Family Support Practitioner - 24 hours per week. It is essential to have experience in providing Welfare Rights advice and guidance to patients and those affected by their diagnosis.
The post holder will be a member of the Family Support Service within The Hospice of the Valleys.
The aim of the Family Support Service is to provide high quality care for people with a palliative diagnosis and their families who are experiencing complex symptoms that are not being effectively managed by generalist practitioners.
The Family Support Service provides bereavement support to families in line with the bereavement care standards.
Main duties of the job
1. To provide support, information, welfare rights advice and guidance to patients and those affected by their diagnosis, enabling and empowering those engaging with the service to maintain independence, improve sense of well-being and put them more in control of their lives.
2. To work autonomously, assessing patients and carers with complex physical, emotional, social, and psychological symptoms on a daily basis to enable an appropriate plan of care to be developed within the community.
3. To provide information, support, and advice in response to an assessed need highlighted within the initial assessment which may include: patient support, carer support, advance care planning, and bereavement. Knowledge of local services is desirable as signposting to other services/agencies is required where appropriate.
4. To establish and maintain effective communication relating to complex, sensitive, and potentially stressful situations on a regular basis, supporting relatives, carers, and staff in bereavement with the ability to recognise and refer on for complicated grief reactions.
5. Contribute toward a core training programme relating to the specialist area for all Hospice staff and the wider community including primary healthcare teams, social services staff, and the voluntary sector.
About us
Hospice of the Valleys provides specialist palliative care to the people of Blaenau Gwent, working with individuals who have life-limiting conditions such as heart failure, Chronic Obstructive Disease (COPD), and cancer.
Specialist Palliative Care helps patients and their families with physical, emotional, social, and financial problems that are difficult to control, providing support at the end of life and through bereavement.
Patients may only need care from Hospice of the Valleys for a short time and can be discharged if their symptoms are controlled.
We also have a designated service for patients with Dementia and their carers called CARIAD (Care and Respect in Advanced Dementia).
Our team provides care for patients at home, in nursing homes, or at our out-patient clinic in the Hospice in Ebbw Vale.
Job responsibilities
1. To work effectively as an autonomous practitioner within a multidisciplinary palliative care team, promoting and maintaining quality of life for patients and carers.
2. To engage in the assessment of complex symptom and psychological problems, providing support, ensuring a cohesive, holistic, and evidence-based approach to the management of individuals living with a palliative diagnosis and support for their carers pre and post bereavement.
3. To maintain accurate and contemporaneous records and input and retrieve patient information from computer-based systems.
4. To assist and empower patients, families, carers, and bereaved relatives to maximise their household income by providing welfare rights advice and information.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
1. Minimum 2 years experience in a health care/social care/education setting.
2. Experience of working directly with people affected by a palliative, life-limiting diagnosis, their carers, and those affected by the diagnosis.
3. Experience of supporting people following a bereavement.
4. Experience of working within an unpredictable, ever-changing multi-agency setting.
5. Communicate respectfully in an open, accurate, straightforward, and confidential way with colleagues.
6. Ability to organise and facilitate groups.
7. Ability to identify learning needs in others and utilise education opportunities.
8. Basic level competence in the standard range of IT programs.
Person Specification
Qualifications
1. Education to A/level degree standard with GCSE in maths and literacy.
2. Evidence of continuing professional development.
3. Valid UK driving licence and regular use of a car.
4. Degree in a relevant field.
Special Conditions and Professional Requirements
* Welfare Rights/Benefits - Experience is essential.
* Requirement to travel independently throughout the Service Area.
* Enhanced Disclosure and Barring checks on appointment and at periodic intervals.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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