Specialist Carer Grade 6 (equivalent to Band 4)
This role may be perfect for you if you are currently, or have been, a Healthcare Assistant. At Noah’s Ark you'll have the opportunity to build on your experience and be trained to a more specialist level.
Main duties of the job
We’re expanding our team and are looking for more Specialist Carers to join our charity. You’ll be joining an award-winning, certified Outstanding team, who do all they can to empower children and families to experience as much life as possible.
As a Specialist Carer, you’ll provide life-changing care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. You’ll do this by working in collaboration with their family, multidisciplinary teams, and your other Noah’s Ark colleagues.
You’ll be encouraged to put the experience of children and families at the heart of all you do. As well as understanding their clinical needs, you’ll get to know what’s important to each child you support. Whether it’s knowing what their favourite song to listen to is, how they like to play, or what soothes them when they are sad - at Noah’s Ark it’s so important that each child is treated as an individual. You’ll focus on what children can do, rather than their limitations, and will support them to experience things they may never have thought possible.
And by providing care for children, either at our state-of-the-art building, The Ark, or out in the community, you’ll be allowing parents and carers to take some time for themselves. The hours of care you’ll provide will make a huge difference, allowing them to live life outside of their child’s condition. By creating this time, you’ll be creating choice – something which can feel impossible for the families we support.
You will be a senior carer in our team and will pass on your skills and experience by supporting and training junior colleagues. You will actively lead care planning reviews, projects, and meetings.
Your commitment to children and families will continue through end-of-life care. You’ll be a guiding, reassuring presence for families, and working with other healthcare professionals to create as much comfort as possible.
About us
We exist to help babies, children, and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and their families, make the most of every day. Our mission is to enable those we support to enjoy life as children, not patients; as families, not just as carers.
Because everyone deserves to live life as themselves, beyond their condition or circumstances. We do this by listening to families. We know one size doesn’t fit all, so we cater our services to each individual person we support. We can do this from the point of diagnosis.
Our help is available wherever it is needed. Our expert staff and trained volunteers can provide support in a family’s home, in the community, or at our state-of-the-art building, The Ark, in Barnet. We work in collaboration with key NHS Trusts and other care providers to deliver the very best support to children and families. We have created a space where children with complex needs are accepted as they are, safe to play, explore, express themselves, and build confidence.
Job responsibilities
This role may be perfect for you if you are currently, or have been, a Healthcare Assistant. Here, you'll have the opportunity to build on your experience and be trained to a more specialist level.
We’re expanding our team and are looking for more Specialist Carers to join our charity. You’ll be joining an award-winning, certified Outstanding team, who do all they can to empower children and families to experience as much life as possible.
As a Specialist Carer, you’ll provide life-changing care for babies, children, and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. You’ll do this by working in collaboration with their family, multidisciplinary teams, and your other Noah’s Ark colleagues.
You’ll be encouraged to put the experience of children and families at the heart of all you do. As well as understanding their clinical needs, you’ll get to know what’s important to each child you support. Whether it’s knowing what their favourite song to listen to is, how they like to play, or what soothes them when they are sad - at Noah’s Ark it’s so important that each child is treated as an individual. You’ll focus on what children can do, rather than their limitations, and will support them to experience things they may never have thought possible.
And by providing care for children, either at our state-of-the-art building, The Ark, or out in the community, you’ll be allowing parents and carers to take some time for themselves. The hours of care you’ll provide will make a huge difference, allowing them to live life outside of their child’s condition. By creating this time, you’ll be creating choice – something which can feel impossible for the families we support.
You will be a senior carer in our team and will pass on your skills and experience by supporting and training junior colleagues. You will actively lead care planning reviews, projects, and meetings.
Your commitment to children and families will continue through to end-of-life care. You’ll be a guiding, reassuring presence for families, and working with other healthcare professionals to create as much comfort as possible.
ABOUT YOU
You’ll have experience working with babies, children, and young people in a health, education, or social setting. You’ll understand the power of play and will enjoy creating experiences and activities for those you are caring for. You’ll be able to deliver tailored, high-quality care and will support your junior colleagues to do so too.
Aside from experience, we look for individuals who share our core values of kindness, excellence, and courage. We’ll support you to go above and beyond to be there for the children and families we support, and we ask that you share this mission with us.
You’ll thrive working autonomously and once you’ve received your training, you’ll be confident in your ability to deliver care on your own in the community. You’ll know the value of collaboration, and will work closely with your team members, other healthcare professionals, and the families you support to provide the very best care.
Creativity and play will be central to your approach to care, with the ability to build long-term relationships with the children and families you care for.
You will understand and adhere to policies and procedures at all times, underpinned by competency in clinical skills, working under the delegation of a registered children’s nurse.
You will be available to work a variety of shifts, including days, evenings, nights, and weekends.
You will have a full UK driving license and access to your own car. You will be paid for travel time, reimbursed for car parking, and will have a generous mileage allowance.
Kindly see attached job description for more information about this opportunity.
In addition, an enhanced DBS disclosure with Child Barring will be required for this post. Our recruitment checks, induction, ongoing support, and supervision reflect our commitment to safeguarding the families we support.
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice is a Disability Confident employer
Part of our commitment is to interview all applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy, and consider them based on their abilities.
Our Diversity Council is working hard to construct positive changes within our organization, and we particularly welcome applications from groups who are currently under-represented in our staff.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, we kindly advise you to submit your application as early as possible.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Minimum of GCSE grade C in English and Maths (or equivalent)
* QCF/ NVQ level 2 or 3 health / health and social care (or equivalent) or care certificate
Skills / Knowledge / Experience
* At least 2 years experience of working with or caring for babies, children, and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions, including children with special needs.
* Experience of providing play and fun when caring for babies, children, and young people.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Good organisational skills with ability to manage own caseload.
* Evidence of supporting / teaching junior colleagues.
* Experience working with babies, children, and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions, including those with special needs
* Experience of leading meetings, projects, link roles, or care plan reviews
Behavioural / Personal
* Enthusiastic and keen to learn.
* Kind, caring, and committed to providing high-quality care.
* Flexible availability to work unsocial hours - evenings, nights, weekends, last-minute changes.
* Confidence and initiative to lone work in different home environments and also work effectively as part of a team.
* Passionate to develop nursing care skills and competencies of self and others.
* Willingness to undertake ongoing competency-based training and assessment of complex nursing care.
* A mature approach to personal and professional boundary setting with children, young people, and their families.
* Live Noah’s Ark’s values - kindness, courage, and excellence.
Misc
* Enhanced DBS with Child & Adult Barring.
* Willing to undergo Occupational Health Assessment and receive immunisations where applicable.
* Full UK driver’s license.
* Provide evidence of right to work in the UK.
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.
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