Band 3 Paediatric Health Care Assistant

Job overview

We are seeking a compassionate, enthusiastic, and motivated Healthcare Assistant to join our dedicated nursing team supporting children and young people within a special needs school setting. This is an exciting opportunity to work as part of a multidisciplinary team delivering high-quality care to pupils with complex health, physical, learning, and communication needs.

We are looking for someone who:

Has previous experience working as a Healthcare Assistant and has a caring and patient-centred approach

Demonstrates excellent communication and teamwork skills

Is able to remain calm and professional in challenging situations

Understands the importance of safeguarding, equality, diversity, and inclusion

Has a genuine passion for supporting children and young people with additional needs

The successful candidate will play an important role in supporting children to access education safely while promoting dignity, independence, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Due to the high volume of interest in this role, we may need to close this vacancy before the closing date.

We are currently unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants who already hold a visa that allows them to work in the UK are welcome to apply. However, the Trust will not be able to offer sponsorship once that visa expires. For induction, training and operational reasons, applicants must also have at least 12 months remaining on their visa at the start of employment

Main duties of the job

• To provide effective, evidence based general and specific care for paediatric patients and their families in the school setting/area under the direct supervision of a registered children’s nurse.
• To plan, organise and deliver clinical care as agreed with the supervising registered children’s nurse, in line with clinical governance and within agreed professional standards and guidelines.
• To continue to develop and undertake a range of delegated tasks under the authority of, and in liaison with the registered children’s nurses
• Maintain excellent communication with children and their families regarding aspects of care, demonstrating a variety of communication skills in accordance with the client group.
• To co-operate with and maintain good working relationships with both the multidisciplinary team and other Healthcare and Social Care professionals.
• Have an empathetic approach to children, young people and their careers and relatives and answer any queries or concerns they may have, referring them to the registered nurse where appropriate.
• Maintain clear concise and legible documentation adhering to standards in accordance with Trust Policies.
• Undertake verification of consent in accordance with Trust Consent Policy

To always greet children, families, and visitors in a warm, courteous, and professional manner.

Undertake agreed enhanced tasks as specified in an accredited course skills book/passport under direct supervision until deemed competent by registered children’s nurse.

• To monitor stock levels of all supplies and carry out housekeeping duties, to support and maintain the running of the nursing area to promote the effective and efficient use of resources.
• To be responsible for ensuring personal ongoing training as required, ensuring skills/competencies are maintained.

Clinical

• Demonstrate a respect for the children and their choices.
• Provide high quality holistic patient care and escalate unwell patients to registered nurses
• To support NHS core values of quality, teamwork, care and compassion, dignity and respect, and openness, honesty, and responsibility through the application of appropriate behaviours and attitudes.
• To uphold St Georges University Hospital NHS Trust values – Excellence, Kind, Responsible, respectful.
• Monitor Mediations stock levels, document and record signing in of medications, request medications from home in a timely manner when necessary and document when requests are made.
• Perform basic life support, give assistance to Nurses during resuscitation and do a routine post-arrest check of resuscitation equipment/ Defibrillator, oxygen and suction equipment.
• Measure, monitor & record the following vital signs: Temperature, Blood pressure, Pulse, Respiration, Oxygen Saturation and escalate adverse signs to registered nurse.
• Record and document measurements accurately and contemporaneously within appropriate documentation.

Filing/Clerical

Undertake a range of clerical duties in the absence of or in support of the receptionist/Clerk to ensure a smooth-running service, this may involve:

• Reception/telephone duties
• Basic computer skills
• Filing
• Build and organise service user’s folders
• Ensure correct completed documents are within service users’ folders
• Ensure Documents are updated as and when necessary.
• Maintain service user’s records.
• The post holder shall as necessarily provide cover for and undertake duties of absent colleagues.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Description

Job Title Paediatric Healthcare assistant

Grade Band 3

Accountable to Matron

Reports to Lead Nurse/Team Leader

Department CWDT Special Needs School Nursing Team

Job Summary

To provide effective, evidenced based general and specific care for paediatric patients within the school setting under the direct supervision of a registered nurse.

To plan, organise and deliver clinical care as agreed with the supervising registered children’s nurse in line with clinical governance and within agreed professional standards and guidelines.

To continue to develop and undertake a range of delegated tasks under the authority of, and in liaison with the registered children’s nurse.

To provide general and specific care as specified below for service users and be proficient and competent to work with The Multidisciplinary Team.

Trust Vision & Values:

The postholder is expected to have a clear understanding of how this post contributes to the achievement of the trust vision of:

A thriving Foundation Trust at the heart of an integrated healthcare system. One that delivers improved patient care at a community, hospital and specialist setting, supported by a unique and a nationally recognised programme of research, education and employee engagement.

We expect all our staff to share the values that are important to the Trust, being Excellent, Kind, Responsible & Respectful, and behave in a way that reflects these.

St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and expects that all staff will share in this commitment.

The Trust is clear that all staff have a responsibility to be aware of children and adult safeguarding policies and procedures and that each member of staff, clinical and non-clinical, will attend child or adult safeguarding training that is provided at an appropriate level to suit their role. The Trust has the additional expectation that all staff will be able to identify concerns and know what action to take

Duties and Responsibilities

• To always greet children, families, and visitors in a warm, courteous, and professional manner.
• Undertake agreed enhanced tasks as specified in an accredited course skills book/passport under direct supervision until deemed competent by registered children’s nurse.
• Take part in service improvement initiatives including the NHS Institute Productive series.
• Demonstrate a respect for the children and their choices.
• Provide high quality holistic patient care and escalate unwell patients to registered nurses
• To support NHS core values of quality, teamwork, care and compassion, dignity and respect, and openness, honesty, and responsibility through the application of appropriate behaviours and attitudes.
• To uphold St Georges University Hospital NHS Trust values – Excellence, Kind, Responsible, respectful.
• Monitor Mediations stock levels, document and record signing in of medications, request medications from home in a timely manner when necessary and document when requests are made.
• Perform basic life support, give assistance to Nurses during resuscitation and do a routine post-arrest check of resuscitation equipment/ Defibrillator, oxygen and suction equipment.
• Measure, monitor & record the following vital signs: Temperature, Blood pressure, Pulse, Respiration, Oxygen Saturation and escalate adverse signs to registered nurse.
• Record and document measurements accurately and contemporaneously within appropriate documentation.
• Adhere to Trust Uniform Policy
• Undertake a range of clerical duties in the absence of or in support of the receptionist/Clerk to ensure a smooth-running service, this may involve:

This job description is intended as a basic guide to the responsibilities of the post and is not exhaustive. The post holder may be asked to undertake duties that are in line with the level of role and competency. The job description will be subject to regular review and amendment as necessary in consultation with the post holder.

The postholder must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and must always follow these, including ensuring that they act in line with all policies and procedures at all times in order to maintain a safe environment for patients, visitors and colleagues.

Equality and Diversity:

The postholder is required to promote equality in service delivery and employment practices. All employees must comply with all the Trusts equality and diversity policies, procedures, and initiatives.

Infection Prevention and Control.

Infection Prevention and Control is everybody's responsibility, all staff are required to adhere to the Trust’s Infection Prevention and Control policy and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection prevention and control at all times.

Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Recruitment checks are undertaken in accordance with the NHS Employment Check Standards and successful applicants maybe required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.