Senior Healthcare AssistantNHS

Job summary

The Senior Health Care Assistant (HCA) role is a varied one, they are an integral member of a multidisciplinary team, supporting with specialist clinical interventions to people who use our services.

In our services no two days are the same. Every person who comes into our service is treated as an individual, so understanding the importance of a whole person approach along with being curious, a good listener, a safe practitioner and having a flexible approach are essential skills.

You will have undertake the Care Certificate which will ensure you are well equipped to deliver on health and social care interventions. We want to support you to recognise and achieve your goals by:

Attending regular national nurse and HCA forums, plus regular 1 to 1s and appraisals.

We actively support our HCAs with continuing professional development time.

We also have a wide range of educational opportunities including free access to the RCNi learning platform.

We offer you the opportunity to use the government backed Apprenticeship Levy fund to develop your practice in line with your specific role.

All our team members are encouraged to take a wellbeing hour every week and access personal well -being resources.

Main duties of the job

As a Senior HCA you will work closely with your Nursing team to develop pathways to care in various community settings.

Undertake initial physical and mental health screening for people who use our services and ensure appropriate sign posting/referral to primary care or appropriate secondary health care services for identified health issues.

Undertake interventions such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature monitoring, height/weight recording and ECGs for individuals as indicated or requested.

Assist in the titration process for opioid individuals who use our services.

Provide education, health promotion and screening for blood borne viruses (BBV).

Support community alcohol/opioid detoxification.

Provide evidence-based harm reduction services, including needle exchange.

Contribute to CGLs Naloxone Strategy by training staff/individuals who use our services in the use of naloxone. Ensuring naloxone is distributed at every opportunity.

Utilise psychosocial intervention, in both one-to-one and group settings to promote engagement in treatment services and ownership of care.

Undertake phlebotomy as required.

Provide Hepatitis A/B vaccinations under a patient specific direction (PSD) when indicated.

Support colleagues by providing coaching and teaching around harm reduction and BBVs.

Provide regular support/training to HCAs.

Arrange and coordinate induction and training for HCAs new to CGL.

Job description

Clinical Practice

Undertake initial physical and mental health screening in community settingsfor people who access our services and ensure appropriate sign posting/referral to primary care or appropriate secondary health care services for identified health issues.

Undertake interventions such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature monitoring, height/weight recording and ECG as indicated or requested.

Assist and carry out appropriate toxicology screening processes including urine and saliva tests as required.

Assist in the titration process for individuals prescribed opioid substitution treatment (OST) as required by service need.

Provide education, health promotion and screening for blood borne viruses (BBV).

Provide Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccinations under a patient specific direction (PSD) when indicated.

Work as part of the integrated care and treatment pathways for individuals who are identified as being infected with BBVs (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and/or HIV).

Support community alcohol detoxification either at the service or at the service users home.

Support opioid detoxification in the community.

Undertake phlebotomy as required, ensuring adherence to identified pathways for blood sample labelling, collection, obtaining results and signposting.

Support in the referral to specialist inpatient services (including detoxification) and liaise with hospital and inpatient unit staff as required.

Contribute to CGLs Naloxone Strategy by training staff and individuals who use our services in the use of naloxone. Ensuring naloxone is distributed to individuals who use our services at every opportunity.

Ensure vaccines are stored correctly and the cold chain is maintained as per current Department of Health Guidance. Maintain clinic fridge and room temperature checks and record as required.

Maintain required standards of infection control and hygiene as per CGL policies and procedures. Undertake regular clinic room checks, report and address, as directed, all variances from expected standards.

Provide evidence-based harm reduction services, including needle exchange.

Undertake basic life support and anaphylaxis training so you are confident and competent to assist in a medical emergency including the administration of anaphylaxis medication and naloxone if required.

Understand and adhere to the legislation surrounding the use of PSDs.

Utilise psychosocial intervention, in both one-to-one and group settings to promote engagement in treatment services and ownership of each individuals recovery journey.

Communication

Develop therapeutic alliances with people who have substance misuse problems and develop effective partnerships with them to support their individual recovery journeys, offering health promotion and harm reduction advice.

Ensure that there is good communication of treatments offered, treatment progress and outcome of any investigations to other members of the clinical team.

Liaise with and take direction from other members of the team to provide the best possible specialist care for individuals who use our services, ensuring co-ordination and continuity of care.

Provide health education, regarding problematic alcohol and drug use and alcohol and drug detoxification.

Attend meetings appropriate to the development and maintenance of the role in agreement with and under the direction of the nurse.

Actively promote and participate in working with partnership organisations to develop and sustain effective treatment pathways.

Delivering a Quality Service

The post-holder will contribute to the service to ensure that individuals who use our services consistently receive high quality services that adhere to the best practice guidelines and to the highest professional standards.

Work as part of the nursing team to ensure that procedures are constantly reviewed to promote best practice and evidenced based practice in accordance with UK Guidelines on Clinical Management, NICE guidance, and CGL clinical protocols and procedures.

Leadership

Support colleagues by providing coaching and teaching around harm reduction and BBVs.

Provide regular support/training to HCAs in the team

Arrange and coordinate induction and training for HCAs new to CGL.

Team Working

To work with others to ensure individuals who use our services have timely access to safe and effective prescribing for community detoxification from substances, across operational sites.

Contribute to the overall performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are achieved.

Working with colleagues in the service to deliver a community opioid and alcohol detoxification plan utilising a care co-ordinated approach to service user care.

Risk Management

Provide harm reduction advice to individuals who inject drugs, providing information and equipment and ensure all equipment is disposed of safely.

Undertake risk assessments and contribute to risk management plans for individuals who use our services engaged in the service.

Utilise appropriate prevention techniques to reduce substance misuse related harm and to aid in the prevention of multiple physical harms caused by drugs and alcohol.

Managing Information

Record and input service user data and information so that the service operates within contractual, administrative, and financial requirements.

Ensure that all data requirements in relation to individuals who use our services are met within defined deadlines.

The above is an outline of the post holders duties and responsibilities. It is not intended as an exhaustive list and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of CGL.

About us

Believe in people

At Change Grow Live, above all else we believe in people. It's the one thing that acts as a foundation for all our work.

If you use our services: we understand what you're going through. We won't judge. We believe you can make positive changes in your life.

If you work or volunteer for us: we believe in your potential. We believe you can do brilliant, life-changing work.

Our mission and vision

Our mission is to help people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential.

The vision we're working towards is to develop, deliver and share a whole person approach that changes society.

We believe that having diverse people working as part of our team makes us the organisation that we are.

We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds to help us to provide the best possible experience for the people who use our services and to make Change Grow Live a great place to work.

The safety of vulnerable children, young people and adults is our absolute priority. We will support you in your role to make sure that you are equipped to support the safety of people who use our services and those around them, to the highest standard possible.