Senior Healthcare Assistant

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The James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of around 250,000 people in the Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Waveney areas. The Trust provides an integrated hospital and community children's service.
Patient and staff experience is important to us and these are the behaviours we live by:

• Putting patients first
• Aiming to get it right
• Recognising that everybody counts
• Doing everything openly and honestly

'Prior consideration will be given to NHS At Risk staff within East of England'

Job overview

Senior Healthcare Assistant - Band 3

Rotational across The Oulton Suite at JPUH and Northgate Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC)

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Healthcare Assistant to rotate between the newly built Community Diagnostic Centres, The Oulton Suite at the James Paget Hospital and Northgate Community Diagnostic Centre in Great Yarmouth.

The role combines a mixture of both clinical (predominantly) and administrative duties and the post-holder will be an active contributor to the functioning of this dynamic and friendly team.

Applicants will need GCSE grade 4 or above in Mathematics and English (or functional skills or equivalent) and NVQ level 3 or equivalent.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for a motivated person who has excellent communication skills with the ability to work both as part of a team and independently in supporting patients undergoing cardiac, sleep and lung diagnostics in the Community Diagnostic Centres. Although not essential, having experience in undertaking ECGs would be advantageous.

Successful candidates will be responsible for ensuring that clinics flow smoothly, undertaking patient observations and prepping clinical areas as well as supporting the cardiac and respiratory physiologists with basic admin duties. It is expected that additional services and clinical pathways will be developed at a later date.

Working for our organisation

We want to attract the best and brightest people to work with us and that means we will look after you from the moment you apply for a role at the Trust and throughout your career with us. Our staff are central to everything we do, and we believe that investing in you is crucial if we want to enable you to reach your full potential.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Working under the direction of a Registered Health Care Professional, SHCAs participate in the clinical care provided to patients, prioritising workload appropriately and developing competencies that safeguard practice and effectiveness in role. Specific duties and responsibilities include;

• Work as part of a designated clinical and care team delivering care that focuses on the direct needs of the individual
• Assist patients with personal hygiene, toileting and use of continence aids
• Support Moving and Handling, use of mobility aids, correct patient positioning, assess pressure areas and skin integrity

• Developing positive relationships with parents, families and carers
• Be aware of the patient's needs - emotional, social, physical, and cultural. Respect privacy, dignity and beliefs.
• Acts in a way that supports equality and diversity values.
• Work as part of the team in a co-operative, professional and constructive manner.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times
• Report any information regarding the wellbeing of the patients to the Registered Health Care Professional in a timely manner.
• Manage and organise time and activities to support and meet the needs of individuals
• To empower patients and their families to make their own decisions about health and choices.

• To undertake a range of clinical competencies, for example safe venepuncture and Cannulation as requested by the Registered Health Care Professional and have competencies checked annually by a Registered Healthcare Professional.
• At the request of the Registered Health Care Professional, perform and record physiological measurements within the remit of the SHCA role and report accurately to the Registered Health Care Professional, the assessment undertaken, on patients.
• Obtaining samples at the request of a Registered Health Care Professional, including wound swabs, eye swabs, urine specimens, MRSA swabs, stool samples and sputum specimens.
• To assist in blood collection.
• Assist the Registered Health Care Professional in maintaining a clean environment
• Following the completion of appropriate training and assessment and under the direction of a registered health care professional undertake clinical activities such as ECG recording, urinalysis, changing of simple wound dressings and capillary blood glucose monitoring.
• Providing female catheter care, removal of catheters, stoma care, measuring and monitoring patient outputs
• Provide and receive sensitive information concerning a patient's medical condition.
• Work with the registered heath care professional and engage with other agencies and community teams to ensure a safe, individualised approach to the admission and discharge of patients.
• Act in accordance with all organisational policies and procedures and within expected values and behaviours.
• Actively participate in and attend ward/unit meetings.
• Demonstrate good understanding of principles of consent and ensure valid consent is obtained prior to undertaking nursing and care procedures
• Demonstrate good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act / Deprivation of Liberties and applies principles to everyday practice seeking advice / guidance from the registered healthcare professional as required
• Promote health and safety maintaining best practice in health, safety and security
• Share ideas with colleagues to improve care and suggest areas for innovation
• Participate in audit activities being undertaken in area of practice
• Contribute to the improvement of service by reflecting on own practice and supporting that of others
• Adhere to legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines both local and national Regularly attend workplace and staff engagement meetings and contribute positively to discussions about the improvement of care
• Post holders are required to work independently with regard to routine, delegated tasks, following established good practice and refer non-routine tasks appropriately
• Work is supervised and evaluated on a routine basis. To follow treatment plans as prescribed by Registered Health Care Professionals and identify select activities that meet treatment goals.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• GCSE English Language and Maths A to C or 4 - 9 or functional skills (or equivalent)
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent or willing to undertake a Level 3

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in a health, social or residential care setting
• Ability to support patients

Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to plan and prioritise own workload
• Demonstrate the promotion of equality, diversity and rights of others

The James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recognises the requirement to promote health and reduce ill-health. The Trust is committed to the principles of improving working lives through a number of initiatives such as job share, flexible working and the development of a culture of openness and transparency. The Trust is committed to ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
'Prior consideration will be given to NHS At Risk staff within East of England'

Tier 2 Sponsorship : We are pleased to consider applicants who require Tier 2 sponsorship to work in the UK but it is unlikely that we would be able to appoint if a suitably qualified, experienced and skilled UK/Right to work candidate is available. Applying for entry clearance into the UK, must provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) will also be subject to this requirement.

Please check your account regularly under "My Applications" to view the progress of your applications. If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.

In submitting an application form, you authorise the Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process.

Please note that should we experience a high level of interest in this post, the vacancy may be closed prior to the stated closing date.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Healthcare JD (PDF, 456.9KB)
• Person Specification - Senior HCA (PDF, 768.5KB)
• Hospital Site Map (PDF, 2.7MB)
• Recruitment of Ex-offenders (PDF, 90.9KB)
• Working At The James Paget (PDF, 22.7MB)
• Recruitment Brochure (PDF, 7.7MB)
• Princes Trust Support (JPG, 422.2KB)
• Apollo Care Start (PDF, 12.0MB)
• Apollo Project (PDF, 12.6MB)