Health Care Support WorkerNHS

Job summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic, dynamic, motivated and flexible Healthcare Support Worker to join our integrated sexual health service. We provide screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, HIV care and contraception to a diverse population of clients.

This vacancy is for 37.5hours - The main base will be Southampton but there will be a requirement to cover other clinics in the South locality as and when required.

In return you will become a valued member of a team known for its innovation and high standard of care. You will be supported to complete in house training by a line manager and HCSW 'mentor'. You will have regular one to one meetings and appraisals to monitor your progress and development needs. In addition, the service offers regular education sessions and clinical supervision.

For this post, you will need to be able to travel between sites.

The successful candidate may have some previous experience working as a Healthcare Support Worker or in a sexual health environment but this is not essential. People skills and a willingness to learn are paramount.

You will be expected to work in sexual health clinics across South Hampshire and on occasion, and dependent on the needs of the service, we may ask you to support other clinics across our Hampshire sites.

Main duties of the job

• Collect and process a variety of specimens.
• Perform venepuncture
• Undertake basic observations of patients, including blood pressure.
• Manage asymptomatic patients.
• Able to assist the Clinician during IUD fittings
• Processes routine samples by labelling, recording, and storing appropriately
• Performs light microscopy for sexually transmitted infections
• Maintains stock levels and orders stock as necessary
• Travels to spoke clinics or other locations within Sexual Health
• Administrative duties as required, including reception tasks
• Develop rapport with patients and treat all patients, carers and staff with dignity and respect
• Frequently use interpersonal and communication skills to de-escalate and reduce aggressive behaviour if encountered from patients and carers
• Implement agreed standards of care provision in line with local Ward/Unit/community and Trust policies, Adhere to all Trust Policies and Procedures
• Be aware of own limitations, seek support when the need arises, maintain professional boundaries at all times
• Acts as patients chaperone, when required, for doctors and nurses during examinations and procedures providing privacy and dignity
• Observes patients right to confidentiality specifically in relation to contraception & sexual health
• Aware of the specific confidentiality rights of patients aged under 18, attending the service

Job description

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.

We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.

About us

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.

Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.

We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.

Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence