Job summary
Do you have experience providing care and support to elderly and frail people either in the community or care homes? Or maybe you are a HCA from general practice looking for a new challenge.
ARCH PCN is seeking a healthcare assistant with an interest in frailty to work within our multi-disciplinary a team of professionals working across the PCN area including Alfreton, Ripley, Crich and Heanor.
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the delivery of our new Ageing Well model of care part of Team Up Derbyshire. The role will operate across the traditional health and social care organisational boundaries, including with our GP practice partners, to help support the service on a day to day basis. The aim for the service is to ultimately provide an holistic approach to our acute home visiting service, enhanced care into care homes and enhanced proactive care for older people with frailty for patients with multifaceted health problems.
This role would be suited to a Healthcare Assistant or Care Home Carer with an interest in frailty and care of the older person.
Main duties of the job
To support the clinical team delivering this service we are looking for someone with a strong interest in working with people with frailty and who aspires to promote a continuous improvement approach to leading and delivering responsive, safe, patient-centred and effective care. The successful candidate will support other clinical staff including Advanced Nurse Practitioners and Community GPs to develop new and responsive clinical pathways for seamless working to provide a holistic approach and good quality patient care.
We envisage this role to support the Advanced Clinical Practitioners aligned to local care homes, by providing HCA support to the weekly ward rounds and annual reviews required for residents living in care homes.
About us
This post will be hosted by Amber Valley Health- the umbrella organisation for ARCH PCN. The PCN consists of 9 GP practices (89,000 patients) across the PCN area, which operates as 3 neighbourhoods. The PCN is committed to improving the care of patients in the local geographical area and sustaining General Practice.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will be providing direct and indirect patient care independently but with support available from a supervisor within the clinical area. In doing so, they will support the assessment of service users and implementation of programmes of care delegated to them by the appropriate staff member ensuring that they practice within their sphere of competence and knowledge. The post holder will work within a range of procedures and pathways in which they have received training in order to be competent.
1.1. The post holder will implement programmes of care within the limits of the procedures and pathways in which they have achieved competence.
1.2. Support and assist other staff members to deliver care as delegated and directed
1.3. Obtaining basic observations, information for assessment and supporting with management plan as discussed with the relevant clinician.
1.4. Demonstrates developed physical skills obtained through practice and training e.g. accuracy, dexterity and coordination to complete routine tests within agreed pathways of care, manipulate equipment.
1.5. Observes and evaluates progress, condition or levels and reports to clinician, ensuring that accurate and timely record keeping is achieved
1.6. Able to identify risk or changes in condition and are responsible for taking action and alerting the appropriate staff member
1.7. Exchanges factual information with service users using persuasion, reassurance, tact and empathy and addressing barriers to understanding to engage the individual in their care and gain valid consent; ensure that all discussions are recorded in an accurate and timely manner in the patient record
1.8. Engages and actively involves the individual and, if appropriate, their family/carer, in their assessment, programme of treatment and/or care, if directed to do so by the responsible professional, by using person-centred techniques to promote a culture of self care, involvement and empowerment
1.9. Prioritises their own workload and understands the boundaries of their practice; may plan tasks for others e.g. patient groups, arranging for more junior staff to support groups
1.10. Approaches each individual with care, compassion and sensitivity ensuring that these values are reflected in all aspects of role
1.11. Be responsible for delegated administration tasks and management of resources within the clinical area e.g. stock control, basic equipment cleaning, specific clinical tasks to support the smooth running of a clinic.
1.12. To comply with the organisations’ Infection Prevention and Control requirements, including “bare below the elbows” dress code for staff with a direct care delivery role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Must be willing to participate in any relevant training/qualification identified to develop skills required to carry out duties e.g. Support Worker Competency Framework
- GCSE English grade 9 to 4 or equivalent experience.
Desirable
- Evidence of previous learning related to clinical area
- Qualification to NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in health or social care settings
- Experience of working with the general public
- Experience of organising and prioritising own workload
- Experience of working as part of a team
Desirable
- Autonomy in own role
- Experience of relevant clinical area – older people, frailty, dementia
- Experience of participating in clinical supervision
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- Demonstrates and understanding of role applied for within the clinical context e.g. older adults, mental health
- Knowledge and understanding of general responsibilities related to patient information and record keeping
- Understanding of professional roles relevant to clinical area e.g. nurse, therapists, pharmacists
- Awareness of general clinical conditions which may be encountered in area of work
- Demonstrates awareness of limits to knowledge base
- Demonstrates an understanding of accountability
- Awareness of responsibilities regarding health and safety particularly if working without direct supervision
Desirable
- Knowledge and understanding of reflective practice and continuing professional development
Practical skills
Essential
- Basic clinical skills taking observations.
- Competent IT skills e.g. word processing, email, use of clinical systems e.g. SystmOne, EMIS, Ice
- Effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills including communicating factual information to service users / carers
- Basic risk assessment skills
- Car Owner/driver – community based working
Attitude and Behaviour
Essential
- Displays care, compassion, sensitivity and responsiveness to other peoples feelings and needs
- Able to work as part of a team, co-operating to work together and in conjunction with others and willing to help and assist wherever possible and appropriate appreciating the value of diversity in the workplace
- Able to develop, establish and maintain positive relationships with others both internal and external to the organisation and with patients and their carers
- Able to work under pressure, dealing with peaks and troughs in workload.
- Positive and flexible attitude to dealing with change; able to respond to the changing needs of the patient in an appropriate and timely manner;
- willing to change and accept change and to explore new ways of doing things and approaches
- Highly motivated and reliable
- Demonstrates values consistent with those of the organisational values.
- Has a strong degree of personal integrity; able to adhere to standards of conduct based on a culture of equality and fairness
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.
Closing Date: 10 May 2023
