Senior Health Care Assistant (HCA) for Health Promotion in Bristol

Please be aware that only candidates who provide a supporting statement addressing how they meet the essential criteria will be considered. This statement can be brief and doesn't need to be lengthy, but we encourage you to cover each point.

We anticipate interviews to take place in WC 9th or 16th February with a start date as soon as possible afterwards.

The purpose of this role is to work in PCN-led clinics across our network of surgeries, primarily delivering NHS health checks and biannual covid and flu vaccinations. There will also be the opportunity to work in additional areas such as delivering learning disability and severe mental illness (SMI) physical health checks, additional vaccinations (e.g. pneumonia and shingles), as well as providing other health care assistance to various PCN projects within the role holder's scope of capabilities and training, such as blood pressure outreach clinics, promoting the uptake of various cancer screening projects, FeNO clinics etc.

The role holder must have a positive can-do approach and be willing to work flexibly which includes working evenings and weekends as well as the ability to travel and work across various surgery locations within the network. Please note that you will be required to work 4 hours on Saturday mornings, from 08:45 to 12:45. This will be paid at 1.25x your normal rate. The remaining 22.5 hours can be worked across three or four weekdays, with some flexibility.

Main duties of the job:

• NHS Health Checks are offered by General Practices and are commissioned by South Gloucestershire Council. The key service outcome of the NHS Health Check programme is to reduce the inequality in disability and premature mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) through risk assessment, risk awareness and risk management.
• Patients are eligible for this service if they are aged between 40-74 years of age and have not received an NHS Health Check within the last 5 years (exclusions apply).
• The NHS Health Check programme provides a systematic approach to the identification and management of people with the common risk factors and offers an opportunity to help people to improve their health and wellbeing.
• The purpose of the Health Checker role is to deliver high quality health checks to patients by offering a person-centred approach to raising awareness of current health behaviours, identifying areas of potential risk about developing cardiovascular disease and onward referral for further investigation and/or lifestyle support to encourage and maintain healthier lives.
• Role holders will be expected to ensure the patients attending an NHS Health Check have a good experience by respecting, empowering, and working in partnership with people throughout their intervention.

We have developed a successful covid and flu vaccination programme with clinics now being delivered across our 10 surgeries. This at scale service also includes annual flu vaccinations and we are beginning to expand into delivering other vaccination services as a PCN. We are committed to providing high-quality care for our patients, and to working collaboratively to reduce the impact of health inequalities across our patient population.

The primary purpose of this role is to work as part of a small and friendly team as an unregistered Health Care Assistant providing vaccinations under the legal mechanisms of the covid-19 National Protocol or Patient Specific Directives (PSDs), as well as any other immunisation/vaccination programmes that are delivered at scale by the network. There are also opportunities to take part in outreach clinics, including vaccinating in care homes and to people who are housebound, practice support work (e.g. Phlebotomy clinics) and PCN projects.

Person Specification:

• City and Guilds RQF (NVQ) Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Good standard of education and high levels of numeracy and literacy (such as GCSEs grade A to C or equivalent).
• Experience of working as a Health Care Assistant or similar health care role directly with patients.
• Commitment and willingness to undertake learning and development courses as required to ensure competency for role.
• Understanding of Confidentiality and Data Protection Act.
• Broad knowledge of Clinical Governance.
• Effective skills in communicating sensitively and commitment to working with people and motivating them to take control of their life and access activities, support and advice which is available.
• Able to request pathology tests, processing results and advising patients accordingly.
• Able to undertake Venepuncture/phlebotomy (or willingness to undertake training course).
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding when to refer to other clinical staff.
• Practical skills and knowledge of cold chain procedures and medicines management.

Values & Behaviours:

• Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards.
• Flexible approach to work and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
• Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness.
• Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects, and learns from the contribution of others.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.