Senior Palliative Care Support Worker (Hospice at Home)

Job responsibilities

Job Title: Senior Palliative Care Support Worker

Spinal Point Range: 7,8

(Plus, unsocial hours payments see below)

Hours: up to 37.5 hours per week

Department: Hospice Care Services

Location: St Michaels Hospice, Bartestree

Reports to: Hub Manager / Community Services Manager / Sister

Job Purpose: In and across all areas of St Michaels provision of Care. To deliver individualised, holistic palliative nursing care to patients and their families in their own homes/inpatient care setting to enhance their quality of life.

Planning (dependant on care setting)

• Co-ordinate the Palliative Care Support Workers activities e.g. patient allocation, meal planning.

• Manage the daily work pattern for Palliative Care Support Workers to ensure staffing is maintained.

• Contribute to safe deployment of staffing resources by completing the duty rota for both Senior and Palliative Care Support Workers; escalating to ward sister when complete.

• Manage the clinical consumable stock ordering process.

Leadership

• Contribute to the appraisal process for Palliative Care Support Workers where appropriate

• Provide support and guidance to new members of the team, sharing knowledge and skills

• Become Champions for Link Nurse Roles

Care Provision

• Provide individualised care to the patient and family members under the delegated direction of registered nurses, following care plans and risk assessment.

• Following appropriate training to undertake a range of clinical care interventions e.g. stoma care.

• Develop and utilise skills in decision-making to enhance patient care, working in an autonomous environment, where appropriate

• Perform simple dressing changes following care plan

• Contribute to clinical and health and safety risk assessments.

• Using discretion and judgement in emergency situations.

• Escalate changes in condition of patients/relatives to the nurse on duty.

• Provide emotional/psychological support to the patient and their family, identifying referrals to the wider hospice services.

• Ensure patients privacy and dignity are maintained at all times. Maintain a safe environment for both patients and staff

• Provide final care for the deceased patient

• Understand the complications/harm e.g. falls, pressure sores etc. that can be caused by patient immobility and contribute to the prevention of such complications.

• Helping with food preparation, ensuring dietary needs are meet and helping to feed patients when indicated

• Provide medication management up to and including tier 3, working within your own personal competency

• Be aware of the indications for use of syringe drivers

• Responsible for the timely disposal and documentation of clinical waste and laundry, appropriate to care setting

Communication

• Create and promote a positive image for the organisation.

• Communicate in a professional and effective manner, with an open and honest approach with internal and external health care professionals, patients, relatives and carers.

• Encourage patients/relatives/carers to express what is important to them to identify their needs, ensure that this information is recorded and informs the care plan.

• Recognise own limitations when offering emotional support.

• Contribute to the bereavement care offered to families, reporting any vulnerabilities to the registered nurse.

• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.

• Promote awareness of child and adult protection issues and hospice policy.

• Be a team player, following guidelines and policies.

• Keep accurate records of the care provided.

• Working inter-professionally within the organisation.

• Provide volunteers with information to enable them to give appropriate care to patients and their visitors.

• Encourage user feedback

Health and Safety

• Act at all times to promote the safety and wellbeing of patients, relatives/carers, visitors and volunteers

• Be aware of patients that are at risk e.g. of falling and ways to prevent falls.

• Contribute to health and safety risk assessments and actions as required.

• Follow the incident reporting process.

• Follow policies of dress code to enable safe practice and ensure infection control is adhered too.

• Ensure the environment is free from hazards and all nursing equipment is clean, in good working order, safety and appropriately used and stored

• Safe storage and use of hazardous substances according to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations.

• Report faulty equipment to the facilities team using the WAM system

• Adhere to all of SMH policies and procedures

Education

• Attend mandatory training and service training opportunities.

• Develop and maintain own knowledge and skills in palliative care.

• Undertake an appraisal and personal development review annually; considering aspirations for the future with a long-term goal; utilising education facilities offered at the hospice to enhance learning opportunities.

• Act as a mentor and role model to new staff members.

Person Specification

1) Specialist Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Experience of delivering hands on care for people requiring palliative care

• NVQ Level 3 in care or equivalent

• Experience of dealing with challenging situations

• Basic IT skills

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