Healthcare Support WorkerNHS

Job summary

We are delighted to be recruiting a number of Band 3 Health Care Assistants to support people living with dementia within our acute inpatient dementia service at the Forget Me Not Unit in Worthing.

The post holder will work alongside nursing, medical and therapy colleagues as part of a dedicated multidisciplinary team, providing high-quality, person-centred care and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of patients throughout their admission. This role will involve supporting patients with all aspects of daily living, delivering therapeutic interventions and meaningful activities, and assisting in meeting the complex physical, emotional, and psychological needs of patients with dementia.

The successful candidate will primarily be based on our 10-bedded female dementia ward but will be expected to provide cross-cover across the three inpatient dementia wards within the Forget Me Not Unit, which includes one female ward and two male wards. The role involves working closely with patients who may be experiencing significant distress, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, and periods of acute unwellness, requiring skilled, compassionate and consistent support.

Main duties of the job

As a Healthcare Assistant, your main responsibilities will be to work with the multi-disciplinary team to establish and deliver a therapeutic programme of care for service users.

You will be required to communicate with patients, relatives and carers and assisting with clinical duties, including personal care and ensuring infection prevention and control standards are maintained.

You will also undertake personal care duties for service users in hospital, report patient's conditions to qualified staff and document care delivery in patients notes.

You will need to use your strong communication skills, attention to detail and motivation to provide quality care for service users.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

Job description

In order to be a successful Healthcare Assistant in our team you will:

Essential

• Have a recognised qualification in an area related to the workplace or equivalent technical/life skills (transferable skills)
• Be fit to undertake any duties related to the role including physical interventions for the management of violence and aggression
• Have experience working as part of a team
• Have excellent communication skills
• Have evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning
• Have a professional and friendly demeanour

It would also be advantageous if you:

• Have experience working within a mental health setting
• NVQ Level 2 in care

Person Specification EXPERIENCE Essential

• Experience of working as part of a team
• Good communication skills

Desirable

• NVQ Level 2 in Care

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

About us

The Forget Me Not Unit aims to reduce distress caused to people with dementia or those at risk of dementia who need to be treated in and acute hospital bed. The unit provides a calm, dementia friendly environment with patients being cared for by staff who are competent to meet their needs.

• NHS staff discounts to so many shops, restaurant and gyms
• Support in career development
• Care certificate completion

We'd love you to join our Trust, rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the CQC. Our staff agree, in our recent staff survey 82% told us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.

Other key survey results:

• 70% highlighting flexible working as a key point for satisfaction at work
• 79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work in their team
• 77% identifying opportunities to show initiative in their roles