Main area ASCR Grade Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday (usually worked as four long days)) Job ref 339-ASCR7185-LMH
Employer North Bristol NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Bristol Breast Care Centre Town Bristol Salary £27,485 - £30,162 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 29/07/2025 23:59
Breast Cancer Support Worker
Band 4
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Job overview
Specialising in patients with breast cancer, the cancer support worker works as part of the cancer care team alongside registered practitioners to help improve and provide a personalised care and support package for patients and their families, supporting and signposting with the aim to facilitate a self managed approach and a firm understanding of their cancer pathway.
As a cancer support worker you can offer practical and emotional support, signpost and provide information around lifestyle changes such as diet and physical activity, and assist with benefits referrals and psychological support.
The Breast Care Centre is a busy unit with a friendly atmosphere and is an important part of North Bristol NHS Trust - we also support Breast Services at Weston Hospital so there may be some cross-site working.
Main duties of the job
To work as an integral part of the Breast Cancer Specialist Nursing team in providing a patient centred approach to their cancer journey using the Personalised Care & Support model. The cancer support worker will promote access to support services and assess patients individual needs and requirements in a holistic way and will do this by
* Working alongside the Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists
* Coordinating care by providing a single point of access
* Triaging patients, using a risk assessment framework and initiate appropriate response according to protocols
* Undertaking individual holistic needs assessments and care planning
* Providing basic face to face or telephone advice and refer on or sign-post to other sources of support
* Coordinating any necessary assessments
* Supporting information provision
* Guiding people through the use of self-assessment resources
* Participating in the organisation, delivery and administration of the Health and Wellbeing events and courses and other patient education sessions
* Documenting and monitor all aspects of care coordination and service delivery, supporting data collection for audit.
Communication skills and adaptability are essential as is the ability to work as part of a team but also autonomously managing your own caseload of patients and using initiative, but also recognising your own personal limitations and boundaries.
Working for our organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the job description attached for a full list of role responsibilities.
* To provide information and support about cancer and the services available to those affected by cancer to enable these people to navigate the health and social care system and make choices that are best for their own individual cancer and their life.
* A key aspect of the role involves daily and direct eg face to face/telephone communication with patients, relatives, carers and other health and social care professionals as part of the multidisciplinary team approach.
* To be proactive in identifying patients individual needs using approved tools and procedures to ensure these needs are met.
* To co-ordinate access to the right level of information and educational resources to support people in decision making, enable independence and support self management as appropriate.
* To demonstrate an awareness of the limits of personal practice and knowledge, and understand when to seek appropriate advice.
Person specification
Education/Training/Qualifications
* GCSE A*- D, or equivalent in English and Mathematics
* NVQ Level 4 or NVQ Level 3 plus additional training to diploma level in health and social care
Work Experience
* Relevant health & social care experience at Senior Healthcare Support Worker (AfC Band 3) level
* Experience in an administrative role & data management
* Experience of working in a multi-professional environment
* Experience of supporting/teaching patients & carers
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
* Evidence of good communication skills & the ability to communicate sensitively with patients
* Knowledge of cancer pathways and an understanding of patient-centred care
* Effective organisational skills
* Good observational, assessment & problem solving skills
* The ability to work within a team
If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.
Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.
If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.
North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.
At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.
Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Caroline Eden Job title Clinical Nurse Specialists in Breast Care Email address caroline.eden@nbt.nhs.uk Telephone number 0117 4147000 Additional information
If you wish to contact our existing Cancer Support Worker who can give you a personal insight into the role, please contact verity.orchard@nbt.nhs.uk
If you have problems applying, contact
Address People & Transformation Division
North Bristol NHS Trust
Southmead Hospital
BS10 5NB
Telephone 0117 4141151
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