Healthcare Assistant
Would you like to work in an organisation that sits in the top 10 best NHS Mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Services Trust to work for. This ranking is based on staff feedback in the 2023 NHS Staff Survey.
Job overview
An opportunity has arisen for a Health Care Assistant to join The Meadows. This is a 24/7 service with 24 beds available for the care of people over the age of 65. The Meadows is a busy unit, the friendly and enthusiastic team aim to provide a holistic assessment and treatment for older adults, who have dementia or organic mental ill health (decreased function due to medical or physical disease, rather than psychiatric illness).The Meadows is based on the former West Park Hospital Site in Epsom.
As healthcare assistant at the Meadows, you’ll help makes better lives by ensuring that I provide a high quality, caring service that makes a positive and effective contribution to the care pathway of people admitted onto the wards in the acute phase of their illness.
Your role would help to provide physical and psychological care to service users in accordance with the specified plan of clinical care and provide support to carers. As well as provide high quality, caring service that makes a positive and effective contribution to the care pathway of people admitted onto the wards in the acute phase of their illness.
We are looking for candidates with good communication skills, a flexible approach and enthusiasm to work within the team. Candidate will assist the team to develop and achieve ward and organisational objectives. Candidate will participate in staff meetings and training and development activities as necessary to ensure their skills and knowledge are up to date.
Main duties of the job- To observe report and record changes in the clients physical, mental health and behaviour
- To provide care for people who use our services as planned in Multi – disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings
- To be aware of and work to the principles of the Mental Health Act (MHA)
- To give and receive clear messages by telephone and or personal contact
- To provide the necessary physical care to people who use our services to help them complete daily living activities i.e., personal hygiene, diet and fluid intake, clothing and laundry, personal environment, elimination, maintaining rest and sleep and activity, physical observations.
- To provide social activities, emotional support and stability people who use our services to ensure effective engagement whilst maintaining professional boundaries
- To contribute to the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluating care
- To create and maintain professional supportive relationships with all members of staff with other professionals and agencies to enhance recovery
- To provide escort duties to people who use our services under the direction of the nurse in charge.
- To participate in where required co-facilitate in therapeutic and social engagement group work.
- To undertake prescribed physical observations as follows: blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respirations, blood sugars, urinalysis, weight and height and report results to the nurse in charge.
Working for our organisation
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of health and social care services for people of all ages with mental ill-health and learning disabilities in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We also provide social care services for people with a learning disability in Croydon and ASD and ADHD assessment services in Hampshire.
We actively seek to engage people who use our services and our communities in improving the mental wellbeing of the local population. We work closely with other NHS and voluntary sector organisations who provide services and support people who use services and carers.
Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast.
Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach.
For international travel, both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are nearby.
Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please check the job description and personal specification document for more information on the requirement for this job.
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of working as a paid or unpaid carer
Qualifications
Desirable criteria- NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care
Please note that you are not restricted from applying for this role if you do not identify with these characteristics and all applicants will be considered fairly against the job description.
As a flexible working and friendly organisation, we want to ensure that you can work in a way that is best for us, our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s job share, part time or any other flexible working patterns.
Gender Pay Gap Action
Women in our Trust are under-represented in some senior grades. We are therefore encouraging women to apply for posts at 8A and above.