Senior Healthcare Assistant

An exciting and unique opportunity has arisen for a dynamic Band 3 Healthcare Support Worker to hold a dual role within Adult Community Mental Health Teams across Swansea Bay. The post will involve delivery of Physical Health Monitoring clinics across Swansea Bay Adult Community Mental Health Teams ensuring a high standard of physical health monitoring in line with both NICE and local prescribing guidelines such as ADHD and antipsychotic monitoring.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will work within a designated team made up of a registered nurse and other healthcare support workers.
• Main duties of the healthcare support workers within the clinics will involve undertaking blood pressure monitoring, measuring height, weight and phlebotomy as well as offering practical health promotion advice.
• Individuals who are already phlebotomy trained will be desirable although this is not essential and the post holder must be willing to undertake this training.
• The role will also involve some administrative tasks to support the organisation of the clinic so basic IT skills are required.
• Another element of the role will be affiliated with one Community Mental Health Team in Neath Port Talbot and will support registered staff with care co-ordination under Part 2 of the Mental Health Measure.
• This will involve undertaking tasks suitably delegated to you and supporting individuals to achieve their goals through community visits.
• The role operates Monday-Friday between 9am and 5pm and has the benefit of weekends and bank holidays off.
• Travelling between sites is essential for this role as it will involve input to 5 Community Mental Health Teams across Swansea Bay and travelling to patients' homes.

Working for our organisation

We believe staff are our best asset and we want you to be happy and confident about starting your career here in Swansea Bay University Health Board. As one of the biggest healthcare groups in the UK we can offer a wealth of professional training and development opportunities in an innovative, forward-thinking organisation.

You might be a nurse or doctor, maybe you specialise in a health science/therapy or can offer skills in one of our support services - we have a job for you. There are also apprenticeships, work placements and volunteering roles available.

We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from everyone whatever their sex; religion or belief; race; age; sexual orientation; gender identity or, whether they are pregnant or have recently been on maternity leave, married or are in a civil partnership; or, whether they are disabled.

Our values - Caring For Each Other, Working Together and Always Improving, show that our commitment to equality is at the heart of everything we do. If you want excellent career and training opportunities while living on the doorstep of some of Europe's most spectacular scenery, with all the benefits of a thriving and cosmopolitan city - look no further.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Minimum of Qualification Credit Framework – QCF Level 3 (formerly NVQ Level 3)
• Evidence of maintaining their personal development, demonstrates an understanding of the scope of the role in the context of the nursing team.
• Evidence of working within specialist care setting.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers in Wales.
• Knowledge of the fundamental aspects of care and the importance of the promotion of health and wellbeing.
• Understands the principles of Safeguarding adults/children to keep patients within their care safe.
• Evidence attendance at courses / study days pertinent to speciality.
• Understanding of caring for individuals with particular conditions; for example, dementia, mental illness, learning disabilities relevant to area of practice.

Experience

• Significant experience of working as a Healthcare Assistant within patient groups relevant to area of practice e.g. Adult, Children, Acute, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities etc.
• Previous relevant experience in specialty.

Aptitude and abilities

• Caring, compassionate attitude to patients and clients.
• Able to undertake specific procedures involving physical skills commensurate with practice area e.g. recording of vital signs, venepuncture.
• Able to effectively and appropriately escalate concerns to reduce risk and promote patient safety.
• Ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of the workload, prioritise workload and individual patient contact.
• Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh.

Swansea Bay University Health Board is committed to supporting its staff and processes to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing service users experience. In our commitment to increase the number of staff able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we would particularly welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

Equality remains at the centre of the Health Boards policy-making, service delivery and employment practices. We value the diversity of our staff and welcome applications from people from protected groups under the Equality Act 2010, this specifically includes age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/reassignment, race, religion, disability, pregnancy and maternity and marriage and civil partnership.

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.