Family Care Assistant

To assist the trained staff in the delivery of care to babies and their families, ensuring the highest possible standards of care is received by infants and their families/carers while on the neonatal unit, under the supervision of registered staff.

Responsibilities:

• Observations and assessment of patients.
• Following a period of training, carry out basic observations and personal care under the supervision of a registered nurse/nurse associate.
• Support infants, in collaboration with their parents and carers, in providing basic hygiene needs.
• Support babies in collaboration with their parents and carers in providing nutrition, promote breastfeeding and the use of human milk.
• After completing training and NGT competency, undertake regular NGT feeding of infants.
• Promote Family Integrated Care, alongside any developmental care requirements infants may have.
• Provide care and support of babies with stable special care needs, to promote and support successful breastfeeding/expressing and document within infants' notes.
• Supervise parents/carers where safeguarding concerns have been identified, and document observations of family interactions.
• Ensure that medical and emergency equipment is kept in a safe condition and is ready for use when required.
• Be responsible for the ordering of supplies and ensuring the department is well stocked.
• Maintain stock levels on the ward, completing requisitions online, working in collaboration with the stores department.
• Participate in monitoring the ward environment.
• Monitor faulty equipment and report to the appropriate department.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region, you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering the first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.

For further details/informal visits contact: Name: Linda Queijo-Ridor, Job title: Neonatal Matron, Email address: Linda.Queijo-Ridor@bedsft.nhs.uk, Telephone number: 01234792072.