Overview
We are looking for a compassionate, enthusiastic and caring Healthcare Assistant, who is reliable and flexible to join our Dementia and Delirium Team. The role will entail working across all inpatient wards within acute and community services to support patients and ward staff in caring for those who have dementia and are at risk of developing a delirium. It will involve helping to develop care plans and personalised meaningful activities, with excellent communication skills essential. The successful candidate will need to be confident in liaising with families and carers of patients. The role includes working with the wider MDT to share assessments and knowledge to help facilitate appropriate discharges in a timely manner.
If you have good interpersonal and organisational skills, enjoy a challenge and have a passion to deliver a high standard of patient care, then this is the opportunity for you.
Responsibilities
* Organise and plan your own caseload delegated by and in discussion with senior team members to meet service and patient priorities, readjusting plans as situations change.
* Ensure your practice meets Trust standards and aligns with Trust policies.
* Engage in ongoing personal/professional development by attending courses, clinical supervision and peer supervision on a regular basis.
* Comply with Trust and departmental policies and procedures.
* Operate appropriate Information and Digital Technology systems to contribute to record keeping and data analysis under guidance from Trust policy.
* Work with patients with dementia to improve their mental health, physical health and wellbeing through therapeutic activities.
* Be confident in supporting ward staff with management strategies for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
* Identify patients admitted with dementia or delirium and proactively contact them and their families/carers.
* Ensure appropriate documentation and flagging is in place and appropriate referrals are made.
* Liaise with wards to ensure "What matters to me" documents are meaningfully completed.
* Establish relationships with patients and regularly engage with individuals and their families/carers to identify support needs while in hospital.
Qualifications & Experience
* Essential: Adult/elderly rehabilitation, nursing, care worker experience.
* Essential: Post holder will be required to achieve NVQ 2/3 or equivalent in care/rehabilitation if not already held.
* Essential: Sound patient interviewing skills. Basic computer skills. Professional and patient-focused approach with inspirational skills, acting as a role model to colleagues and junior staff.
* Essential: Ability to implement basic treatment plans with appropriate support from the therapist.
* Essential: Evidence of a good standard of Literacy / English language skills; good time management; flexibility and adaptability to meet the needs of the patients; excellent interpersonal skills; good verbal and written communication; appropriate use of initiative and ability to work as an integrated team member or under own initiative; willingness to learn and develop new skills; awareness of impact of distressing circumstances on care and compassion.
Other Requirements
* This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require a Disclosure to be submitted to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB).
Employer details
* Employer: Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
* Address: Musgrove Park Hospital, Musgrove Road, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 5DA
* Employer's website: https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/
Job specifics
* Band: 3
* Salary: £24,625 to £25,674 a year
* Contract: Permanent
* Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share
* Locations: Musgrove Park Hospital (Taunton) and Yeovil District Hospital (Yeovil), Somerset
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