Hospice at Home Health Care Assistant

The Hospice at Home Health care Assistant will complement the Hospice at Home Community Team, providing direct care and support to patients with complex palliative care needs within their own home in the last stages of life. The aim of the role is to provide any necessary support including personal hygiene care, assisting with dressing and all agreed care under the supervision and guidance of the Band 6 Coordinator.

Predominately this will be for patients who wish to be cared for  post holder will be expected to work alone with access to professional advice and guidance when required. The post holder will have specialist palliative care skills in order to support the patient, carers and family. The post holder will have a strong working relationship with other community teams.

The post holder will work with the coordinator and the multidisciplinary team, they will also liaise with multiple stakeholders in order to ensure that the day-to-day coordination and delivery of service is timely and professional. The post holder will play a key role in ensuring that the patient remains in their place of choice and where possible any hospital admission is avoided.

The main duties for this post will be visiting patients in their own home across the whole of Gateshead. Offering agreed packages of personalised care. This will include support with all activities of daily living, washing, dressing as well as emotional support to patients and families and some domestic work. A flexible approach to the working day will be required due to the fluctuating needs of the service.

Have the ability to prioritise appropriately, based on clinical need as directed by the caseload holder and/or locality lead. Work collaboratively as a team member with colleagues, recognising and valuing each person's contribution to the team. Assist in maintaining own and others health, safety and security and be responsible for reporting and actively co‑operating in the application of the Trust's health and safety policies and procedures, e.g. to keep areas used by the patient or nursing / therapy staff clean and orderly.

Plan and organise the working environment to maximise health, safety and clinical interventions. Be flexible and adaptable according to patient and service needs. Physical skills (manual dexterity). Daily use of a keyboard and VDU requiring frequent periods of concentration. Accurate record keeping including medical terminology. Able to independently drive to a variety of settings within Gateshead to meet patient and service needs.

Ability to get in and out of a vehicle on a frequent daily basis. Be able to assist in therapeutic interventions according to Trust Moving and Handling policy, e.g. supporting transfer techniques. Be able to manipulate inert limbs in slightly restricted space as part of a treatment programme, e.g. prescribed exercises/minor wound dressing applications. Bending and moving and handling will be frequent daily occurrences.

• Maths grade 4 / C above or equivalent functional skills
• English grade 4 / C above or equivalent functional skills
• Educated to NVQ level 3 as a minimum in a health and social or equivalent knowledge/experience
• Health and Social Care level 2
• Health and Social Care level 3
• Community experience
• Experience in palliative care

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.