Healthcare Assistant in Taunton

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Healthcare Assistant to work within our new and developing Community Investigation Hub based at Taunton Vale Healthcare's Blackbrook site.

Main duties of the job:

• Provide a service for the Primary Care Network (PCN) in the Community Hub for specified tests requested by secondary care and carried out in the community.
• Employed by Tone Valley PCN.
• Main roles include, but are not limited to, phlebotomy, spirometry, FeNO, ECG/ECH holster tests, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

About us:

Tone Valley consists of 5 like-minded Somerset Practices; Lyngford Park Surgery, Taunton Vale Healthcare, Creech Medical Centre, Warwick House Medical Centre, North Curry Health Centre and are responsible for the care of 35,000 patients.

Job responsibilities:

• Work as part of the wider health and social care team and have direct contact with patients, service users or clients providing high quality and compassionate care.
• Develop additional skills and knowledge based on the service area in which they work.
• Work under the supervision of a Registered Practitioner in accordance with organisational policy, protocols and standard operating procedures.
• Have a basic understanding of health and social care principles, physiology, lifespan developments, research and development, holistic person-centred care, and current evidence-based practice.

Communication and Key Working Relationships:

• Patients, relatives, carers and the public
• Community Teams
• Mental Health Teams
• Inpatient Wards
• Therapists
• Social Services
• Care Agencies
• Voluntary Sector
• External relationships with other agencies and Acute NHS Trusts

Effective Communication:

• Ensure clear lines of communication and work collaboratively with all relevant health care professionals and agencies.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex sensitive information to a wide variety of professionals.
• Maintain good communication, liaison and working arrangements within the PCN and other organisations.

Planning and Organisation:

• Manage own work and case load and implement programmes of care in line with current evidence.

Analytics:

• Participate in providing regular data collection monitoring and evaluation reports to the trust.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date clinical records in line with PCN policy.

Responsibility for Patient / Client Care, Treatment & Therapy:

• Undertake defined clinical interventions, including diagnostics as appropriately delegated by a Registered Practitioner.
• Report changes to the Registered Practitioner when the nature of the change falls outside of the agreed scope of role.
• Use and promote a range of infection prevention and control techniques.

Health and Safety:

• Promote and maintain a safe and healthy working environment.
• Identify and manage risks, including assessment of moving and handling risk.
• Understand medicines management in line with own role and in accordance with Trust policy.
• Preserve confidentiality and be aware of the Data Protection Act.

Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility:

• Promote and advocate Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
• Maintain an awareness of current trends within the area of practice and within local and national guidance.
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct for Health Care Support Workers.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & Other Resources:

• No direct responsibility for finance, equipment or other resources but expected to maintain stock control.

Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership & Management:

• Promote effective inter-professional and multi-disciplinary team working.
• Participate in the induction of new staff and contribute to staff orientation programmes.

Information Resources & Administrative Duties:

• Excellent IT skills required.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required:

• May be regularly exposed to a variety of hazards depending on the area of work.
• Must work within the organisations manual handling policy.
• May be required to support anxious or distressed patients and relatives.

Review of this Job Description:

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of the activity and will be amended in the light of changing service needs. This job description is to be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.

Person Specification:

Supporting Behaviours:

• Adhere to Trust values/standards and reflect these as their behaviours.
• Champion the health, safety and wellbeing of patients, relatives, carers and colleagues.
• Listen and lead with empathy.
• Collaborate with others to achieve shared goals.

Experience:

• Supervision of others.
• Competency in the range of developmental competencies identified.

Qualifications:

• Evidence of Qualifications required.
• English and Maths - Grade 4 or above (equivalent to GCSE grade C or above).
• Demonstrates meeting the standards of the Care Certificate.
• ECG, Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, FeNO, Height and Weight Monitoring.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.