Job Title: Healthcare Assistant Flexibank
Reporting To: Head of IPU
Accountable to: Patient Services Director
Responsible for: Participating as one of the multi-professional specialist palliative care team in the provision of a co-ordinated and comprehensive palliative care service to patients and their families.
Hours: Twilight hours - 18:30 – Midnight across the week and weekends
Location: Aylesford Kent
Salary: £13.10 per hour
Closing Date: 28th September however we reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier, should we get a strong calibre of candidates.
About the Role
We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to join the Inpatient Unit team as a Healthcare Assistant on a Flexi Bank contract covering the twilight hours between 18:30 and midnight. You will support the work of the Inpatient Unit providing a comprehensive palliative care service to patients and their families. Proven experience at this level preferred.
Successful applicants will be expected to work twilight hours across the week and weekends.
Main Responsibilities include:
· Participate and prioritise the daily nursing care provision of the highest possible standard of physical, psychological, social and spiritual care for patients and their relatives.
· Assist in ensuring patients are nursed in a safe, friendly, clean, comfortable and welcoming environment, which promotes adequate rest and sleep.
· Promote an environment where relatives may participate appropriately as partners in a caring team.
· Assist in the meeting of patient's nutritional needs
· Assist with and encourage the use of divisional and leisure activities e.g. day therapy, complementary therapies, occupational therapies and physiotherapy.
· Undertake routine interventions as delegated by a registered nurse including routine urine collection and testing, simple dressings, stoma care, testing and recording of blood sugars, taking and recording temperatures, pulse, respiration and blood pressure, supervise patients taking oral drugs and administer inhalers, nebulisers and creams under the direct supervision of a registered nurse.
Essential Criteria for the Role
· Minimum entry requirements - NVQ Level 2 in direct care and be willing to undertake further education, training and development.
· Possess previous experience as a Healthcare Assistant or equivalent in a hospital/hospice or other care environment
· Flexible – able to work twilight hours across the week and weekends
· Demonstrate the ability to use initiative in a workplace environment
· Be able to work as part of a team with both staff and volunteers
· Demonstrate an awareness of current issues in palliative care and a commitment to the principles of good palliative care.
About the Hospice
At Heart of Kent Hospice, we believe that everyone deserves compassionate, expert care when there is no cure for their illness and when they have a limited time left to live.
We are a charity and we don't charge a penny for our care. We depend on the compassion and kindness of you, the people of this community, to power our services and ensure that everyone gets the help they need.
We provide specialist care and support to adults who have a terminal illness as well as their families, friends and carers. We help people to live as fully and as well as possible for the rest of their lives and ensure that their final days are comfortable and peaceful,
wherever they choose to be. We treat every individual as the unique and special person that they are. Everything we do is tailored and personalised.
Our vision is that everyone living with a terminal illness in our community will have the best quality of life. Our purpose is to enable people with a terminal illness in our community to live with comfort, independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support those closest to them. All our care is underpinned by our core values of compassion, integrity, respect and teamwork. These values guide our decision-making and how we conduct ourselves in our work and every one of our colleagues plays an important part in enabling us to give our patients and their families the best possible care.
If you're passionate about our cause consider joining our team.
Benefits of Working at the Hospice
At the Hospice we offer a competitive remuneration package including contributory pension scheme with NEST or the option to continue in the NHS pension scheme specifically if you have been contributing in the NHS pension for the last year, life assurance (2 x salary), employee assistance programme, incremental increases in annual leave from 27 days or 19 shifts per annum, up to 33 days or 23 shifts per annum, a flexible/hybrid working approach (where practical and appropriate for the role - 3/5 days at the Hospice location), a warm and friendly atmosphere with a focus on your health and wellbeing. We support our colleagues and volunteers with on-going training and development, celebrating excellence and rewarding success. Full details will be provided if selected for interview.
For more information about what it's like to work with us please contact Julie Lucas, Head of IPU Job description and application form can be found on our 'Work with us' page on our website.
We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity in all its forms and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, identities and disabilities.
All shortlisted applicants for interview must complete our application form in full.
An enhanced DBS Check will be required if you are successfully appointed.
It is a criminal offence for people who are barred from working in Regulated Activity (under the Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups Act 2006) to apply for roles that require them to work unsupervised with Adults/Children at risk.
Registered Charity No 298164
Pay: £13.10 per hour
Work Location: In person