Health Care Assistant - Community
The closing date is 21 June 2026
At St Michaels Hospice, we are committed to providing the highest quality of care to our patients and their families. As a member of our clinical team, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.
We are looking for a Health Care Assistant to join our evolving community team who is passionate about palliative care and has transferable skills and experience. You will be able to build a natural and trusted rapport with patients and families and provide compassionate care and support to those who need it most through home visits and telephone advice and support.
Main duties of the job
Our ideal candidate has excellent communication skills, sound judgement, and a real commitment to patient‑centered interdisciplinary team working. You will be able to openly and honestly support people with sensitive topics including loss, grief and dying.
While palliative care experience is desirable, it is not essential to join our Hospice team as a Health Care Assistant.
We invite you to spend the day with us to meet the team and gain insight into how you can make a difference to patients and their families by joining St Michaels Hospice.
About us
St Michaels Hospice supports and enables the community of Hastings and Rother to live well with dying, death and loss. Our services are provided via in‑patient beds and at home and we also offer Wellbeing support, both out‑patient and virtual.
We want to recruit and retain the most diversely talented people and have a workforce representative of our community. We aspire to be a place where everyone feels welcome; whether you are cared for or supported by us, employed by us, volunteer for us, or support us in any way. We recognise that being a diverse and inclusive organisation will enable us to achieve our vision of a kind, resilient and empowered community.
Job responsibilities
Work as a key member of the interdisciplinary team to meet the holistic needs of patients, their families and carers including supporting patients to fulfil their personal priorities and goals.
Work as part of the Specialist Palliative Care Telephone Support Line.
Provide the highest standard of palliative care including compassionate, dignified care for patients at the end of life and those close to them, in the Hospice or community setting.
Clinical care
2.1 Recognise and work within role limitations and personal competencies, informing registered professionals of any issues and seek support where needed.
2.2 Enable patients with activities of daily living with attention to their personal priorities, preferences and goals.
2.3 Enable delivery of personalised plans of care, considering the physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs of the patient and those important to them.
2.4 Contribute to assessment of patients and carers needs using best practice tools and outcome measures.
2.5 Practice a rehabilitative approach to palliative care to enable patients to be as independent as possible and participate in meaningful activities that enhance their quality of life.
2.6 Provide dignified, compassionate and respectful care to patients who are dying in line with personal end of life care plans.
2.7 Proactively identify and respond to the needs of family members and carers, including timely referral to members of the interdisciplinary team.
2.8 Support all registered professionals to provide care and support in person in patients homes in the community or over the telephone.
2.9 Understand the range of services offered across the integrated clinical team, including through the Wellbeing Programme, Bereavement Service and Sara Lee Trust, and proactively refer patients in a timely way.
2.10 Provide support and information to families and professional colleagues.
2.11 Support patients, families and carers contacting the Telephone Support Line through provision of information, onward referral and clinical escalation.
Interdisciplinary Working
2.13 Be committed to integrated teamwork and show respect for others.
2.14 Participate in and contribute knowledge of a patient and/ or family to interdisciplinary team meetings, family meetings and professionals meetings.
2.15 Contribute to the Transfer of Care between community and inpatient settings.
2.16 Liaise effectively with external partners including district nurses, care agencies and ambulance services in a timely way to support seamless patient care.
Communication and Relationships
2.17 Be aware of and actively demonstrate the St Michaels Hospice values in your practice.
2.18 Be fully respectful of equality and diversity, treating each person as a unique individual and supporting their choice and maintain dignity at all times.
2.19 Create a trusted rapport with patients and family members to explore sensitive topics including dying, death, loss and spiritual beliefs with empathy and compassion.
2.20 Consistently demonstrate effective verbal, non‑verbal and written communication with all members of the Hospice Integrated Clinical Team.
2.21 Uphold the highest standard of performance and conduct at all times.
2.22 Actively supervise and mentor any new Health Care Assistants joining the organisation.
2.23 Be aware of the Hospice vision, mission and strategy including a compassionate communitys approach.
Clinical Governance
2.24 Take responsibility for continuing professional development, participating in Education and Training opportunities.
2.25 Comply with the Hospice Statutory and Mandatory training requirements.
2.26 Be aware of the Care Quality Commission Key Domains: Safe, Caring, Responsive, Effective and Well‑led and be able to give examples of how you demonstrate these in your role.
2.27 Be fully aware of and act in accordance with all Hospice policies and procedures.
2.28 Maintain accurate, timely, patient healthcare records on the electronic patient record system.
2.29 Participate in relevant clinical governance subgroups.
2.30 Proactively maintain own health and wellbeing, participating in clinical supervision and seeking support in a timely way.
2.31 Evidence practice through a competency framework to a minimum of level 1.
Person Specification
Knowledge and skills
* Ability to demonstrate effective communication skills with colleagues, patients and others both in person and via telephone/ video call
* Ability to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team
* Keyboard skills and computer literacy
* Be willing to learn about Palliative, Holistic, Rehabilitative and Person‑Centered Care
* Knowledge of the challenges that can experienced when caring for patients with Long‑Term Conditions
* Knowledge of the challenges that can be experienced when caring for patients at the end of their life
Experience
* Experience of working with Adults in a Health Care setting
* Previous experience of working with patients at the end of life and supporting families
* Experience working with patients with long term conditions using a rehabilitative approach
Qualifications
* Good standard of general education in Maths and English
* Completed or working towards Level 3 Vocational Qualification in Health and Social Care
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.
Employer name
St Michael's Hospice (Hastings & Rother)
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