Senior Healthcare Assistant Nights (South Lakes)

Senior Healthcare Assistant Nights (South Lakes)

We are looking for a compassionate individual to join our experienced and supportive team as a Senior Healthcare Assistant (Nights) across the South Lakes area. This is a rewarding and unique opportunity to be part of a service that makes a meaningful difference every day. If you are committed to supporting patients and their loved ones at a time when Hospice care matters most, this could be the role for you.

Our Hospice night-sitting service is a special part of the care we provide in the community, bringing comfort, reassurance and peace of mind throughout the night. As we continue to strengthen specialist palliative care services across the South Lakes, this role will enable closer collaboration with our community colleagues, ensuring patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time as they approach the end of life.

This is a waking night-sit service, and you will remain with the same patient for the duration of your shift, enabling you to focus on providing dedicated, uninterrupted care to one individual throughout the night.

Main duties of the job

As part of our Hospice at Home service, you will work independently, supported by local out-of-hours GP services, district nursing teams and experienced Hospice colleagues, to deliver high-quality, person-centred care. You will stay with a patient throughout the night, ensuring they remain safe and comfortable, monitoring their condition and responding appropriately to any changes. You will also offer emotional support, giving family carers the opportunity to rest and recharge, knowing their loved one is being cared for.

Key role information >>

• Hours include – being in the patients home from 9.45pm – 6.45am, plus 15 mins travel time and 15 mins reading time (to be completed before arriving at the patients home).
• Visits will be predominately in the South Lakes area, however visits may be anywhere in our full catchment area if required by the needs of the service.
• It is essential you hold a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle during working hours.
• You will be entitled to claim out of pocket expenses (mileage and parking) in accordance with our policy.
• You will travel from home, with the reclaimable amount as any extra costincurred above the normal home to place of work cost. Home is defined as the place you live and workis defined as the St John’s Hospice Windermere base.

You will be required to attend the main Hospice for training and meetings as required, including one week of daytime shifts each year for reflection, appraisal and time with the wider team.

About us

St John’s Hospice is a well established and respected local charity, and we offer free palliative care to patients with life shortening conditions both in our inpatient unit and through our Community Services (Hospice at Home), which serves the South Lakes, North Lancashire and parts of North Yorkshire.

The majority of the people who St Johns cares for are looked after in their own home, in the community. Many people choose to spend their last weeks or days at home, and our community team are there to support them.

The Hospice community services are made up of Clinical Nurse Specialists, who are experts in pain and symptom management and advance care planning; the Hospice at Home team who support patients and their families in the last few weeks of life and the Respite team who provide day respite and night sits for the family who are caring for their loved ones at home in those last few weeks.

Our Hospice at Home service is led by an experienced and supportive Management Team. Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and you would play a key role in a person’s wish to stay, and be cared for in their own home, providing crucial respite care for them and their loved ones.

With close working relationships with the Inpatient Unit, CNS team, MDT and the area’s District Nurses, the Hospice at Home team is a valued and well respected service in the local community.

St John’s Hospice is rated as CQC Good.

Job responsibilities

Accountable To: Director of Nursing & Quality

Reports To: Head of Hospice at Home

Key Working Relationships:

• Community Services HUB
• District Nurses
• Out-of-hours GP service

MAIN DUTIES

• Provide care and compassion for patients who are approaching end of life in their own homes.
• Undertake a broad range of nursing care and duties relating patients with end-of-life care needs.
• Provide care for patients in accordance with the patients care plan as defined by the DistrictNursing and Hospice at Home Community Services team.
• Follow the risk assessments completed for the patient.
• Work to the standards set out in the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers.
• Use effective interpersonal skills with patients, carers and health professionals in a professionalmanner.
• Recognise changes in patients symptoms and conditions and notify the necessary on-callservices for advice, help and support.
• Direct patients with their own administration of regular oral medication where the patient is selfmedicating, and asks families to prepare oral medicines prior to the night shift if the patientneeds assistance.
• Understand the boundaries of the HCA role in managing medications and is ready and willing toaccept advice from on-call services.
• Makes the clinical decision to call district nursing services when patients have uncontrolledsymptoms and are unable to take medication orally.
• Manages patient distress effectively, using compassionate communication to comfort andsupport whilst lone working.
• In line with Hospice policy monitors the administration of medication being given by syringedrivers and undertakes first line troubleshooting in line with Achieved and updated training andcompetences.
• In line with Hospice policies and best practice guidance on patient documentation, updatespatient records ensuring entries are accurate, relevant and contemporaneous and hand overcare given appropriately.
• Provides emotional and practical support to patients carers or family members.
• Demonstrates safe and appropriate use of hoists and manual handling equipment, applyingprinciples of utilising this equipment whilst lone working.
• Supports patient and family at time of death and afterwards, taking necessary responsibility toensure all legal requirements are followed.
• Takes responsibility for clinical tasks and procedures they are trained in and competent tocomplete.
• Participates in audits, surveys or other clinical governance activities as requested.
• Maintains IT competency in order to make full use of electronic communications and to accessappropriate hospice data sources and training opportunities.
• Responsible for the health, safety and well-being of patients, carers and self by being aware ofand adhering to risk assessments, hospice policies and guidelines on Health and Safety atWork; Fire Precautions and Regulations; Security of Lone Worker; and Infection Control.
• Maintains a portfolio of professional development and participates in the St Johns Hospiceperformance appraisal scheme, identifying personal achievements, objectives and developmentneeds.
• Works according to the principles of the St Johns Hospice HCA Code of Conduct.
• Understands the philosophy and ethos behind the care provided at St Johns Hospice, and toassist the registered nurses in developing and maintaining a safe, compassionate caring andsupportive environment for patients, relatives and staff.
• Shares the responsibility within the nursing teams for delivering high quality holistic nursing carefor the patients and their families.
• Is part of the multi-disciplinary care of patients.
• Liaises with internal Hospice team to update patient and family changes and incidents in atimely manner.
• Acts in a responsible, professional manner at all times whilst employed by and undertaking dutiesat St Johns Hospice. To be aware of the policies governing health, safety and fire prevention andreporting accidents / incidents.

OTHER

• Works outside of the South Lakes locality as required by the needs of the service.
• Works contracted weekly hours during daytime shifts within the Hospice at Home team (basedat the main Hospice) for one week each year, to reflect on practice, complete the annualappraisal, and spend time with the wider team.
• Attends monthly night-sitting team meeting each month, either in person or via teams.
• Attends training, meetings and other events at the main Hospice as and when required.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Accountable To: Director of Nursing & Quality

Reports To: Head of Hospice at Home

Key Working Relationships:

• Community Services HUB
• District Nurses
• Out-of-hours GP service

MAIN DUTIES

• Provide care and compassion for patients who are approaching end of life in their own homes.
• Undertake a broad range of nursing care and duties relating patients with end-of-life care needs.
• Provide care for patients in accordance with the patients care plan as defined by the DistrictNursing and Hospice at Home Community Services team.
• Follow the risk assessments completed for the patient.
• Work to the standards set out in the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers.
• Use effective interpersonal skills with patients, carers and health professionals in a professionalmanner.
• Recognise changes in patients symptoms and conditions and notify the necessary on-callservices for advice, help and support.
• Direct patients with their own administration of regular oral medication where the patient is selfmedicating, and asks families to prepare oral medicines prior to the night shift if the patientneeds assistance.
• Understand the boundaries of the HCA role in managing medications and is ready and willing toaccept advice from on-call services.
• Makes the clinical decision to call district nursing services when patients have uncontrolledsymptoms and are unable to take medication orally.
• Manages patient distress effectively, using compassionate communication to comfort andsupport whilst lone working.
• In line with Hospice policy monitors the administration of medication being given by syringedrivers and undertakes first line troubleshooting in line with Achieved and updated training andcompetences.
• In line with Hospice policies and best practice guidance on patient documentation, updatespatient records ensuring entries are accurate, relevant and contemporaneous and hand overcare given appropriately.
• Provides emotional and practical support to patients carers or family members.
• Demonstrates safe and appropriate use of hoists and manual handling equipment, applyingprinciples of utilising this equipment whilst lone working.
• Supports patient and family at time of death and afterwards, taking necessary responsibility toensure all legal requirements are followed.
• Takes responsibility for clinical tasks and procedures they are trained in and competent tocomplete.
• Participates in audits, surveys or other clinical governance activities as requested.
• Maintains IT competency in order to make full use of electronic communications and to accessappropriate hospice data sources and training opportunities.
• Responsible for the health, safety and well-being of patients, carers and self by being aware ofand adhering to risk assessments, hospice policies and guidelines on Health and Safety atWork; Fire Precautions and Regulations; Security of Lone Worker; and Infection Control.
• Maintains a portfolio of professional development and participates in the St Johns Hospiceperformance appraisal scheme, identifying personal achievements, objectives and developmentneeds.
• Works according to the principles of the St Johns Hospice HCA Code of Conduct.
• Understands the philosophy and ethos behind the care provided at St Johns Hospice, and toassist the registered nurses in developing and maintaining a safe, compassionate caring andsupportive environment for patients, relatives and staff.
• Shares the responsibility within the nursing teams for delivering high quality holistic nursing carefor the patients and their families.
• Is part of the multi-disciplinary care of patients.
• Liaises with internal Hospice team to update patient and family changes and incidents in atimely manner.
• Acts in a responsible, professional manner at all times whilst employed by and undertaking dutiesat St Johns Hospice. To be aware of the policies governing health, safety and fire prevention andreporting accidents / incidents.

OTHER

• Works outside of the South Lakes locality as required by the needs of the service.
• Works contracted weekly hours during daytime shifts within the Hospice at Home team (basedat the main Hospice) for one week each year, to reflect on practice, complete the annualappraisal, and spend time with the wider team.
• Attends monthly night-sitting team meeting each month, either in person or via teams.
• Attends training, meetings and other events at the main Hospice as and when required.

GENERAL

• In addition to the specific duties and responsibilities outlined in this job description, all employeesshould be aware of their specific responsibilities towards the following:
• St Johns Hospice operates a no-smoking policy. The post holder should either be a non-smokeror be prepared not to smoke in any Charity premises, grounds or vehicles or when on Hospicebusiness outside the office.
• Adhere to all health, safety and fire regulations and to co-operate with the Hospice inmaintaining good standards of health and safety.
• Adhere to Lone Worker working practices as set out in the relevant policy documents.
• Uphold ethical and professional standards and not behave in a manner that is likely to bring theHospice into disrepute.
• Promote and sustain a responsible attitude towards equal opportunities and diversity within theHospice.
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing registration requirements or any national, professional oroccupational standards associated with the role.
• Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing learning and development and to participate in anytraining relevant to the role.

This job description is not exhaustive. It merely acts as a guide and may be amended to meet thechanging requirements of the charity at any time after discussion with the post holder.

The post-holder will be expected to participate in induction and on-going training and developmentand work in accordance with Hospice policies and procedures and to act at all times with dueregard to the health and safety of self and others.

STANDARD/ENHANCED DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

Enhanced DBS disclosure + Adult Barring Check required for this post.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO ST. JOHNS HOSPICE

Please refer to the uploaded Job description for full details of the points below

1. Confidentiality

2. Health and Safety

3. External Interests

4. Statutory Training

5. Flexibility

6. Safeguarding

7. Disclosure and Barring

8. Equality and Inclusion

9. Volunteers

Person Specification

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of holistic patient care for those at end of life.
• Ability to respond appropriately to changes in patient conditions.
• Good Communication & interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of prioritising a patients care needs.
• Ability to work without direct supervision in a patients home.
• Uses own initiative.
• Good IT skills and able to use a range of software (e.g. Word, Outlook, Excel etc).
• Accurately document care given in patient documentation.
• Communicates well with information about care to carers and families.

Values and personal attributes

• Willingness to work flexibly, including unsocial hours.
• Motivated.
• Committed to self -development.
• Mature and responsible attitude.
• Empathy and understanding.
• Full UK driving licence (manual transmission).
• Access to own vehicle during working hours (business use insurance required).
• Lives in South Lakes or willing to be based in South Lakes for work.

Qualifications

• Willing to work towards satisfactory completion of Care Certificate & Hospice competency framework for HCAs.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• NVQ 3.
• Completed the Care Certificate.

Experience

• Recent experience of patient care at end of life.
• Experience of working in the community setting.
• Experience of working as part of a wider team.
• Experience of working in a specialist palliative care setting.
• Experience of lone working.

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.

£30,049.50 to £30,985.50 a yearpro rata. Plus £15 per night worked.

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