Urgent Community Response - Healthcare Assistant

NCH&C is proud to be the first standalone NHS community trust in the UK to achieve an 'Outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our focus is on continually improving the quality of care we offer to local people and on improving access to that care, helping people to move seamlessly from one service to another. Praising NCH&C's "compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels", the CQC observed that our staff are well supported to make positive changes and innovations.
Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is committed to continuing to create a modern and inclusive work environment. As part of this commitment we actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible, to meet the needs and wishes of our workforce to maintain and improve their wellbeing. The trust offers a range of flexibility, including flexible working patterns, and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.
We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community., This is an opportunity to be in an exciting and developing role supporting people in their own homes. People may be reaching the end of life, at risk of admission to hospital or have just been discharged from hospital.
Your role, with registered staff support, will be to enable these people to stay at home safely and assist them with personal tasks - such as washing and dressing or preparing a meal as well as taking observations and wound care.
This position is available in the South Place, covering South Norfolk locations with both full-time and part-time options considered., The Band 3 Urgent Community Response roles will provide care cover 08:00-20:00 over 7 days a week, 365 days per year.
The main duties of the role to support people in their own homes will be to:
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o To contribute to the delivery of care pathways for patients with long term conditions, palliative care and rehabilitation needs for example, to achieve quality of life and independence where possible.
o To work within the Urgent Community Response Team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital
o To work within the Urgent Community Response Team to support early discharge from hospital
o To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users., Clinical
The post holder will need:
+ Work generically applying competency based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed treatment/care plan.
+ Monitor patients and promptly alert a qualified practitioner when there are unexpected changes.
+ Assist the patient with personal care as appropriate.
+ Observe patients carrying out daily activities in their own homes as well as giving advice on equipment or methods they may use to make these tasks easier.
+ Make basic judgements on patients' response to prescribed treatment, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.
+ Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients, and ensure these are documented on SystmOne.
+ Ensure that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.
+ Where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing impairment, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties in comprehension, explanations require adjustments in order to gain understanding, consent and concordance.
+ Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients and carers, incorporating motivation, encouragement and confidence building to enable patients to engage in their treatment/care/management plan.
+ Liaise with the wider Urgent Community Response Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) as required.
+ Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.
+ Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.
+ Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood sugars, venepuncture, supervising transfers, passive exercises.
+ Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following appropriate training, and that it is maintained appropriately.
+ Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.
+ Work predominantly independently on specified tasks, with regular clinical support and supervision by a qualified practitioner either in person or via the telephone.
+ Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent, and gain consent as appropriate following department policy.
+ Share responsibility for maintaining store cupboards, pool cars, cleaning specialist equipment and general house keeping tasks.
+ Share responsibility for indirect patient contact tasks, such as, answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.
+ Be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.
+ Demonstrate good IT and standard keyboard skills.
Professional
The post holder will:
+ Attend and contribute to staff meetings and multidisciplinary team meetings plus other meetings where appropriate.
+ Attend in-house training as required to develop current job role.
+ Be able to make own travel arrangements to patients, clinics, base and meetings as required.
+ Sometimes be required to demonstrate own duties to students, new starters and/or less experienced staff.
+ Be aware of limitations of own scope of practice, and when to involve a more senior practitioner, both in daily practice and in emergency situations.
+ Acknowledge and recognise peoples' expressed beliefs, preferences and choices.
+ Demonstrate an awareness of clinical governance and risk management, and apply to work situation.
+ Provide peer support to other assistants.
+ Actively contribute to the working of the team and express ideas on improving services for users and the team.
Organisational
The post holder will:
+ Undertake mandatory training as required
+ Partake in a Personal Development Review process
+ Follow Trust policies and local procedures
+ Be aware of Trust policies and local procedures
+ Be aware of Trust's Behaviour Framework and ensure behaviours are embedded in role
+ Ensure absence reporting is undertaken as determined by Team Leader and Trust policy
+ Contribute to clinical audit as required
+ Complete the staff survey as required
+ Complete risk assessments and incident forms as required
+ Take part in clinical supervision as per Trust policy
Safeguarding Clause
+ Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Rigorous recruitment checks are carried out and where applicable to the role successful applicants will be required to undertake a criminal records check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Infection Control
+ Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust staff are responsible for protecting themselves and others against infection risks. All staff regardless of whether clinical or not are expected to comply with current infection control policies and procedures and to report any problems with regard to this to their managers. All staff undertaking patient care activities must attend infection control training and updates as required by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.
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.
Equal Opportunities - We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. Additionally, people with disabilities that fall under the Disability Confident Scheme will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification). All sites are Smoke Free.
Immigration Status - Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is a diverse employer and welcomes all job applications. However, potential applicants should note that although the Trust is registered with the Home Office as a sponsor organisation for migrant workers, sponsorship can only be offered against Skilled Worker visas. If you are an applicant from outside the UK and do not already hold a self-gained right to work, we recommend you check the Home Office eligibility requirements before making an application.
Please note: Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for some job roles, and this will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any job application on the Trac recruitment system.
Redeployment - Please note that in the first instance priority for this vacancy will be given to NCH&C staff who are on the Trusts Redeployment Register.
DBS - If this post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and you are not a current employee of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust or being recruited as an Apprentice then the cost of the DBS check will be automatically removed from your first month's salary. However if you are registered with the update service this may not be required.

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) provides community-based NHS health and care via more than 70 different service locations across Norfolk as well as providing a specialist Early Supported Discharge service to stroke patients in Norfolk and Suffolk.
We believe that people are better looked after locally, our focus is on continually improving the quality of care we offer to local people and on improving access to that care, helping people to move seamlessly from one service to another.
NCH&C is proud that it was the first standalone NHS Community Trust in the UK to achieve an 'Outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).