The Health Care Support Worker will be expected to support the nursing staff within the Women’s Health Unit. The primary place of work will be within the Colposcopy/Hysteroscopy clinics with a requirement to also support the Early Pregnancy and Emergency Gynaecology units on some days. A flexible approach is required to provide support to the nursing team and our patients. There will be times that place of work will change at short notice. Under the guidance of the nurse in charge and clinical staff the health care support worker will work enthusiastically as a valuable member of the team to ensure women and their families are at the centre of care. The post is advertised as a band 3 role subject to the following: successfully completing the care certification within the six month probationary period of employment, during which you will be paid Band 2 or providing a copy of your completed care certificate which has been reviewed during the recruitment process and determined as meeting the accepted standard Upon successful completion (or accepted evidence) of the Care Certification and completion of the probationary period of employment, you will be promoted to NHS AFC Band 3. Failure to complete the Care Certification within this timeframe may result in termination of employment. Assist in the management and care of service users under supervision of the nurse in charge. Carry out and record patient observations and escalate concerns to the clinical staff at an early stage Assisting clinical staff and chaperoning patients who require physical examinations Carry out testing under supervision of the nursing staff Be able to prioritise workload to meet the needs of the service To ensure maintenance of good relationships, communication and team work with all disciplines Promote a welcoming approach to newly admitted women attending the department, maintaining an awareness that they are often anxious, as are their immediate partners Maintain stock levels on all procedure trolleys / emergency boxes to ensure that they are ready for immediate use at all times Ensure clinical areas are fully equipped for use by: Checking, unpacking and stocking, stores and pharmacy Emptying linen skips / bins and replacing liners and laundry duties Replace sharps bins Change suction systems weekly or more frequently, as required To make procurement lead or nurse in charge aware of low stock levels for clinical items Cleaning of equipment as required Report faulty or brioken equipment Our Organisation The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) provides a full range of general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping. We employ 3,500 staff and serve a local population of around 350,000 people living in west Essex and east Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and Epping. Our extended catchment area incorporates a population of up to 500,000 and includes the areas of Hoddesdon, Cheshunt and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire. Our Values The Princess Alexandra Promise To Our Patients As Identified By Our 3 Values Which Will Contribute To Improving Our Patient Experiences Patient at heart – Always holding the patient and their wellbeing at the centre of our thoughts and efforts Everyday excellence – Sharing and celebrating our successes, being honest when we get it wrong, giving us the ability to learn from both Creative collaboration – Knowing strength comes from diversity, we combine our experiences, skills and talents, working together to find new and better ways to care The Trust believes in investing in all our staff and rewarding high standards of care whilst building for excellence and in return we expect our staff to uphold the Trust values to the highest level. For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Michelle Lynch Job title: Matron for Gynaecology Email address: michelle.lynchnhs.net Telephone number: 01279 827259 Sally Antoniades, Interim Lead for Colposcopy