Alexanders Nurse in Maidenhead

Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service is a local charity, based in Maidenhead, that provides specialist care and vital support to babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families, across Berkshire, South Bucks and into surrounding counties.

We are seeking Band 6 Nurses who have worked with children with complex needs and life-limiting conditions, and their families. You will need to provide a flexible approach to care, with excellent clinical and communication skills.

Working in Alexander's Care Team offers a unique opportunity to provide quality respite and end of life care for children, young people and their families in the community and at our hospice in Maidenhead. This is an outstanding opportunity, in a fresh environment where you will benefit from extensive training and development opportunities, clinical supervision, and a full induction period within a supportive and rewarding organisation.

Main duties of the job

Working as part of the Alexander's Care Team, this post is to provide holistic care and support to children with a life threatening and life limiting condition (LT/LL) and their families across the geographical area supported by Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service. The post will involve a flexible, needs-led approach to care delivery, contributing to a 24/7 rota by the Alexander's Care Team. The post holder will assess children and families and identify the need for short break respite provision, palliative and end of life care in the child's home or other community setting and in the hospice, working both autonomously and in collaboration with other agencies.

Employee Benefits:

• £3,000 Golden Hello Bonus, a one-off, taxable cash payment offered when you join.
• Generous annual leave, two Alexander Days, and your birthday as an additional day off.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Death in Service Cover.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Free on-site parking at our hospice.

For an informal discussion, please contact Tara Kerr-Elliott, Director of Care, on 01628 822777. For an application pack, please email fayd@alexanderdevine.org.

About us

Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service (Alexander Devine) is a local charity that provides specialist care and vital support to babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families, across Berkshire and into surrounding counties. We individualise our approach to meet the unique clinical, emotional and practical needs of each child and their family, ensuring they receive the best possible care and support. Our comprehensive range of care services include Respite care, Specialist play, Symptom management, Family support, End of life care and Bereavement support. We provide care from our children's hospice in Maidenhead as well as in the family home and across the community, including hospitals and schools.

Our hospice facilities offer opportunities for children and their siblings to experience fun, joy and adventures, and help families make precious memories for as long as they have. These include a hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, music room, games room, outdoor playground and sensory garden, six children's bedrooms and two self-contained family flats. We also have a dedicated bereavement suite with its own garden.

Job responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

Clinical:

• Holds own defined caseload and works flexibly to support 24/7 rotas, emergency and end of life care.
• Communicates complex, sensitive information effectively and empathetically to patients and relatives, managing difficult situations and maintains the highest standards when communicating with children, families and the wider public.
• Completes and maintains up-to-date records in line with principles of best practice.
• Actively manages assessment, evaluation and the delivery of care, promoting all elements of high quality care planning.
• Leads on developing the health component of the care package for the family working with other agencies to develop a holistic package.
• Supports families throughout the care pathway including initial diagnosis and discharge planning from hospital to community.
• Works flexibly to plan appropriate intervention where there may be escalation of symptoms or family difficulties and offers support to families as needed.
• Checks and administers medication to children in their own home in line with ADCHS Medicines Management policy.
• Works as an expert practitioner in palliative care acting as a resource for other healthcare professionals.
• Assumes a central role in problem solving and service co-ordination to ensure patients and carers receive high standards of seamless quality care.
• Works with non-specialist interdisciplinary practitioners to complement their care, and the quality of the service provided.
• Actively participates in interdisciplinary meetings.
• Acts on clinical incidents pertinent to area, to reduce clinical risk.
• Is familiar with ADCHS safeguarding policy and report any concerns accordingly.

Please refer to the attached job description for comprehensive information regarding the responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations associated with the position.

Person Specification

Other

• Car driver – vehicle available for working.
• Flexible working hours contributing to 24/7 rotas.
• Commitment to the mission and ethos of Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service.
• Able to work within and uphold our core values: determined, empowering, valuing others, integrity, nurture and empathy.
• Ability to work alone and as a member of a team.
• Able to assess risk to maintain personal safety in a variety of settings.
• Ability to cope with the physical demands expected of the role e.g. shift work, moving and handling, clinical and caring procedures.
• Enhanced DBS.
• Passed fit to undertake the duties of the post by Occupational Health.

Skills

• Demonstrates ability to place patient and family at centre of care.
• Excellent personal and communication skills.
• Good facilitation/presentation, teaching and assessing skills.
• Excellent organisational ability.
• Motivated and enthusiastic.
• Creative, resourceful and imaginative.
• Excellent role model.
• Ability to critically analyse research and evidence-based practice.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding.
• Familiarity of systems for quality control, clinical governance and clinical audit.

Experience

• Experience of needs assessment/care planning. Caseload management.
• Experience of interagency working.
• Experience working in community setting.
• Experience of provision of training/education to a range of staff and patients.
• Experience of caring for children and families with LL/LT conditions including assessment and symptom management.
• Experience caring for children with complex health needs.
• Caring for children at the end of life.

Qualifications

• RSCN or RN (Child) degree or diploma level.
• ENB 998 or equivalent teaching and assessing qualification.
• Evidence of continual professional development and education.
• Relevant specialist course eg palliative care and/or advanced communications.
• Community qualification.

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.