• Job Description

  Req#: B0149-24-0012?language=en&page=1285&sort=publicationDateDesc

  Job summary

  Health Care Assistant

  Clinical Band 3: £23,730 - £25,310 FTE

  22.5 hours per week (Day and Night shifts)

  Permanent Contract

  Closing Date: 22 April 2024

  Interview Date: 30th April 2024

  Main duties of the job

  Are you dedicated to providing dignified end-of-life care? Weldmar Hospicecare, a leading independent charity in Dorset, seeks a compassionate Health Care Assistant to join our team.

  At Weldmar, we deliver specialist care in patients' homes, through day services, and at our Inpatient Unit in Dorchester. Supported by professionals and volunteers, we ensure patients and their families receive unparalleled support during life's most challenging moments, working closely with the NHS to maintain the highest standards of care.

  As a Health Care Assistant, you'll assist Registered Nurses in providing exceptional palliative care within our inpatient unit. Responsibilities include delivering high-quality patient care, offering emotional support, and maintaining a safe environment. This involves tasks such as personal care, facilitating communication, and documentation to ensure accurate records.

  We seek candidates with healthcare experience, strong communication skills, and a commitment to continuous learning. If you're passionate about making a difference in end-of-life care, join us in providing compassionate support to our community.

  About us

  About Weldmar Hospicecare: Rated Outstanding by the CQC, Weldmar Hospicecare provides specialist care to adults in Dorset with a life limiting illness, and support to their loved ones. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes, in the community, and at our Inpatient Unit in Dorchester. All care is provided free of charge and mainly funded by the continued support of our local community, via fundraising initiatives and events, our retail chain, and gifts left in wills, enabling us to raise the £26,000 we need every day to keep our services going

  Date posted

  04 April 2024

  Pay scheme

  Other

  Salary

  £23,730 to £25,310 a year

  Contract

  Permanent

  Working pattern

  Part-time

  Reference number

  B0149-24-0012

  Job locations

  Herringston Road

  Dorchester

  Dorset

  DT1 2SL

  
  

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Job Context

  Weldmar Hospicecare is an independent charity that provides specialist end of life care to patients and those that are important to them throughout Dorset. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes by Weldmar Community Nurses and our Weldmar at Home Team, via Day Services held across the county or as inpatients at our hospice in Dorchester. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers ensure that we can continue to support patients through one of lifes most difficult journeys. We work closely with other health care providers including the NHS to ensure that our patients receive the highest possible care.

  We do receive some funding from the NHS but the majority of our income is generated by our fundraising and retail teams, which plays a vital part in securing income to fund our care, both now and in the future.

  Weldmar Hospicecare IPU is a 12-bedded unit caring for patients in the last year of life. The unit has a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care with an emphasis on providing high standards of care.

  Job Purpose

  To work as member of the nursing team with supervision from a Registered Nurse and contribute to maintaining the inpatient unit as an environment conducive to providing high standards of palliative care.

  Scope and Limits of Authority

  • Always act within the limits of your competence, reporting to a Registered Nurse if unsure
  • Work within relevant policies, protocols and standards
  • There will be no direct budget responsibility but must have an awareness of cost implications and make effective use of resources

  Job tasks

  Clinical Care Responsibility

  Acts as an assistant in the delivery of high quality care to patients, including:

  Observing and reporting any significant changes in a patients physical or psychological condition

  Assists with patient personal care including bathing and toileting, urinary catheters, ileostomy and colostomy care.

  Delivering patient nursing care as delegated by the RN, including dressing of minor wounds

  Provides emotional support allowing time for patients and family/carers to talk, using listening and empathic skills

  Providing death and bereavement care and family support.

  Participates in patient reporting and documenting of care

  Ensure patient area environment and equipment is clean, tidy and in working order

  Develops and complies individual patient care pathways with guidance of RN

  Supports admission procedures, including taking patient details

  Undertakes specific observation and monitoring tasks as delegated by RN, and reports back, including blood sugar levels, blood pressure, temperatures, CSU samples and sending samples for testing

  Applies relevant standard to care nursing practice, reporting all incidents, errors, falls and accidents

  Attends monthly nurse team meetings (when on duty) for updating of all aspects of clinical and the Charitys information, and for support of colleagues. Also attends meetings called by the Chief Executive Officer

  Maintains a safe environment within the hospice, and to ensure that all equipment is clean, safe and maintained in goof the Charitys policies, procedures and competencies

  Development of Knowledge and Skills

  Attends mandatory training provided by the hospice

  Attends appropriate in-house and external education sessions, conferences and seminars in order to develop understanding of palliative care

  Attending and adhere to standards as set by appropriate course (eg NVQ, Diploma in care, apprenticeship programme) if applicable

  Participates in individual performance review and appraisal giving and receiving feedback about clinical practice and developmental needs

  Participates in clinical supervision (optional)

  Undertakes induction and mentoring support to new care staff

  Participates in and reports back from delegated corporate projects (eg Clinical Governance Working Groups)

  Participates in agreed audit or relevant research

  Reports all acquired knowledge from training and education sessions back to the multidisciplinary team at in house education sessions or by way of written reports

  Wellbeing

  • Maintain own physical health in order to fulfil the physical effort demanded of the care role

  • Self - awareness to maintain own and others emotional wellbeing and seek support and guidance from colleagues and peers as required
  • Resilience to handle the emotional impact of working within death and dying

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  Job Context

  Weldmar Hospicecare is an independent charity that provides specialist end of life care to patients and those that are important to them throughout Dorset. This care is given in the comfort of patients own homes by Weldmar Community Nurses and our Weldmar at Home Team, via Day Services held across the county or as inpatients at our hospice in Dorchester. Our team of dedicated staff and volunteers ensure that we can continue to support patients through one of lifes most difficult journeys. We work closely with other health care providers including the NHS to ensure that our patients receive the highest possible care.

  We do receive some funding from the NHS but the majority of our income is generated by our fundraising and retail teams, which plays a vital part in securing income to fund our care, both now and in the future.

  Weldmar Hospicecare IPU is a 12-bedded unit caring for patients in the last year of life. The unit has a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care with an emphasis on providing high standards of care.

  Job Purpose

  To work as member of the nursing team with supervision from a Registered Nurse and contribute to maintaining the inpatient unit as an environment conducive to providing high standards of palliative care.

  Scope and Limits of Authority

  • Always act within the limits of your competence, reporting to a Registered Nurse if unsure
  • Work within relevant policies, protocols and standards
  • There will be no direct budget responsibility but must have an awareness of cost implications and make effective use of resources

  Job tasks

  Clinical Care Responsibility

  Acts as an assistant in the delivery of high quality care to patients, including:

  Observing and reporting any significant changes in a patients physical or psychological condition

  Assists with patient personal care including bathing and toileting, urinary catheters, ileostomy and colostomy care.

  Delivering patient nursing care as delegated by the RN, including dressing of minor wounds

  Provides emotional support allowing time for patients and family/carers to talk, using listening and empathic skills

  Providing death and bereavement care and family support.

  Participates in patient reporting and documenting of care

  Ensure patient area environment and equipment is clean, tidy and in working order

  Develops and complies individual patient care pathways with guidance of RN

  Supports admission procedures, including taking patient details

  Undertakes specific observation and monitoring tasks as delegated by RN, and reports back, including blood sugar levels, blood pressure, temperatures, CSU samples and sending samples for testing

  Applies relevant standard to care nursing practice, reporting all incidents, errors, falls and accidents

  Attends monthly nurse team meetings (when on duty) for updating of all aspects of clinical and the Charitys information, and for support of colleagues. Also attends meetings called by the Chief Executive Officer

  Maintains a safe environment within the hospice, and to ensure that all equipment is clean, safe and maintained in goof the Charitys policies, procedures and competencies

  Development of Knowledge and Skills

  Attends mandatory training provided by the hospice

  Attends appropriate in-house and external education sessions, conferences and seminars in order to develop understanding of palliative care

  Attending and adhere to standards as set by appropriate course (eg NVQ, Diploma in care, apprenticeship programme) if applicable

  Participates in individual performance review and appraisal giving and receiving feedback about clinical practice and developmental needs

  Participates in clinical supervision (optional)

  Undertakes induction and mentoring support to new care staff

  Participates in and reports back from delegated corporate projects (eg Clinical Governance Working Groups)

  Participates in agreed audit or relevant research

  Reports all acquired knowledge from training and education sessions back to the multidisciplinary team at in house education sessions or by way of written reports

  Wellbeing

  • Maintain own physical health in order to fulfil the physical effort demanded of the care role

  • Self - awareness to maintain own and others emotional wellbeing and seek support and guidance from colleagues and peers as required
  • Resilience to handle the emotional impact of working within death and dying

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Some knowledge of care requirements and understanding of patients personal needs
  • Obtained or working towards the Care Certificate (within Probationary period)
  • Some understanding of the emotional needs of patients and their families
  • Understanding of importance of confidentiality
  • Basic literacy and numeric skills
  • Developed knowledge of a range of patient care requirements within a specialist healthcare environment and ability to apply this within own work, including care plans
  • Understanding of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and their families/carers
  • Knowledge equivalent to NVQ/QCF level III (either gained through qualification or several years effective experience)

  Experience

  Essential

  • Experience of working within healthcare setting
  • Experience and understanding of team working
  • Experience of working in palliative care or a related specialist area (desirable)

  Skills and Abilities

  Essential

  • Good interpersonal skills, including empathy and open-minded approach to patients
  • Ability to understand the importance of boundaries in relationships with patients and their families
  • Emotionally able to work within the field of palliative care
  • Flexible approach to changing workload and unpredictable requirements, and adaptable to change
  • Willingness to and interest in acquiring new skills
  • Ability to write simple notes and maintain required records
  • Commitment to team working and willingness to assist and support colleagues flexibly
  • Demonstrable interpersonal skills, including listening, negotiating, communication of ideas
  • Ability to contribute to corporate change and development projects with confidence in own contribution
  • Good written communication skills
  • Ability to induct and mentor newer members of staff
  • Ability to undertake work without direct supervision

  Other Requirements

  Essential

  • Commitment to the values and ethos of Weldmar Hospicecare
  • Act as an advocate and ambassador for the Charity
  • Commitment to and understanding of equality and diversity and how this translates into good practice
  • Understands and conforms to Weldmar Hospicecare infection prevention and health and safety policies and actively promotes best practice at all times.
  • Commitment to own continued (professional and) personal development
  • Ability to travel which requires a full valid driving licence and business insurance (if applicable)

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Some knowledge of care requirements and understanding of patients personal needs
  • Obtained or working towards the Care Certificate (within Probationary period)
  • Some understanding of the emotional needs of patients and their families
  • Understanding of importance of confidentiality
  • Basic literacy and numeric skills
  • Developed knowledge of a range of patient care requirements within a specialist healthcare environment and ability to apply this within own work, including care plans
  • Understanding of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and their families/carers
  • Knowledge equivalent to NVQ/QCF level III (either gained through qualification or several years effective experience)

  Experience

  Essential

  • Experience of working within healthcare setting
  • Experience and understanding of team working
  • Experience of working in palliative care or a related specialist area (desirable)

  Skills and Abilities

  Essential

  • Good interpersonal skills, including empathy and open-minded approach to patients
  • Ability to understand the importance of boundaries in relationships with patients and their families
  • Emotionally able to work within the field of palliative care
  • Flexible approach to changing workload and unpredictable requirements, and adaptable to change
  • Willingness to and interest in acquiring new skills
  • Ability to write simple notes and maintain required records
  • Commitment to team working and willingness to assist and support colleagues flexibly
  • Demonstrable interpersonal skills, including listening, negotiating, communication of ideas
  • Ability to contribute to corporate change and development projects with confidence in own contribution
  • Good written communication skills
  • Ability to induct and mentor newer members of staff
  • Ability to undertake work without direct supervision

  Other Requirements

  Essential

  • Commitment to the values and ethos of Weldmar Hospicecare
  • Act as an advocate and ambassador for the Charity
  • Commitment to and understanding of equality and diversity and how this translates into good practice
  • Understands and conforms to Weldmar Hospicecare infection prevention and health and safety policies and actively promotes best practice at all times.
  • Commitment to own continued (professional and) personal development
  • Ability to travel which requires a full valid driving licence and business insurance (if applicable)

  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 details

  Employer name

  Weldmar Hospicecare

  Address

  Herringston Road

  Dorchester

  Dorset

  DT1 2SL

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.weld-hospice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Weldmar Hospicecare

  Address

  Herringston Road

  Dorchester

  Dorset

  DT1 2SL

  
  

  Employer's website

  https://www.weld-hospice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

• About the company

  National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.

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