Inpatient Unit HCA in Watford

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week) - Part time (22.5 hours per week) - Part time (24.5 hours per week). Please state your full or part time hours preference in your application.

Location: Watford Peace Hospice

Salary: £24,937 per annum (pro rata)

Closing date: 20 April 2026 at 12 noon

These roles are to support the Inpatient Unit and are required over a 7‑day period. You will need to support the effective management of out of hours calls for our community services.

Main duties of the job:

• Proactively contribute to the delivery of high‑quality safe evidence‑based care.
• Deliver high quality specialist palliative and end of life care as part of the Inpatient Unit multidisciplinary team.
• Under the direction of a multi‑skilled team, support the assessment, planning, and evaluation of individualised patient‑centred care, ensuring a holistic approach that is sensitive and responsive to the patients' ever‑changing needs.
• Support the smooth running of a shift, ensuring staff and patients are safe.
• Support the management of calls (call handling service) for all our community services.
• As a member of the wider organisation, demonstrate delivery of the agreed vision and values.

About us:

At Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, our unique care provides a lifeline of compassion and support to patients, carers, and families facing progressive life‑limiting illness. We provide palliative and end of life care support, including bereavement services, within Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. Our patient services are available to adults, as well as patients transitioning into adult services (16 to 25 years). Bereavement support is offered for all ages to families of patients and those around them, as well as throughout the community, in schools and workplaces. We are proud to offer care in the place that best suits the individual's needs, whether that’s at home, in a care home, in a short stay in our inpatient unit, out in the community, or in our purpose‑built Living Well Centre facilities. As a hospice care charity, we have offered this support, free of charge, for over 40 years. Our staff team of 340+ includes a wide range of patient‑facing disciplines plus operational support based in Watford, Tring, St Albans, Chalfont St Giles and Berkhamsted.

Job responsibilities:

• Provide care that meets the holistic needs of individual patients and their carers/families, including physical, emotional, spiritual, practical and if appropriate, pre‑ and post‑ bereavement needs.
• Work in accordance with the individual patients care plans, observing and promptly reporting any identified patient or family needs.
• Under the direction of the Registered Nurse participate in the assessment, admission, discharge and handover of patients.
• Provide general nursing care to allocated patients, including bathing, toileting, personal hygiene (i.e. eye, mouth, nail care) and basic observations.
• Undertake delegated and agreed extended HCA roles under the direction and observation of the registered nurse, following training and achievement of Rennie Grove and Peace Hospice Care agreed competency framework.
• Adhere to and update individualised care plans and ensure that any change relating directly or indirectly to the patients care or wellbeing is promptly and accurately reported to the Staff Nurse or nurse in charge.
• Actively welcome all visitors, especially new patients and their carers, ensuring they are greeted on arrival and informed of the general facilities, unit layout and the various services and information available.
• Follow agreed guidance when receiving out of hours calls from patients or their carer, ensuring appropriate communication is used and documented as per agreed guidance.
• Demonstrate good communication skills, ensuring quality time is spent being / sitting with the patients and ensuring they are treated with courtesy and respect at all times.
• Ensure privacy, dignity and confidentiality for patients and relatives in line with PHC policies and procedures.
• Assist the rehabilitation and wellbeing team to provide therapeutic and diversion activities to individual patients, depending on the patient’s general wellbeing and dependency needs.
• Under direct supervision from the registered nurse ensure individual patients nutritional and hydration needs are met, including offers of regular nutrition and hydration with support from IPU volunteers.
• Follow all agreed policies for manual handling, infection control and health and safety, ensuring a safe environment for patients, staff, volunteers and visitors visiting the service.
• Alongside the registered nurse, provide volunteers with their daily brief on the patients and which duties and activities are required to be undertaken for their session.

Person Specification:

Essential:

• Care certificate/NVQ qualified level 2 or evidence of working at equivalent or apprenticeship standard in health or social care.
• Previous experience in a health / social care work setting.
• IT experience and willingness to input into an electronic record system following induction training.
• Willing to undertake direction and delegated duties reporting concerns.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective communications at all times.
• An understanding of the importance of Safeguarding adults.
• Sensitivity and understanding to the needs of your team and customers, many of whom may have experienced Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care services or be bereaved.

Desirable:

• Experience of supporting palliative / EOLC patients and their families.
• An understanding of palliative and hospice care.

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.

Employer details:

Employer name: Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care

Address: Peace Hospice Watford WD17 3PH

Employer's website: https://renniegrovepeace.org/