Healthcare Assistant

Job Summary

HCA will work collaboratively with the Frailty Team and practices within Nightingales PCN. Working under the supervision and closely with the clinical team and strictly following specific practice guidelines and protocols, the healthcare assistant will assist the Frailty Team in the provision of patient care in the community and within the PCN care homes.

Duties and Responsibilities

· To support the provision of clinical care for identified patients with frail and/or complex needs in accordance with patients care plan.

· To establish and maintain effective communications with patients carers and health professionals in a professional manner.

· To assist with ongoing support of patients, their families, and carers to manage their frailty and long-term health conditions.

· In line with the PCN/Frailty Team practices to update patient records ensuring entries are accurate, relevant, and timely and communicate care provided appropriately.

· To be able to identify and recognise a deterioration in an individual’s health and report to senior Frailty Team members.

· Following appropriate competency-based training, to undertake delegated clinical tasks and procedures as, phlebotomy, BMI, BP readings, diabetic foot checks and urinalysis.

· Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions

· Assisting in the assessment and surveillance of patients’ health and well being

· To demonstrate an ability to undertake duties in an autonomous manner.

· To understand and follow procedures and policies on information governance, with strict adherence to protocols regarding sharing of personal and confidential information between different organisations and individuals.

· To contribute to the ongoing development of the service and participate in Team Meetings.

Confidentiality:

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information concerning their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.

• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons per the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety:

The post-holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others’ health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines

• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory/contractual/professional requirements, and good practice guidelines.

• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimen process including collection, labeling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements.

• Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff.

• Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice.

• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice.

• Active observation of current working practices across the practice concerning infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses/training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate.

• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process.

• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes.

• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc. are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.

• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal.

• Using appropriate infection control (procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial/corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management.

• Actively identifying, reporting, and correcting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, and sterile, identifying issues and hazards/risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers

• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)

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• Routine management of own team/team areas, and maintenance of workspace standards

• Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection

• Spillage control procedures, management and training

• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance • Maintenance of sterile environments

Equality and diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include.

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation

• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues

• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development:

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality:

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance

• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patient needs • Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members

• Communicate effectively with patients and carers

• Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the Implementation of Services:

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance

• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work

• Participate in audit where appropriate

Location

You will be based at Hollywood Medical Practice, Beaudsert Road, Hollywood, Birmingham B47 5DP or elsewhere as reasonably required.

Should we experience a high level of interest in the post; the vacancy will expire early.

Person Specification

HCA Qualifications

Essential

5 GCSEs at Level 4 or above including Maths and English

The Care Certificate Course or working towards

Experience

Essential

Experience of working in Primary Care or Nursing Home Care setting

Experience of Microsoft packages and basic computer literacy skills

Clear, polite telephone manner

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

Essential

Venepuncture

Clear and concise record-keeping

Ability to prioritise workload

Excellent communication skills with patients with complex needs and their families/carers

Clinical observation skills

Desirable

Knowledge of a Patient System – preferably EMIS

Wound care and dressings

New Patients Health Check

NHS Health Check