Overview
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. 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.
Care may be provided at The Ark or in the community, helping parents and carers take time for themselves and enabling families to live life beyond their child\'s condition. You will be a senior carer who passes on skills by supporting and training junior colleagues, and you will lead care planning reviews, projects and meetings. Your commitment to children and families will continue through end-of-life care, acting as a guiding, reassuring presence for families and working with other healthcare professionals to maximise comfort.
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. We cater our services to each individual, from the point of diagnosis, and our help is available wherever it is needed — at home, in the community, or at our state-of-the-art building, The Ark, in Barnet. We collaborate with NHS Trusts and other care providers to deliver the best support to children and families. We foster a space where children with complex needs are accepted, safe to play, explore, express themselves and build confidence.
Details
Date posted: 05 September 2025
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £31,000 to £33,696 a year FTE
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: RT1212316BarSCB
Job location: The Ark, Byng Rd, Barnet, Greater London, EN5 4NP
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. As part of the Specialist Care Team you will facilitate clinical and holistic care to babies, children and young people in our care. You will work in the Woodlands inpatient unit, families\' homes and in the community, delivering high-quality family-centred palliative care. You will work across a rota including days, evenings and weekends, with travel across our operating region. You will work with internal and external multidisciplinary teams and may act as a lone worker in the community. Shift patterns include weekends, bank holidays, early mornings/evenings and nights. You will safeguard all children and young people by responding to concerns promptly and escalating in line with policies and procedures.
About you
You will enjoy creating experiences, activities and play for those in your care, and you will work with your team to meet clinical needs. You will adhere to policies and procedures, underpinned by clinical competency, and be supervised by a Senior Specialist Carer and/or Registered Nurse. A full driving licence and access to your own vehicle for business use are essential.
Additional information
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
We commit to interviewing 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 constructing positive changes within our organisation, and we particularly welcome applications from groups under-represented in our staff.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications. Please submit your application as early as possible.
Person specification
Qualifications (Essential)
* Minimum of GCSE grade C in English and Maths (or equivalent)
* QCF/NVQ level 2 or 3 in health/health and social care (or equivalent) or care certificate
Skills / Knowledge / Experience (Essential)
* At least 2 years experience of working with or caring for babies, children and young people with life-threatening or 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 the ability to manage own caseload
* Evidence of supporting/teaching junior colleagues
Desirable
* Experience with babies, children and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions, including those with special needs
* Experience leading meetings/projects/care plan reviews
Behavioural / Personal (Essential)
* Enthusiastic and keen to learn
* Kind, caring and committed to high-quality care
* Flexible availability to work unsocial hours
* Confidence and initiative for lone work and teamwork
* Desire to develop nursing care skills in self and others
* Willingness to undertake ongoing competency-based training
* Professional boundaries with children, young people and their families
* Aligned with Noah\'s Ark values: kindness, courage and excellence
Misc (Essential)
* Enhanced DBS with Child & Adult Barring
* Willing to undergo Occupational Health Assessment and immunisations where applicable
* Full UK driving licence
* Proof 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 a disclosure check will be required.
Employer details
Employer: Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice
Address: The Ark, Byng Rd, Barnet, Greater London, EN5 4NP
Employer\'s website: https://www.noahsarkhospice.org.uk/
#J-18808-Ljbffr