Job summary
The Hospice of St Francis, based in Berkhamsted, Herts.
Hours: 18 HPW Salary: £22,370 paFTE / £10, pa Actual Plus Shift Enhancements & Benefits
We are looking forenthusiastic dedicated health-care workers to join our team, providing care athome in our local catchment area. In this role you will make a lastingdifference to the lives of people through care that will have a positive impacton the patient, and the community for many years to come.
The RapidPersonalised Care Service (RPCS) is designed to offer care for a period of upto 12 weeks to enable patients with specialist needs to be cared for at home.You will be delivering a high standard of compassionate care to patients intheir own home, providing personal care and support to help to keep them athome.
The RPCS allows us toreach more patients helping them to achieve their preferred place of care anddeath at home with the peace, dignity and serenity we know we canprovide, giving family and friends support, and time to be together.
Main duties of the job
To be successful you willneed:
1. To be able to work independently, and as part of a team
2. Be able to demonstrate excellent listening and communication skills
3. Previous experience in an equivalent role with the ability to lead andmentor others on shift.
4. Shared values, discretion, respect and a passion for caring for othersis essential
5. Flexible to work rostered shifts7 days a week between 8am to 10pm.
6. To be a car driver, with access to a car
Please note the successfulcandidate will be required to undertake an enhanced level DBS check
About us
Based in beautiful surroundings just outside Berkhamsted, our care is provided completely free and we look after people in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, St Albans, Harpenden, The Chalfonts, Chesham, Amersham and everywhere in between. We also support people in local hospitals and care homes.
What we offer:
7. Structured induction
8. 27 days Annual leave plus Bank Holidays per year (pro rata)
9. Ability to transfer existing NHS Pension (subject to qualifying conditions) or join our company pension scheme with employer contribution
10. Supportive team environment
11. Free onsite parking
12. Wide range of free training courses
13. On-site home cooked food served at a reasonable rate in our bistro
14. For our staff we place great importance on practice development, clinical supervision and ongoing education.
For an informal discussion: please contact Caroline Wheeldon, Head ofCommunity Nursing or Kathy Davis, Care Team Coordinator on 01442 869550. Tocontact HR please email
Please note;applicant shortlisting will take place as and when suitable individuals apply.As such, we would strongly encourage early applications. We reserve the rightto close this vacancy early should a suitable candidate be appointed.Interview arrangements will be communicated via email, so please check youremail regularly.
Due to the volume of applicants, if you don't hear from us within two weeks of the closing date, unfortunately you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Job description
Job responsibilities
15. To work aspart of a team caring for people at home at the end of life that are eligiblefor Community Support service and support their families.
16. To take the lead role on shift and beable to take the initiative in assuring the dignity, comfort and care ofpatients and families.
17. To provide leadership to Community SupportWorkers (CWS) on shift and where necessary ensure (without breachingconfidentiality) that each patient/family carer knows in advance if their timeof their visit might be delayed because of unexpected events at the previousvisit
18. To build rapport quickly to gainconfidence and trust, taking direction from the team co-ordinator, the patientand family carers, in order to assure dignified, safe personal care on everyvisit
19. To be friendly, open, trustworthy andcompetent to give intimate personal care, practical and emotional support and toprompt concordance with prescribed medication working alone, and as part of ateam
20. To assure continuity of care througheffective handover ensuring that you have picked up the necessary informationto deliver care in a patients home
21. To observe and report changes insymptoms, condition and circumstances entering this information accurately in the care plan in the home, and notifyother professionals as detailed in that care plan
22. Update care notes in the patients homeand update the Hospice of St Francis electronic care records accurately and ina timely fashion
23. To be responsive and flexible inmeeting the needs of patients and families within the agreed care plan
24. Ensure patients and families are awareof and can benefit from other Hospice services as appropriate
25. To undertake duties without directdaily supervision working within broad procedural guidelines
26. Work as part of the wider team at theHospice of St Francis ensuring continuity in outstanding care
27. To be responsive and flexible inmeeting the needs of patients and families within the agreed care plan
28. To work on the Inpatient Unit as andwhen required, and where this is in the best interests of patients, and theservice as a whole
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
29. Care certificate / NVQ qualified level 2
Desirable
30. Care certificate / NVQ qualified level 3
Experience
Essential
31. Care certificate / NVQ qualified level 2
32. Qualified by experience 3 years in a similar role with the competence to deliver direct and intimate personal care.
33. Passion and commitment for enabling others and experience in assuring dignity in care at all times.
34. Current experience delivering care as part of a rostered team working 24/7 365 days/year.
35. Knowledge of and experience in care at the end of life and after death.
36. Current knowledge of Moving and Handling, Health and Safety Safeguarding and Mental Capacity Legislation and Guidance.
37. Current driving licence, with use of own car.
38. Skilled in developing rapport and trust quickly gaining the confidence of patients and families.
39. Excellent listening skills.
40. Skilled in supporting empowering and motivating people at a low ebb, fearful and/or in distress.
41. Skilled in listening to, holding and judging appropriate responses to people who are sharing information that might be distressing for them and for the listener.
42. Good verbal and written communication skills.
43. Excellent team player who supports others.
44. Able to communicate complex information succinctly and clearly for others to understand.
45. Knowledge and experience of the importance of handover, prompt observation, upward reporting and timely recording in paper notes.
46. Ability to work with confidential sensitive information & understand boundaries and support others to work in this way.
47. Patient and calm under pressure.
48. Able to identify and anticipate change in a patients presentation and raise the right alert for changes to the care plan and/or additional help.
49. Proven prioritisation skills being able to accurately identify the care tasks that should be attended to.
Desirable
50. Experience of lone working
51. Experience of teaching or training others in practice/shadowing situations
52. Experience of using electronic patent record systems
53. Proven experience of working in diverse communities, understanding and overcoming the impact of discrimination
54. The ability to speak or sign more than one language relevant to the population served
55. Confident to make difficult judgements in prioritising own work load and able to explain the rationale for these decisions