Job Summary
Job Summary As we move forward with our strategy and develop our services, we are recruiting for Band 3 Palliative Care Support Workers to join the Inpatient Unit (IPU) Team. If you are a dedicated and proactive Health Care Assistant/Support Worker with an interest in working in End-of-Life Care we would like to hear from you. Joining the Hospice in this role will involve providing specialist palliative care for our patients and support for their families. You will also work closely with the registered nurses and the wider multi-disciplinary team to ensure a holistic approach to care.
Main duties of the job
* To provide direct nursing care to patients on the inpatient unit
* To participate in and deliver care for patients requiring symptom control, terminal care, psychological, social, and spiritual care
* To work a variety of shift patterns and lengths of shift dependant on patient requirement
* To clearly document all care given
* To work collaboratively with MDT
About Us
We have spent over 40 years helping people die in peace, and with dignity. Combining compassion with clinical expertise, we provide patients with the best possible care at the end of their lives. We’re here for the people around our patients too—those closest to them. Before, during and after a bereavement, we provide support that’s remembered forever. We want to help many more people to die well, and we’re achieving this by teaching others. As a centre of educational excellence, we share our skills with other health professionals, helping the NHS and care homes to provide better end-of-life care. We’re here for all, for free, forever.
Details
* Date posted: 20 January 2026
* Pay scheme: Agenda for change
* Band: Band 3
* Salary: £24,937 to £26,598 a year
* Contract: Permanent
* Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
* Reference number: STP1169115
* Job locations: St Peter's Hospice, Charlton Road, Bristol, Somerset, BS10 6NL
Job Description
Job responsibilities
Within this enhanced role the post holder will support and work closely with the registered nurses to deliver a high standard of care to patients, families, and their carers in a safe and supportive environment without the need for direct supervision. To be an active member of the multi-professional team. The post holder will always maintain a compassionate and professional attitude. Contributes to the high-quality safe care given on the inpatient unit and St Peters Hospice. Contributes to the positive, inclusive, and supportive culture of the inpatient unit. Participates in the training of other healthcare assistants and other members of the team. Understands own level of responsibility and accountability in relation to registered staff. Communicates clearly, effectively and appropriately with the multidisciplinary team, patients and their family, visitors, and carers. Assist and provide personal care to patients. Following appropriate training undertake a range of specific clinical skills for patients that demonstrate an enhanced level of competency. Complete documentation of care in line with SPH Documentation standards using both paper and electronic systems. The post holder will function at a competency level in line with the requirements of the post and achieve and maintain both mandatory and statutory training requirements associated with the role. Demonstrates working in line with the IPU behaviour framework. Communications: maintain a high standard of personal behaviour and ensure effective communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team, patients, carers, and relatives. Recognise the need to utilise alternative methods of communication. Use paper and electronic systems to retrieve and record patient information. Communicate with patients, carers, and families in a sensitive, supportive, and caring manner, considering their individual personal beliefs and preferences. Apply the principles of information governance and patient confidentiality to all aspects of their role. Actively participate and contribute to discussions about patient care and department issues at handover and unit meetings. Ensure all documentation is completed accurately and legibly and in accordance with hospice policy and Information Governance requirements. Obtain verbal consent from the patient before any clinical intervention is undertaken. Answer the phone/greet visitors promptly in a polite and professional manner and deal with enquiries as appropriate, passing on written and verbal information as required to colleagues and patients. Be able to answer the advice line out of hours, document information and pass on information to the appropriate registered nurse to action. In instances when a patient/visitor raises concerns or a complaint, inform a registered nurse. Seek and acknowledge constructive feedback and encourage others to do so. Escalate concerns and incidents through the appropriate route.
Personal and People Development
Actively participate in, and contribute to, the individual performance review and development process. Support and mentor new PCSWs as required. Role model best practice. Welcome and support all staff working on a placement in the IPU. Keep up to date with all mandatory and statutory training. Actively engage in education and learning that will benefit patient care. Participate in the IPU teaching programme. Maintain clinical competencies relevant to the role. Be able to acknowledge limitations to competence and do not act outside of these. Alongside a Registered Nurse take responsibility of an allocated link role. Develop knowledge and share expertise with colleagues. Work to maintain your own physical and mental health to enable you to be fit and resilient for the role. Demonstrate flexibility and effective time management skills to prioritise and organise own workload and that of others acting on own initiative. Work confidently in the challenging clinical environment undertaking agreed clerical work as required.
Responsibility: Provision of Care to Meet Health and Wellbeing Needs
Act first and foremost to care for and safeguard the patients and the public, practice in a safe, compassionate, and patient-centred manner. Following completion of training, demonstrate an understanding of your role and responsibilities relating to safeguarding. Respond swiftly to individuals who require assistance, are in pain or distressed or using their call bell, where required report this to a registered nurse. Recognise when a patient is becoming agitated, confused or is non-compliant with their care or treatment, support colleagues when dealing with such patients, report this to a registered nurse. Recognise when a patient’s condition changes and seek advice and expertise from a registered practitioner. Obtain specimens ensuring accurate documentation and transportation to the appropriate department. Undertake infection control screening as requested. Undertake patient transfer/escort duties between clinical areas, completing all relevant documentation. Achieve and maintain competence in using a range of equipment relevant to your role. Undertake a range of delegated and specific clinical skills for patients such as blood pressure, pulse rate and rhythm (manual and electronic), temperature, height and weight, fluid balance, stool charts, food diary, blood glucose monitoring, urine testing/urinalysis, respiratory rate, oxygen saturations, bladder scanning. Following training and competency assessment assess and monitor the patient’s skin integrity, report and document immediately any concerns. Demonstrate clinical competencies to undertake minor dressings as specified in a patient’s care plan completed by a registered nurse. Obtain prompt assistance during an emergency as requested or using the emergency call bell. Assist patients of all genders with all aspects of personal care. Daily assist and support patients of all genders when mobilising, repositioning in bed or chair, while promoting independence using aids as appropriate. Recognise and understand the importance of adequate nutrition and hydration by serving food and drinks and assisting patients with feeding when necessary. Maintain any specific dietary instructions associated with individual patients. Recognise where a patient may display problems with swallowing and report to a registered nurse.
Health Safety and Security
Be aware and comply with all SPH policies and procedures governing Health and Safety and clinical practice. Actively promote the prevention of cross infection to and from all patients, visitors, staff, and the environment by encouraging and educating others in the use of standard precautions. Maintain a clean and tidy environment including cleaning of equipment and medical devices. Ensure that prior to using any medical device you are trained and competent. Report any accidents, incidents and near misses to a registered nurse and via the SPH reporting system. Report and raise concerns in relation to poor practice, attitude, and behaviour of any health care professional through line management structures. Manage your own time effectively and ensure good timekeeping for shift start and breaks. Prepare patient rooms for new patients and orientate patients and their relatives and carers to the department and demonstrate bedroom facilities. Contributes to the high-quality safe care given on the inpatient unit and St Peters Hospice. Contributes to the positive, inclusive, and supportive culture of the inpatient unit.
Service Improvement
Contribute to continually monitor standards of nursing care and contribute to improvement of care through audit and research as required. Be alert to any possible improvement to service and make suggestions as appropriate.
Quality
Following direction from a registered nurse undertake aspects of care for a patient/group of patients. Practise in accordance with agreed standards of care within your level of competence. Assist in audits and research as required. Seek support for self and others following an untoward incident. Report and raise concerns in relation to poor practice, attitude, and behaviour of any health care professional through appropriate channels. Report all incidents and accidents according to SPH Policy and report to registered nurses. Ensure all faulty equipment is taken out of service, cleaned, labelled correctly, and sent for repair. Ensure all equipment is cleaned correctly. Actively promote the prevention of cross infection to and from all patients, visitors, staff and the environment. Adhere to universal precautions and safe disposal of waste products.
Person Specification
Essential
* Qualifications: Minimum of NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care or relevant Health care experience
Desirable
* Care certificate
* Experience: Previous relevant Health care Experience
* Recent experience in the community or hospital setting
* Basic IT Experience
* Willingness to develop palliative care knowledge and clinical skills that would benefit patient care
* Good numeracy and literacy skills
* Palliative care experience
* Knowledge of the role in relation to palliative care
* Excellent communication skills verbal and non-verbal
* Ability to maintain competence in a range of clinical skills following training
* Ability to participate in MDT discussions
* Ability to mentor members of the team
* Ability to contribute to relevant teaching and link roles within IPU
* An understanding and empathy for the work of the Hospice
* Able to work as part of a team and independently
* Driving license and own transport
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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
* Employer name: St Peters Hospice
* Address: St Peter's Hospice, Charlton Road, Bristol, Somerset, BS10 6NL
* Employer's website: https://www.stpetershospice.org.uk
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