Macmillan Cancer Support Worker
About our Trust
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to always put our Patient First . In fact our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in.We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Job overview
The award-winning Head, Neck, and Thyroid Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist team have a vacancy for a Band 4 Cancer Support Worker. This is a 13-month fixed-term / secondment position, supporting patients across Worthing and St Richard’s Hospital, including those diagnosed with skin cancer at St Richard’s.
We are seeking a highly motivated individual with a passion for improving cancer care in Sussex.
About the Role
The Cancer Support Worker (CSW) will work alongside and under the guidance of Macmillan Nurse Specialists, providing support, advice, and assessment for patients diagnosed with head, neck, thyroid, and skin cancers. Often serving as the first point of contact, the CSW will: ✔ Triage calls and offer initial advice and support
✔ Signpost and refer patients to appropriate services✔ Help coordinate patient care for a streamlined and efficient service
✔ Support early intervention and health and wellbeing initiatives
✔ Ensure timely and accurate referrals between nurse specialists and allied health professionals
About You
The ideal candidate will have: ✅ Experience in patient care coordination
✅ Excellent communication skills with confidence in providing emotional support✅ Strong IT and computer skills
✅ Previous experience in a clinical environment (desirable)
If you are passionate about making a difference in cancer care and want to be part of an innovative and supportive team, we would love to hear from you!
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will provide support to patients receiving their diagnoses, throughout their investigations and their treatment journey. The CSW will be the primary point of contact for our patients and will offer holistic needs assessments and on-going support; they will triage urgent calls and attend clinics.A large part of the role involves assisting the Clinical Nurse Specialist team in delivering complex care and support and developing pathways to improve the patient experience.
We are developing our pathways to ensure a smooth transition between partner departments and organisations - the post holder will be integral to taking this forward; experience of service development / improvement would be advantageous.
All posts include an amount of patient tracking / data collection and therefore requires competent use of Microsoft packages, including excel.
The post requires the post holder to collect and analyse data, as well as the creation of graphs and presentations.
There is more information on the role of a cancer support worker at Careers in Cancer | Macmillan Cancer Support or Support-Workers_tcm9-283189.pdf (macmillan.org.uk)
Please read the information above and job description carefully. Use this information to clearly reflect your knowledge experience in your application.
The role will be based at Worthing Hospital, with travel expected to St Richards Hospital & The Royal Sussex in Brighton.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed.We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in.
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Cancer Support Worker (CSW) plays a vital role as the first point of contact for patients and carers, frequently triaging their information needs and providing essential support. Our cancer teams work collaboratively to ensure a safe, high-quality, and effective service.This role may also involve working across different disease site teams to deliver holistic care and foster a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.
We are looking for a compassionate and proactive individual with excellent communication skills to work alongside Clinical Nurse Specialists and the wider MDT. The ideal candidate will be dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care, identifying care needs, and contributing to the continuous improvement of patient pathways.
This role requires flexibility to work across Trust sites.
For full details, please refer to the job description and person specification in the advert.
Person specification
Skills, knowledge
Essential criteria- Evidence of enhanced communication skills in relevant environment
- Evidence of appropriate/ transferable skills in health/ social care
- Team worker inc multi professional working
- Service development and improvement experience
- IT skills - microsoft packages including excel spreadsheets / data collection and analysis
Experience/Qualifications
Essential criteria- 5 GCSEs or equivalent including english and maths
- Educated to at least NVQ Level 3 or equivalent level of competency.
- Relevant experience in health or social care setting / demonstrable transferable skills
- NVQ level 4 in relevant topic
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
Please note, the use of AI generated applications will be closely monitored. It is at the managers discretion to reject your application if they feel the majority has been created through the use of AI tools.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications
Further Information
For help with the application process for Nursing vacancies, please email [email protected].
For help with the application process for Non-Nursing vacancies, please email [email protected].