Job summary
After a successful few years, the Herts Unplanned Care Team is now expanding. We are looking for proactive and enthusiastic Health care Assistants (HCAs) to join us and enable the delivery of care to patients in their own homes.
The aim of the service is to avoid unnecessary admissions into secondary care and provide a timely discharge from hospital and community bedded units for patients requiring urgent therapy input in their homes. The team provides care across multiple pathways delivered over 7-days a week 8am to 10pm – Rapid Response (RR), Early Intervention Vehicle (EIV) and Discharge to Assess (DTA), General Medical Pathway (virtual Hospital) All pathways are delivered in a patient’s usual home environment.
Health Care Assistant Main duties
If you are a motivated team player and want to excel in delivering holistic care to a diverse patient group in their own home, we want to hear from you. Previous experience of working in the NHS is ideal but not essential, community experience is desirable, but training will be given. You will be self-motivated with strong organisational skills and able to make decisions under supervision from senior members of the team.
As a Healthcare Assistant within the team you will follow the plans set by the assessing clinicians and be able to recognise changes to the patient’s condition, reporting to the appropriate clinician where indicated. The role requires you to be able to keep accurate clinical records and have good clerical/ administrative skills.
The organisation is supportive of training needs and there is an excellent mandatory training and education programme. You will also receive regular clinical and safeguarding supervision.
This is an exciting post, with the opportunity to help develop the service and make a real difference to patients and a chance to develop both clinical and strategic skills.
**Possession of a valid UK driving license and use of a car for work purposes is essential. **
**Phlebotomy skills are essential for the job role.**
About us
Just as we care about our patients’ wellbeing, we care about yours!
We can offer you:
- A comprehensive induction into the community service followed by a local induction to introduce you to the role
- Car lease scheme *T&C’s apply
- Flexible working options
- Annual travel card loan
- Training, support and development in your career
To have a full look at our benefits and what it’s like working for us please go here: https://www.clch.nhs.uk/job/pay-and-benefits
Job description
Job responsibilities
To contribute to the on-going assessment of a patient by completing the appropriate paperwork for allocated patients, recording, and reporting all clinical and behavioural information to the nurse for action and planning purposes
To undertake, and report back on delegated clinical activities that have previously been signed competent. Eg: vital signs, routine urinalysis, glucose monitoring, gait/mobility training, falls prevention awareness groups, increasing independence through activities of daily living
To enable patients/carers to make most effective use of resources within the service by ensuring they receive up-to-date information sheets, responding to any questions constructively
To pass onto/seek assistance from other colleagues, promptly, any questions that you are unable to resolve
To liaise and refer patients to the MDT team as appropriate in accordance with local procedures
To assist with errands and general duties appropriate to the clinical area as required.
To prescribe appropriate equipment and educate carers and patients in the safe use of this equipment, after being deemed competent to do so.
To use judgement and skills to report any untoward changes in carers or clients health status immediately to the relevant team member, GP, District Nurse or emergency services if appropriate.
To collect data from patients/carers for recognised outcome measure and document for therapists/nurses to interpret.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full roles and responsibilities.
Person Specification
Education/Qualification
Essential
- GCE General Education or equivalent
- Basic Skills in literacy Level 1 and numeracy level 3
- Diploma NVQ Care level 2 or equivalent experience
- Must undertake Diploma NVQ 3 care
- All new healthcare support workers across the NHS are required to complete the care certificate programme. Newly recruited HCSW’s are identified during our recruitment process but line managers have the responsibility to make sure that new support workers working within their teams are enrolled on the programme.
- You may be required to undertake a literacy and numeracy test prior to interview
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with older people
- Experience of care giving
- Experience of working in a health or social care setting
Desirable
- Experience of working in the community setting
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to work as part of a team. Ability to make a positive contribution to a team. To be able to promote the work of the team across the trust.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to build effective relationships. Ability to communicate with a range of people some of whom may have barriers to communication and understanding.
- Applicant must be able to undertake tasks such as phlebotomy.
- Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills. Can accurately report and feedback information to colleagues and others both verbally and in writing
- Basic computer skills to include data entry
- Must be a car driver and hold a full UK, manual current clean driving licence and be willing to drive in Harrow, potentially in adverse weather conditions. The applicant would need to be able to use a map and SAT NAV to navigate to patient’s homes.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name
Central London Community Health Trust
Address
Hemel one/BRE Watford
Boundary Way
Hemel Hempstead
HP2 7YU
