Job summary
This role may be perfect for you if you are currently, or have been, a Healthcare Assistant. At Noah’s Ark you'll have 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 sooths 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 cares 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 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 families 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 description
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.
As part of the Specialist Care Team you will be required to facilitate clinical and holistic care to babies, children and young people in our care. You will be required to work in our Woodlands inpatient unit, our families’ homes and in the community, delivering the highest quality family centred palliative care. You will need to be available to work a variety of shifts across a rota including days, evenings and weekends. There will also be regular travel across our operating region. Specialist Carers provide care for children and young people with life threatening and/or life limiting conditions and support for their families and carers. This will involve working collaboratively with the family, and internal and external multidisciplinary teams and colleagues. You will use your skills, knowledge and expertise in a variety of situations within the hospice as well as out in the community and in family homes. You will be trained and competent to work as a lone worker in the community. Shift patterns will include a rotation of weekend, bank holidays, early morning/evening and night shifts, which are an integral part of the service delivery. You will safeguard all children and young people accessing our services, by responding to concerns raised in a timely and appropriate manner and effectively escalating these in accordance with policies and procedures.
ABOUT YOU
You will enjoy creating experiences, activities and play for those in your care, as well as working with your team to ensure their clinical needs are met. You will understand and adhere to policies and procedures at all times, underpinned by competency in clinical skills, and will be supervised by a Senior Specialist Carer and/or Registered Nurse. A full driving licence and access to your own vehicle for business use is essential to cover our wide geographical operating region
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 organisation, and we particularly welcome applications from groups who are currently under-represented in our staff.
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.
Behavioural / Personal
* Enthusiastic and keen to learn.
* Kind, caring and committed to provide 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 an 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 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 drivers licence.
* Provide Evidence of right to work in the UK.
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