Healthcare Support Worker - Lower Limb Service

Job overview

You will work collaboratively, under direct and indirect supervision of Registered Nurses as a member of the Lower Limb Therapy Service, to deliver gold standard leg ulcer treatments to patients. You will cover across TSDFT Outpatient Clinics

You provide leg ulcer management treatments as required, to include limb reshaping, delegated patient specific compression therapy, and measuring for compression hosiery/wraps as required. To assist in yearly well leg assessments for patients under the LLTS leg leg program

The service aims to promote health and wellbeing, facilitate timely healing for lower limb ulceration and maximise independent living for our patients.

Main duties of the job

• Work as part of a peripatetic specialist team in Trust wide outpatient clinics delivering leg ulcer management treatments, to include wound bed preparation and compression therapy treatments.
• Be responsible in the preparation of clinics at the beginning and end of the working day. Complying with infection control protocol.
• Actively support patients encouraging self-care to prevent leg ulceration recurrence, post healing with the LLTS.
• Accompany RN to patients’ homes to deliver specialist assessments to housebound patients under the care of Community Nursing Services
• Liaise with members of the wider healthcare teams – Vascular; Podiatry; Tissue Viability Service; Dermatology; GP’s and Practice Nurses.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Work as a member of a specialist team
• Document clearly and concisely in patient notes utilising Trust wound care documentation
• Communicate using a variety of resources – face to face; telephone; email – in a timely manner
• Communicate with patients, and their families and friends
• Communicate with other specialist surgical and medical services; Community Nurses; GP’s and other relevant Health and Social Care professionals
• Take part in team meetings, encouraging effective communication between other staff
• Escalate any incidents, and/or near misses immediately to the RN clinic lead, and complete reporting via Datix.
• To work within the agreed Clinical Governance Framework, incorporating audit, clinical effectiveness and incident reporting.
• To work within the limits of own competence and responsibility within the team and organisation, as identified by the appropriate accountable professional.
• To educate and support patients/carers in the use of equipment in accordance with Local Guidelines and within own competence.
• To encourage, enable and support individuals, wherever possible, to gain or maintain confidence, independence and participation in social, recreational and community activities.
• To attend mandatory and other appropriate training courses to meet personal development objectives and to assist in the training of others as directed.

Full Vacancy details can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification.

Please refer to your suitability to the post in your supporting information from the role requirements or person specification.

Please note: Priority will be given to applicants with recognised 'Priority' or 'At Risk' status, including NHS staff identified across Devon.

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.