Urgent Community Response / Virtual Ward Healthcare Support Worker

We are seeking experienced healthcare support workers as part of our urgent care team. Applicants must have significant experience of working in urgent, emergency or acute care settings. The post holder will work in the community visiting patients who are under the care of our urgent community response service or virtual ward. Supported by registered clinicians and our senior clinician, you will work using your own initiative.

The role includes visiting patients in their own homes to undertake observations, venepuncture, wound reviews and other assessments. In addition to working within the community, part of the role is office-based contacting patients on remote monitoring and coordinating observation submissions. We care for patients across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and driving is an essential part of this role. Business level insurance cover and access to your own vehicle for travelling is required. Previous applicants for the role should not apply.

Main duties of the job:

• As part of our community-based team the successful candidate will visit patients to provide patient care, administrative and other departmental-related duties, as directed by a registered practitioner to ensure safe, timely and compassionate care for patients.
• Assess patients' conditions including observations.
• Complete delegated diagnostic tasks such as phlebotomy.
• Where advice is required or patient is outside of scope of practice, or condition warrants escalation link with service duty practitioner.
• Support and facilitate remote monitoring observations and utilisation. This will include supporting patients, inputting information into IT platforms and completing telephone consultations for observations and questionnaire completion.

About us:

Our vision: To provide our patients with high quality, sustainable healthcare that supports them to stay well and at home for as long as possible. We are an ambitious at scale primary care organisation with a passion for integration and innovation.

We provide:

• Enhanced evening and weekend access to General Practice.
• Deliver at scale services to improve the health and wellbeing of the populations we serve.
• Home visiting and community services.
• Virtual ward services.
• Advice to ambulance crews to help patients remain at home or to see the most appropriate secondary care team.
• Recruitment, induction and support of workforce through a team dedicated to supporting Primary Care Networks and hosting of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Training Hub.

Our principles:

• To attract innovation and investment into primary care.
• To be dynamic always seeking out new opportunities.
• To be the primary care provider at scale - supporting delivery of services at place level that benefits our patients and members.
• To engage our clinical community identifying local clinical leaders to drive service redesign and delivery across our place.
• To face challenges head on, working collaboratively to deliver solutions.

Job responsibilities:

• Working as part of a team visit patients at home.
• Assist in delivering a high standard of holistic care to these patients, promoting their equality and dignity at all times.
• Maintain confidentiality and be polite at all times.
• Communicate effectively with other members of the team to ensure all appointments are coordinated efficiently.
• Assist with the preparation, cleanliness and tidiness of all equipment.
• Complete equipment audits monthly.
• To ensure professional interactions with patients in person and on the telephone.
• Accurately enter patient details on all digital systems.
• Supporting and adhering to chaperone policies.
• Support review of patients by performing and reporting on clinical observation of a patient's temperature, pulse, respiration rate and blood pressure.
• Obtain measurement of a patient's height and weight and perform urinalysis if required.
• Obtain swabs, blood samples, skin scrapings, nail clippings, urine, stool and sputum specimens as requested.
• Give formal verbal and/or written advice to patients and/or their carers within remit.
• Liaise closely with the registered colleagues and ancillary staff to ensure the service operates efficiently.
• Support registered professionals with clinical activities.
• Report any problems, accidents or incidents to the practitioner in charge and adhere to organisational policy and procedures.
• Ensure stock levels and equipment are maintained, and exercise care and economy in the use of supplies and equipment.
• Routine checking of resuscitation and other equipment.
• Ensure maintenance of good relationships within the department and other areas of the organisation.
• To attend in service training as required.
• Support remote monitoring by utilising the dashboard, submitting and reviewing information and calling patients.

Educational:

• Undertake and complete relevant competency packages.
• Highlight additional training requirements relevant to your role, and identify when mandatory training due for updates.
• Participate in own appraisal and review process.
• Keep up to date with current changes in practice sharing the knowledge within the team.

All employees are subject to the requirements of the data protection act and must maintain strict confidentiality in respect of patients and staff records. All employees have a responsibility under the organisations health and safety policy, to be aware of and conform to the policy, ensuring all health and safety rules are adhered to and ensuring that all accidents, incidents, near misses, damages and irregularities are documented and reported to a manager in accordance with policy. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties and it may be reviewed and altered in the light of changed service needs and developments after discussion with the post holder.

Person Specification:

• Experience (Essential): Proven clinical practice within an acute/urgent care setting as a HCSW.
• Qualifications (Essential): Literacy and Numeracy (level 2) or equivalent e.g. Maths/English GCSE grade C or above/willing to work towards and achieve within 6 months of commencing.
• Qualifications (Desirable): Diploma Level 2/3 in Care/Health or other relevant qualification.
• Skills (Essential): Baseline observations, Phlebotomy, Excellent communication skills: interpersonal, written and verbal, Confidence to adapt to an evolving and changing service, Well-developed IT skills, Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise a demanding workload in order to provide quality care to patients.

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.