Senior Health Care Support Worker - Community Services

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 3 Health Care Support Worker to join our Community Services

The post will be part of a skill mixed team providing a range of nursing interventions to patients registered with St Helens G.Ps. Examples of the duties carried out are as follows:

• Supporting registered nurses providing end of life care
• Provision of personal care in line with care plans
• Follow all care plans/wound care/catheter care/administration of medication

NVQ level 3 is essential.

Main duties of the job

The post holders will demonstrate an attitude which respects and values service users’ and their carers.

The post holders will embrace the core values of the organisation. These principles will recognise the need to:

• Promote safe practices
• Value the aims of service users
• Work in partnership and offer meaningful choice
• Be optimistic about the possibilities of meaningful change
• Value social inclusion
• Supporting registered nurses providing end of life care
• Provision of personal care in line with care plans
• Follow all care plans/wound care/catheter care/administration of medication

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Work as part of a team and duties will be delegated by the registered healthcare professional.
• Act within the scope of your training and competence, knowing who to ask for help and support if you are not sure.
• Work within agreed ways of working, following relevant Trust standards, policies and protocols.
• Communicate compassionately and effectively with individuals and their families, carers and health care practitioners using a range of techniques, maintaining confidentiality and using tact, empathy, persuasion and reassurance
• Observe, assess and respond to patients needs appropriately, escalating concerns to Nursing staff as required including instigating emergency procedures as per policy.
• Organises self and supervises other junior staff or learners in general work tasks or when delivering patient care with supervision from nursing staff.
• Prioritises a range of delegated clinical care duties.
• Acting on own initiative, undertake personal care duties and support activities of daily living, e.g. mouth care, personal hygiene and toileting needs, demonstrating person centred care.
• Assist the registered healthcare practitioners with clinical tasks, follow care plans, notice and report changes, assist with risk assessments, obtain samples and some specimens.
• Safely deliver care duties including manoeuvring of patient equipment such as hoists and wheelchairs.
• Gather evidence to assist registered healthcare practitioner in obtaining a patient/client history.
• Undertake delegated procedures as required within the limits of required training and measured competence e.g venepuncture / ECG recording / blood glucose monitoring, clinical observations, taking specimens, escalating any abnormalities to the registered nurse.
• Support of patients feeding, diet and nutritional needs and accurately record patients nutritional intake and fluid intake and output, noticing and reporting changes to the nursing staff.
• Ensure patient property is managed as per Trust policy.
• Monitor levels of supplies and order supplies for the department as appropriate
• Demonstrates own duties to new starters, contributing to the learning environment. Where requested, supports/supervises work of students and other junior staff.
• Occasionally participates in audits, surveys, development activities
• To work in line with Trust policies and procedures
• Contributes to maintaining a safe, healthy working environment
• Follow the principles for implementing a duty of care, always acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm
• Work in partnership with the individual, their carers/ families and the wider healthcare team.
• Maintain and further develop your own skills and knowledge through development and learning activities; maintain evidence of your personal development and actively prepare for and participate in appraisal
• Participate in team handovers

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.