Job summary
The Hospice at Home service cares for patients across Cambridgeshire who choose to remain in their own home in their last weeks of life. We are holistic in our approach and the care is tailored to each persons specific needs. The compassionate team of Nurses and Healthcare Assistants provide practical and holistic care supporting patients and their families in their homes. You will work directly and alone with patients and families in their own homes, on a shift basis over 7 days. Please also note that we have full-time and part-time hours available for the role based in Wisbech.
These roles work within a team to assist in the delivery of nursing and palliativecare, ensuring the highest standard of care are received by patients and theirfamilies in their own home.
There might be possible work with other care agency staff or in residential/nursing homes as well.
Please note that the salary quoted is based on full time hours and needs to be pro-rata'd for part time posts. We regret that we are unable to negotiate salary above the maximum stated within the advert.
Main duties of the job
Colleagues working within our Hospice at Home (HaH) team cover a wide geographical area, from Tydd St Giles in the North of the county down to Saffron Walden in the South, and everywhere in between. Although allocated to either the Cambridge (South team) or Wisbech (north team) base, colleagues work flexibly as one team in order to meet patient needs wherever they may be. For this reason, we are pleased to offer mileage expense rates in excess of HMRC. Whilst every effort is made to allocate patients close to where you live, this is not always possible we ask all of our colleagues to be flexible and attend patients wherever they are located.
If you have a relevant healthcare experience, then we would like to hear from you!
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults who draw on care and support and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are committed to inclusivity, respect, fairness, engagement and equality of opportunity for our patients and their families, our staff and trustees, our volunteers and our supporters.
About us
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity has an outstanding reputation for excellence in palliative and end of life care. We support people in Cambridgeshire, who are living with life-limiting illnesses and advance conditions. Our positive and practical services deliver care, counselling and education, helping patients to live well and their families to live on.
We value the strength that comes with difference and the positive contribution that diversity brings to our community, therefore, candidates with a disability that meet the minimum criteria will be guaranteed an interview. We are also working to increase diversity throughout the organisation and we particularly welcome applications from BAME people who are currently under-represented.
We value our staff and offer a range of benefits:
1. Personal Pension Plan (with ability to retain membership of NHS Pension Scheme subject to qualifying criteria),
2. Employee Assistance Programme,
3. Cycle to Work Scheme,
4. Study leave,
5. Lease cars (eligibility criteria applies),
6. Generous holiday entitlement,
7. Access to Occupational Health Services,
8. Flexible working,
9. Ongoing training,
10. Payroll Giving option,
11. Group Life Assurance,
12. Long Service Awards,
13. Social events,
14. Christmas savings scheme and staff discounts to our in-house Bistro and Salon HD.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Hospice atHome service cares for patients throughout Cambridgeshire who choose to remainin their own home in their last weeks of life. We are holistic in our approachand the care is tailored to each persons specific needs. The compassionateteam of Nurses and Healthcare Assistants provide practical and holistic caresupporting patients and their families.
Job Purpose:
Towork within a team to assist in the delivery of nursing and palliative care,ensuring the highest standard of care are received by patients and theirfamilies in their own home.
Main Responsibilities:
15. Contributeto the delivery of a planned programme of care under the direction of theRegistered Nurse
16. Tocarry out tasks involving direct patient care and support to patients and families
17. Toact within the limits of your competency and authority
18. Contributeto the effectiveness of the team by participating in the multi disciplinaryteam working to support individuals in their own homes.
19. Promotethe privacy, dignity and confidentiality of patients at all times
Clinical Intervention:
20. Report general observations and feedback to the Registered Nurse both verbally and in written formats on system one, including any significant changes in the patients condition
21. Undertake specific duties that contribute to the assessment of patients as requested by the Registered Nurse
22. Seek appropriate advice and support from the Registered Nurse during occasions when patients or their carers become distressed
23. Adhere to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity Infection Prevention and Control Policy
24. Maintain the dignity of the patient at all times whilst dealing with aspects of personal care
25. Communicate effectively with patients, carers, staff and other professionals. Use a variety of verbal and non-verbal skills to overcome communication barriers presented by patients due to their cognitive or impaired sensory deficits.
26. Support individuals and carers to cope with their emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being
27. Maintain accurate patient records in accordance with the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity Record Keeping policy
28. Plan with registered professionals activities, interventions or treatments to achieve specified goals and care plans
29. Contribute to care planning by monitoring and evaluating therapeutic interventions within an overall programme of care
30. Help individuals to retain, regain and develop the skills to manage their lives and environment including enabling individuals to use assistive technology
31. Work in collaboration with family/carers to enable them to support individuals
32. Extra skills that can be used within the community must be competency assessed yearly and can only be carried out under the Arthur Rank Hospice Delegation Policy and under the guidance of a Registered Nurse, such as wound care.
33. Demonstrate the ability to use basic listening skills with patients and their relatives/carers when appropriate
34. Under the guidance of a Registered Nurse, maximise physical comfort and well-being of patients in terms of hygiene, mobility, toileting and nutritional needs
35. To exercise care and economy in the use of stores
36. Support volunteers, students and colleagues.
Special feature of the job
37. The service provides care 7 days a week across Cambridgeshire and clinical staff are rostered to provide this coverage. Whilst the rosters are created 5- 8 weeks in advance, there may be exceptional circumstances in which the job holder will need to be flexible to change a scheduled rota at short notice in times of clinical staffing crisis.
Personal Development
38. Develop your own knowledge and practice and reflect on and evaluate your own values, priorities, interests and effectiveness. Monitor your own work practice.
39. With the support of the team leader take responsibility for attending clinical supervision and staff de briefing sessions.
40. All staff are encouraged to contribute to identifying and meeting their own job-related development needs. This will be achieved through a variety of processes including 1-21s with line managers or senior colleagues, annual appraisal and development reviews.
41. All employees are subject to an annual appraisal and to maximise the benefit from this process the employee must engage in the review and agree with their Line Manager organisational, team and personal objectives
42. Each employee must co-operate and attend all appropriate mandatory and statutory training as required by the organisation.
Health and Safety
43. Attends statutory training with respect to moving and handling, fire safety and basic life support
44. Reports any defect in equipment immediately to the person with overall responsibility at that time.
45. Undertake dynamic risk assessments
46. Under the direction of the Registered Nurse, play a specific role in maintaining a safe environment for patients, staff and families
47. Ensure your own actions reduce risks to health and safety. Minimise the risk of spreading infection by cleaning, disinfection and storing care equipment. Ensure your actions contribute to a positive and safe working culture.
48. Protect individuals from abuse
49. Support the safeguarding of individuals
Key working relationships
50. Patientsand families providing personal care to patients and emotional/spiritualsupport and guidance to patients and families
51. Colleagues working with all members of the MDT to plan and deliver specialist care andescalating information or concerns about patients to the Registered Nurse
52. Otheragencies sharing information regarding patient care needs to relevantagencies
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
53. Experience as a Healthcare Assistant (or equivalent) in a hospice, hospital or community setting
54. Experience of working Independently
Skills/Ability/Knowledge
Essential
55. Ability to empathise with the needs of the clients
56. Ability to work as part of a team
Qualifications
Essential
57. Good general education
58. NVQ2 or willingness to undertake
Qualities and Attributes
Essential
59. Ability to work under pressure and in difficult/emotional situations
60. Interest in the provision of palliative care
Other Requirements
Essential
61. Car driver