Community Healthcare Assistant

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is an organisation assessed as being ‘Outstanding’ by Care Quality Commission in 2018.

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Health Care Assistant to join the West Norwich Neighbourhood Community Nursing Teams.

The Community Nursing Service treats patients predominantly in their home settings, including residential homes and supported living complexes.

Norwich locality is working alongside its commissioners and local service providers as part of the Primary Care Network to develop community based services that support patients to remain at home and receive the services they require in an effective and co-ordinated way.

If you would like to be part of an Outstanding organisation that delivers high quality personalised care, supports innovation, that is committed to delivering quality services in our local Communities, and promotes an open and fair culture, then please apply to work with us. You will receive support and development through in service training, regular appraisals, a personal development plan and clinical supervision.

The workload requires a good range of clinical skills to be applied in managing our patients with varied health problems including diabetes management, traumatic, chronic and post-operative wound care, pressure ulcer prevention and management, catheter support, palliative and end of life care. Many of our patients will have complex multi-pathologies and so we aim to provide holistic, patient centred assessments and deliver individualised care.

NCH&C is committed to the development of future health clinicians and there will be an expectation that the Band 3 Health Care Assistant will be highly motivated team player that provides high standards of care to our patients. You will live, breathe and promote the NCH&C’s Behaviour Framework.

All staff are required to respect confidentiality of all matters that they learn as a result of the employment with the Trust, including matters relating to other members of the staff and members of the public/patients.

The post holder will be expected to participate in an annual appraisal of their work in line with the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) where the job description will be reviewed and objectives set. In line with the annual personal development plan the post holder will be expected to undertake any training or development required to fulfil their role.

Norfolk Community Health and Care embraces the principles of Improving Working Lives and all staff will be required to adhere to the standards laid down in this initiative.

Apply now to join an organisation that has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest possible rating and the first stand-alone NHS community trust in the country to be awarded the title.

The post holder will need:
1. To work generically in provision of care, to patients under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed treatment/care plan in order to prevent admission to hospital.
2. Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients.
3. Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit, and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
4. Make basic judgements on patients’ response to prescribed treatment/care plans, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
5. Liaise with other health care professionals as required.
6. Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
7. Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
8. Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood glucose results, wound care, administration of medication such as insulin.
9. Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following relevant training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
10. Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following organisational policies.
11. Share responsibility of indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
12. Undertake health promotion / education as required, e.g. smoking cessation, falls etc.
13. May be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material and blood products, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
14. Attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary team meetings and other meetings where appropriate.
15. Attend in-house and competency training as required in development of current job role.
16. Work predominately independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner.
17. Be aware of limitations of own scope of practice and competency, and when to involve a more senior practitioner, both in daily practice and in emergency situations.
18. Acknowledge and recognise peoples’ expressed beliefs, preferences and choices.
19. Demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management, and apply to work situation.
20. To provide peer support to other healthcare assistants.
21. Actively contribute to team working and express ideas on improving services for users and the team.

This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended from time to time in consultation with the post holder. The post holder will be required to undertake any other duties as may be required for the effective performance of the post.