Healthcare Assistant
Job overview
We are looking for a dedicated healthcare assistants to work in our Substance Misuse Team.
As a Healthcare Assistant you will assist in the delivery of high quality nursing care to patients in HMP Elmley with the support of a registered nurses.
You will be providing physical care to patients according to a written care plan. This will include actively engaging with patients in the provision of holistic, needs-led care which will take into account physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the individual.You will be promoting health and well-being through the delivery of health promotion activities and programmes, responding to patients needs and assisting patients to attain optimal physical health.
This role will require you to be an effective communicator and you must be able to respond to patient needs in an honest, non judgemental and open manner.
Main duties of the job
To assist in the delivery of high quality nursing care to patients in Kent Prisons in support of a registered nurse.
Is able to work unsupervised for significant periods.
To undertake an extended role e.g patient focused health promotion activities and programmes.
To work as part of the Integrated Healthcare Service, providing a range of quality services to HMP Elmley.
Working for our organisation
Oxleas – About Us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies.Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs.We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
- We’re Kind
- We’re Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see JD and PS for full details
IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ:
All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre-employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.
You will need to provide:
Proof of right to work documentation
Proof of ID, needs to include 1 photographic ID
Proof of address documentation
Non-UK passport holders will need to have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home office Share code.
Address History:
5 years address history will be needed.
Applicants that are not UK Passport holders who provide less than 5 years UK address history will need to provide a Police Certificate which must be in English from where they resided previously.
Applicants who are UK Passport holders who have lived abroad for a period of more than six months during the last three years will need to provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.
In order to assist you in obtaining a Police Certificate, guidance can be sought [...]
If the country you have resided in is not listed here, you can obtain the necessary information by contacting the relevant Embassy or High Commission for that Country. Their contact details can be found on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en).
Main Responsibilities:
Responding to the needs of patients in an honest, non judgemental and open manner, which respects the rights of individuals and groups.
Actively engaging with patients in the provision of holistic, needs-led care which takes into account the physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs of individuals and groups.
Demonstrates a commitment to equal opportunities for all people.
Demonstrates a knowledge of the term ‘professional boundaries’ and how to applying this to working with patients, offenders and others.
Responding to the needs of people sensitively with regard for age, culture, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and disability, especially regarding patient privacy and dignity.
Understanding the need for promoting health & well-being and the delivery of health promotion activities and programmes (including patient self-help programmes) in support of a registered nurse.
Understanding the need for and assisting patients to attain optimal physical health and assisting with physical procedures in support of a registered nurse.
Demonstrating good verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
Contributing appropriately to risk assessment and individualised care planning.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience
- Care experience
- Able to effectively communicate in English both verbally and in writing. This will mean that you can take part in conversations with patients and colleagues, expressing yourself in fluent English and have no difficulty in making yourself understood.
- Associate nurse Practitioner qualification (desirable)
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of facilitating /planning /supporting groups in a healthcare setting i.e., health improvement/ smoking cessation/ activities.
- Physical skills to support working in a prison setting i.e., providing patient care, carrying out tests/observations.
- Experience of being able to work within policy frameworks in a regulated patient care setting
Skills /Abilities /Knowledge
Essential criteria- Ability to assess risk and care plan effectively, whilst understanding the needs and rights of people.
- Participate in any audits, research projects
- To take responsibility for clinical equipment /resources with which you are allocated as well as patient property and valuables.
- Ability to relate to patients who may be experiencing high levels of distress and emotional disturbance.
- Strong interpersonal skills and able to work under pressure.
- To act on own initiative when delivering patient care seeking support as required.
- Ability to identify poor practice and standards of care when you see it and ensure that your Manager /Modern matron is aware.
- Able to demonstrate a flexible approach to client intervention
We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.
If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.
We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.