Band 3 Senior Pharmacy Support Worker- Patient Services

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Our trust has around 10,000 staff serving 1.6 million patients. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital and more than 30 services in the community. This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.

Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers' money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

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Click on the logo below to see the video of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust values

Job overview

The pharmacy team at Barnet Hospital have an exciting opportunity to start a career path in hospital pharmacy. We are looking for motivated Pharmacy Support Workers who are keen to expand their experience and are interested in working in a supportive and forward-thinking department committed to delivering high quality patient care.

The post holder will supervise a team of pharmacy support workers and apprentices in the patient services areas. They will be responsible for training staff rotating through the dispensary, which can include general dispensing, hatch duty, stock receipt and stock control.

The post holder will have a Level 2 in Pharmacy Service Assistant apprenticeship (or equivalent) or willing to undertake a pharmacy apprenticeship if not qualified. Successful applicants will be appointed into a Band 3 position if expected qualifications met and those requiring training will be enrolled on a pharmacy apprenticeship programme and appointed in a Band 3 annex 21 role for the duration of training. This training opportunity will lead to a substantive Band 3 position on completion of their apprenticeship (if applicable).

Main duties of the job

The post holder will supervise a team of pharmacy support workers and apprentices in the patient services areas. They will be responsible for training staff rotating through the dispensary, which can include general dispensing, hatch duty, stock receipt and stock control.

The post holder will assist in reception duties and the general dispensing of medicines. They will be the link between patients, their carers and/or representatives, medical staff and visitors to the dispensary and pharmacy staff. They will take in private out-patient prescriptions, To Take Away (TTA) prescriptions and requisitions and handle financial transactions. They will behave in a manner that is both sensitive and always ensures patient confidentiality.

The post holder will consistently work in an accurate, effective, and efficient manner to support the provision of a high-quality service to patients, trust staff and departments. They will be part of a high performing team that is expected to demonstrate the Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust values. This means that in undertaking this role the post holder is always expected to behave in a way that demonstrates commitment to the delivery of respectful and compassionate care.

The post-holder must always carry out their role in line with the Trust World Class values.

Working for our organisation

Our trust has around 10,000 staff serving 1.6 million patients. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital and more than 30 services in the community. Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers' money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

The Pharmacy department at The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is an ambitious and quality improvement focused team who are committed to optimising the use of medicines and providing the best pharmaceutical care to our patients. We are proud to lead the way in integrated training partnerships, digital transformation, and cost improvement programmes (CIP).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification.

Person specification

Education & professional Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to GCSE or equivalent including Maths, English, Science - Grade C / 4 and above
• Must have successfully completed the Level 2 Pharmacy Service Assistant apprenticeship or equivalent or willing to undertake

Experience

Essential criteria

• Good working knowledge of IT Microsoft Packages such as Outlook, Word, Excel and other relevant programmes
• Able to prioritise workload effectively

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of working in a Pharmacy
• Experience of stock management
• Previous employment in the NHS

Royal Free World Class Values

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values

• Covid-19 Vaccination

  Getting vaccinated, and getting a booster, remains the best defence against COVID-19.
  We encourage and support staff to get COVID-19 vaccine and a booster dose as and when they are eligible.

• AT* - Apprenticeship Training. Where AT* is entered next to the job title indicates that this vacancy is for an apprenticeship role.
• By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers. Therefore we require you to complete your stat and Man e-learning modules prior to joining our organisation.
• If you are an EU/EEA citizen who does not have EU Settlement or Pre-Settled status, you will require a visa to work in the UK.
• Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• If you are offered a role with one of the NLPSS partner trusts, as part of pre-employment checks your identity and right to work documentation will be verified remotely (in most circumstances), using a certified identity verification service provider TrustID. You will be asked to capture an image of the relevant documents as well as a "selfie" using your smartphone/tablet (if available) for facial matching. TrustID will also perform a digital address check using Trunarrative and Equifax, which is a soft check and does not leave a footprint on your credit rating. For more information, visit www.trustid.co.uk
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• The Trust will request a DBS (CRB) if post involves regulated activities. The Trust is compliant with the Disclosure and Barring Service Codes of practice and the Rehabilitation of offenders act.
• By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams - unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

Applications are welcome from people wishing to job share or work flexible patterns. We are committed to equal opportunities.

Please note:

• Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification
• Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
• Interview arrangements will be communicated via email so please check your email regularly following the closing date.

Please be advised that due to exceptionally high demand, all Royal Free accommodation is at full capacity and waiting lists are being held. Average waiting times are 12 months. Please do not rely on Trust accommodation when you commence your role and ensure you investigate alternative accommodation for your arrival.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 400.4KB)
• Person Specification (PDF, 528.3KB)
• Functional Requirements (PDF, 940.0KB)
• Allied Health Professional - benefits, about RFL, values and governing objectives (PDF, 939.6KB)