Prospect Hospice

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JOB DESCRIPTION

Prospect@Home Bank Health Care Assistants

Prospect@Home is a new service which will deliver a comprehensive home based palliative nursing service.

The purpose and main aim of Prospect@Home is to enable patients who wish to do so to spend time at home during a crisis in their illness or for the last days of their life.

We are seeking to appoint highly motivated and committed Health Care Assistants to join our team of bank staff. While the service will be available for up to 24 hours a day, it is fully expected that the greatest demand is likely to be at night. Successful applicants will need to be flexible with regards to hours of work in order to deliver an effective and responsive service.

Prospect@Home is a new service which will deliver a comprehensive home based palliative nursing service. The purpose and main aim of Prospect@Home is to enable patients who wish to do so to spend time at home during a crisis in their illness or for the last days of their life.

We are seeking to appoint highly motivated and committed Trained Nurses to join our team of trained bank staff. While the service will be available for up to 24 hours a day, it is fully expected that the greatest demand is likely to be at night. Successful applicants will need to be flexible with regards to hours of work in order to deliver an effective and responsive service.

Title: Health Care Assistant (Prospect@Home)

Reporting to: Prospect@Home Team Leader

Responsible for: Not applicable

Special Conditions: To have a flexible approach to work requirements in order to meet the

needs of patients and their carers. It is expected that this will mean at least 70% night shifts

and alternate weekends.

Post holders must have access to transport and be prepared to travel throughout the defined catchment area.

Post holders occupying this role are designated lone workers

Job Context:

Prospect@Home is a new service which will provide home based palliative nursing care to

enable patients who wish to do so to spend time at home during a crisis in their illness or for

the last days of life.

Job Purpose:

To work as part of the Prospect@Home Team providing planned practical nursing care and emotional support for patients and their families or carers in their own homes.

To carry out delegated clinical and therapeutic tasks as required.

Scope and Limits of Authority

The Health Care Assistant receives key delegated tasks from the Prospect@Home Team Leader and delivers planned care in the patients home.

Job Tasks

To provide support and respite for the carer.
To provide high standards of care to the patient and family following an agreed nursing care plan, including practical care and emotional support.

To act as a listener for patients and carers, and enable them to say what is important to them.

To communicate sensitive information in a form that is understandable to patients and their carers.

To care for patients following death and support newly bereaved families.

To respect patient autonomy, beliefs and values, and maintain patient confidentiality and dignity.

To apply knowledge and understanding of patients’ individual needs in a non-judgmental and caring way.

To work closely with the Prospect@Home Team Leader and other key staff, including Prospect Nurse Specialists and District Nurses to contribute to the provision of continuity and coordinated, planned care.

To recognise difficult or unexpected situations that require additional or qualified assistance, and know who and how to contact in an emergency.

To assist patients with prescribed oral medication where the patient is self-administering their medicines.

To clearly record all care.

To have the ability, knowledge and skills required for the safe moving and handling of patients.

To work safely in the patients’ home and respect the property of the patient and their carer(s) at all times.

To report any accidents or incidents that might happen to the patient, relative or yourself during a course of duty, in accordance with Prospect Hospice Policy.

To undertake additional delegated tasks as required.

Clinical Governance

To reflect upon practice in order to identify own learning needs and develop knowledge and skills.

To participate in education, research and audit activities being undertaken by the Prospect@Home Team.

To attend relevant mandatory training.

To participate in clinical supervision and / or support as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Headings	Essential	Desirable
Knowledge and qualifications	NVQ Level 2 in Care, or willingness to undertake.	NVQ Level 3 in Care
Experience	Minimum of 2 years recent relevant Health Care Assistant or Nursing Auxiliary experience. Understanding of the role of the Health Care Assistant.	Palliative care experience
Skills and Abilities	Good verbal and written communication skills. Able to work independently in the patients own home. Good awareness of own limitations, and able to recognize the need to ask for assistance and for onward referral. Commitment to developing skills and knowledge of the care of the dying person and family. Able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of boundaries in relationships with patients and their families. Shows empathy and presents a calm, courteous and compassionate manner. Ability to work unsupervised but also a team player. Able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of developing ways to sustain own coping, including use of support and supervision.	Basic IT skills
Disposition / Adjustment / Attitude	Self-aware. Committed to self-development. Uses own initiative. Resourceful. Conscientious, reliable and punctual. Proactive.	Loyal to the team and to Prospect Hospice.
Special requirements of the post	Flexible shift patterns to include night shifts and alternate weekends. Post holders must have access to transport and be prepared to travel throughout the defined catchment area.

This job description will be reviewed in response to service development requirements.

Title: Trained Nurse (Prospect@Home Bank)

Reporting to: Prospect@Home Team Leader

Responsible for: None

Special Conditions:

To have a flexible approach to work requirements in order to meet the needs of the patient and

their carers. It is expected that this will mean at least 70% night shifts and alternate weekends.

Post holders must have access to transport and be prepared to travel throughout the defined catchment area.

Post holders occupying this role are designated lone workers.

Job Context:

Prospect@Home is a new service which will provide home based palliative nursing care to

enable patients who wish to do so to spend time at home during a crisis in their illness or for

the last days of life.

Job Purpose:

To provide planned nursing care for palliative care patients and their families in their own home.

Scope and Limits of Authority

The post holder is expected to carry out nursing care in the patients home without direct supervision, and to make clinical decisions to support patients with changing specialist palliative care needs.

The post holder is required to identify issues that require referral to the Prospect Nurse Specialist or Prospect@Home Team Leader.

The post holder does not have any direct budgetary responsibility.

Job Tasks:

Clinical Practice

To make initial and ongoing assessments of the total physical, emotional, spiritual, social and practical needs of patients and their family / carers.

To carry out relevant forms of care without direct supervision.

To communicate clearly with patients and carers and build and maintain trusting relationships.

To monitor symptom control issues, and support patients and families in developing coping strategies.

To administer prescribed medications as required in line with Prospect@Home and PCT guidelines.

To provide care for the patient following death, including verification of death.
To provide care and support for the newly bereaved.

To give and receive reports on patients where required, and maintain accurate written records and ensure effective communication.

To work effectively within own limitations and recognize the need for appropriate onward referral to the Prospect Nurse Specialist or District Nurse.

To establish and maintain effective communication and working relationships with the wider team within Prospect Hospice, and with the Primary Health Care Teams.

To work closely with the Prospect@Home Team Leader and other key staff, including Prospect Nurse Specialists and District Nurses to contribute to the provision of continuity and coordinated, planned care.

To work independently in community settings, and assess, manage and document clinical risk, including lone working.

To respect the property of the patient and their carer(s) at all times.

To follow manual handling guidelines to ensure the assessment and safe moving and handling of patients.
To deal sensitively and effectively with suggestions or complaints from patients, families and other service users in liaison with Prospect@Home Team Leader.

Governance

To contribute where required to the Patient Services clinical governance framework through participation in education, development, research and audit initiatives.

To identify and plan to meet own learning needs in relation to PREP.

To formally and informally reflect on practice and performance with the Prospect@Home Team Leader.

To attend mandatory training as required.

Professional

To maintain professional standards and remain aware of changing patterns of care.
To understand the importance of professional accountability and need for professional self development.

To attend and contribute to multi-professional meetings as appropriate.

To adhere to the Operational and Clinical Policies, Procedures and Guidelines of Prospect Hospice and Prospect@Home.

To remain aware of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Statutory Requirements for Practice, Guidelines and Codes of Practice.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Headings

Essential

Desirable

Knowledge and qualifications

Registered General Nurse.

Evidence of continuing professional development within palliative care.

Care of the Dying Person Module (Level 2 or 3), and commitment to progressing level 2 and/or level 3 study.

Diploma in Palliative Care

Experience

Palliative care experience.

Understanding of reflective practice.

Experience of multi-agency and collaborative working.

Community experience.

Knowledge of hospice philosophy, policy and palliative care principles.

Skills and Abilities

Confident of own knowledge base.

Able to recognise own limitations and initiate appropriate onward referral.

Commitment to developing skills and knowledge of the care of the dying person and family.

Able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of boundaries in relationships with patients and their families

Good interpersonal skills, including being able to communicate effectively at all levels.

Effective strategies and approaches to facilitate coping with emotional demands of role, particularly exposure to loss and patient death.

Team player.

Basic IT skills.

Disposition / Adjustment / Attitude

Self-aware.

Committed to self-development.

Uses own initiative.

Resourceful.

Conscientious, reliable and punctual.

Proactive.

Loyal to the team and to Prospect Hospice.

Special requirements of the post

Flexible shift patterns including at least 70% night shifts and alternate weekends. Post holders must have access to transport and be prepared to travel throughout the defined catchment area.

This job description will be reviewed in response to service development requirements.