Health Care Assistant Special Schools

Job overview

Health Care Assistant - BAND 3

Contract - 12 months Fixed Term - 5 days per week/ Term time ONLY

Islington Additional Needs and Disability Team (IANDS) is a multidisciplinary service for children and young people 0-19.

We are seeking Band 3 Health Care Assistant to join our supportive team. The successful applicant will work across special schools in Islington: Richard Cloudesley school, Samuel Rhodes school and Bridge Academy. All three schools have been rated outstanding, and support children and young people with a variety of needs, including physical disabilities, learning difficulties and autistic spectrum conditions. This is an excellent opportunity for those wishing to gain experience in the healthcare field.

Your primary role will be assisting the school nursing team in the effective delivery of individualised support and care for children attending schools. Clinical responsibilities may include daily feeds via special feeding tubes (Nasogastric and Gastrostomy), giving medication and supporting with health care plans, including epilepsy plans. You may assist with suctioning, tracheostomy care, and other relevant health care activities. You will support children with their health care plans under supervision from a school nurse.

You will work alongside a team of experienced health care assistants, and full training and support will be provided by a School Nurse.

Main duties of the job

The Health Care Assistant/ Administrator will work as a member of the Special Needs School Nursing Team and will be responsible for assisting in the effective delivery of individualised support and care to children attending Special Schools in Islington. She/ he will undertake clerical and clinical duties as directed to provide a health service to children and young people.

The post holder will be based between Samuel Rhodes Primary and Secondary school, Richard Cloudesley Primary and Secondary schools. and Bridge Academy Primary and Secondary schools. A key part of the role is providing direct clinical support to children with their daily health care needs including administering gastrostomy feeds and medications. They will also be responsible for assisting the school Nurse with co-ordination of clinics, whole school input and training, liaison with other agencies and supporting children with their health care plans. They may assist other teams or departments within the service with their administrative tasks. They will receive regular supervision from the school nurse and participate in in-service training and team meetings.

The primary focus of the role will be supporting the health needs of the children.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Role Responsibility:

To be a member of the Special School multi-agency team and share information with team members as directed and appropriate, keeping confidentiality at all times.

To maintain accurate school records through accessing the electronic notes system (currently Rio), filing and organisation in accordance with Whittington Health guidelines.

Ensure that up-to-date written and electronic records are maintained in accordance with Trust standards with guidance from supervisor.

Respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity of children and their families, and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to these needs.

Assist team members with liaising with other agencies involved in the child’s care including: education, Social Services, Voluntary Services

Form professional relationships with children, families and children centre staff and communicate with them in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture.

To use a variety of verbal and non-verbal communication skills and tools to communicate with children who are non verbal, of a non English speaking background, requiring an interpreter, with a hearing impairment, with altered emotional states, with a cognitive/learning/behavioural disability.

Liaise with other agencies involved in the child’s care, including relatives and carers, as appropriate to the child’s needs, as directed by team members

Report effectively any issues or concerns to supervisor/line manager

Demonstrate effective communication over the telephone to parents/carers and external agencies (especially teachers and teaching assistants).

To support the School Nurse/ Senior Practitioner in planning programmes of care for identified children.

To provide and assist the care of children with special needs such as administration of medication, feeding, and health promotion across all school sites.

Clinical Responsibility:

To arrange appointments with parents/carer (school medicals, Dietician/ Professionals meetings).

Administer nursing care and undertake health care activity when trained and assessed as competent by the school nurse. This may include feeding children via gastrostomy, following epilepsy care plan procedures, administering medications, suctioning, and other relevant health care activities.

To provide cover, once trained, to other HCA’s supporting individual students at the school with health care tasks including suctioning, tracheostomy care, medication management or other health care plans.

To undertake screening procedures such as vision, hearing, growth, to include percentile calculations. To identify and refer any concerns arising from the screening or highlighted by the parent/ child/ school staff, to the school nurse.

To assist in the planning and implementation of immunisation sessions within the school setting.

To assist in completing risk assessment of environment and safety under the guidance of senior team members following local and Trust policies

Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility

Review and reflect own practice, workload, and performance through effective use of regular professional and operational supervision and appraisal

To meet regularly with the school nurse to plan work to be undertaken and to receive feedback. The school nurse will delegate specific roles and responsibilities to this staff member when trained and assessed as competent by the school nurse.

Adhere to the Trust’s Policies and Procedures including having basic understanding of Moving and Handling Legislation, Infection Control, Clinical Supervision and Child Protection, referring any concerns to the school nurse or Team Leader.

Administrative Duties

To keep up to date records on clients following Service Policy.

To attend relevant staff and service meetings.

To provide cover for administrative duties such as answering the telephone, photocopying and filing when requested.

Financial Responsibility

Highlight stock issues to team members

Service Development and Improvement

Implements the Policies and Procedures that have been determined by Islington Additional Needs & Disability Service

To highlight service provision problems to line manager in order to identify unmet needs and gaps in service provision

To undertake surveys or audits as directed by supervisor/line manager

Ensure that work areas are well maintained are comply with Health and Safety Guidelines, ensuring the safe use of equipment, cleaning and storage of materials

Communication

To support children and families to promote achievement of goals with close guidance and support

To regularly work with children and adolescents with complex emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

To identify and report concerns regarding Safeguarding

To be able to complete required work load within time frames and deadlines set by line manager/supervisor, which may be stressful at times

To deal sensitively with clients and their carers who may be distressed.

Physical Working Conditions and Environment

Assists with transfers of children occasionally using equipment such as hoists and wheelchairs

Light to moderate effort for several short periods during the day requiring use of lifting equipment e.g. hoists and transfer manoeuvres

Knowledge, Training and Education

To take part in a structured induction programme, aimed at identifying learning needs

Demonstrate a basic level of understanding of the effects of medical conditions on functioning

Have a basic understanding of the Moving and Handling Legislation and apply manual handling principles in best practice

To participate in a designated aspect of induction training and education of students, work experience and other relevant staff.

Attend all mandatory training set by the trust and the department

To demonstrate ongoing personal development through participation in internal and available development opportunities, recording learning outcomes in a portfolio (CPD)

To ensure that mandatory training is kept current and up-to-date

Undertake relevant activities to meet training objectives identified with supervisor

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.