Alert a manager of any crisis or behaviour management issues and to use on‑call manager, if no local manager present.
• Support other staff in maintaining good order and organisation in the house.
• If required, at the direction of a manager or Nurse, accompany residents to medical/health related appointments.
• Support residents in taking their daily medication and keep appropriate records as per the medication standards on‑site.
• Ensure that Health and Safety standards are met within the service in accordance with Depaul’s Health and Safety policy and localised safety statement.
• Undertake assigned duties regarding the overall security of the house and to use security systems put in place.
• Report all Health & Safety issues and manage same, as appropriate to your role.
• Work collaboratively with other carers and all other staff in the best interests of the residents.
• Use the formal communication systems of the service (i.e. Communications book, Case Notes, Handover records etc.) to ensure effective communication between shifts and other staff.
• The above list is not exhaustive; additional areas of responsibility may be added over time and flexibility to cover for other staff roles is required from time to time.

Person Requirements

• One year’s full time experience as Health Care Assistant, preferably in a residential setting. It is essential that you have experience in assisting with personal care management. It is desirable to have experience/ interest in dealing with homelessness, substance misuse problems and mental health issues.
• Good standard education.
• QQI/FETAC level 5 Healthcare Support Major Award to work as a Health Care Assistant.
• Infection Control and Manual Handling.
• Understand why people become homeless and the issues they present with, and what supports can be offered in services to service users with complex needs.
• Understanding of risk management principles.
• Capable of responding calmly in a crisis and use your own initiative to deal with incidents as they arise.
• Be able to work as part of a team understanding the importance of team communication.
• Have an understanding of Health and Safety and the health and safety requirements within a residential setting working with homeless people.
• Have a knowledge and understanding of the vision, mission and values of Depaul.

Equal Opportunities

Depaul strives to create a diverse and inclusive programme and is committed to ensuring equality of access to our opportunities and equality of treatment for our staff in all our policies and practices. We welcome applications from individuals aged 18 and over from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Benefits

• Annual Leave – up to 3 years' service: 25 days per year
• 3 years – up to 5 years' service: 27 days per year
• Over 5 years' service: 30 working days per year (exclusive of bank and statutory holidays)
• 10 public holidays each year with Good Friday as discretionary day.
• Day off and day pay for Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day, and New Year's Day worked for shift workers.
• Non-Shift Workers: Paid day off on public holidays.
• Shift Workers: Expected to work on public holidays; receive an additional day of annual leave in lieu.
• Non-Rostered Employees: May be entitled to one-fifth of the normal weekly rate of remuneration for the public holiday.
• Pension matched by the employer.
• Health Assistance – each staff member gets access to a health cash plan so you can claim money back, up to set limits, on a number of treatments. This includes dental, optical, acupuncture and many more. Your children under 16 are also included on the plan.
• Life Assurance – four times salary.
• Maternity / Adoptive Leave – 18 weeks full pay.
• Paternity Leave – 2 weeks full pay.
• Sick Leave – Entitlement to sick pay starting from day 1 with level of entitlement increasing with length of service (subject to policy terms).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – a confidential counselling service that provides support to company employees and their families. It is available 24/7, 365 days a year covering counselling, legal advice, financial information, career guidance, life coaching, mediation, health information, cancer support, autism support, infertility and pregnancy loss, elder care support, parent coaching and international employee support.
• Learning and Development – Depaul’s Vision, Mission and Values course, which involves travel to meet the Depaul International family.
• Emerging Leaders – support workers that would like to develop their leadership skills and to progress to a management role.
• Online learning resources within Depaul’s award nominated online learning platform, Moodle. Mandatory training including MAPA, Health and Safety, Child Protection, Fire Safety, and First Aid.