Healthcare Assistant - Female Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit
If you are Kind, Fair, Ingenious and Determined then we want you to come and join our #PennineCarePeople
https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/values
Job overview
Do you enjoy working in a compassionate environment, want to learn and develop new skills, enjoy working with a variety of service users, all with very different needs and work with people in crisis to help them with their recovery, then this job is for you!
An opportunity has arisen for a Health Care Assistant to join our Psychiatric Intensive Care Team – this comes at an exciting time, as we are the first female PICU in Pennine Care, with a strong focus on delivering excellent care for our female service users and to priorities our staff health and wellbeing on our ward.
Upon joining our team, we will ensure that successful candidates undergo both mandatory and bespoke training, to fully equip them with the skills required to work within our female PICU environment.
Main duties of the job- To have a working knowledge of the Mental Health Act and to be aware of relevant MHA information when carrying out observations, to support leave appropriately for detained patients under the approval of a qualified practitioner.
- To undertake and record clinical observations(e.g temperature, pulse, blood pressure) as required. Recording the observations accordingly and escalating any concerns to a qualified practitioner as appropriate.
- To undertake and record therapeutic observations in accordance with the Trust’s Observation & Engagement Policy (for example general, 1:1 and 2:1
- To be competent in all aspects of reducing restrictive practices, which includes the early prevention of violence and aggression using least restrictive approaches, positive behaviour support through to physical manual restraint as a last option. This can be part of planned interventions set by a qualified member of staff or as an intervention to manage challenging behaviours as they occur, immediately alerting a qualified practitioner for support and supervision.
- To ensure that security protocols and procedures are carried out over a 24-hour period and any possible breaches should be reported to the senior nurse immediately.
Working for our organisation
Our team provides short-term intensive assessment, treatment, and support to Service Users, who maybe experiencing a mental health crisis crisis, and often present with a variety of complex mental health needs.
To maximise Service User recovery, the teams will be working in a trauma informed way and utilising the RAID model of care. Our aim is to work in the least restrictive way as possible whilst maintaining patient safety.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To be eligible for shortlisting you need to ensure you meet the essential qualifications for this role, as you will be asked to provide your certificates at interview and pre-employment checks.
When completing your application, please ensure you read the job description and person specification. You will need to give examples of how you meet each of the criteria listed on the person specification. You can use the supporting information section or career history to do this.
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria- GCSE (or equivalent level of education) with grade D/E (2/3) or above in English and Maths or functional skills level 1
- Vocational (or equivalent) Qualification at level 3 in Care or demonstrable equivalent relevant experience to this level
- Completion of Care Certificate or commitment to complete
- PMVA training or willingness and ability to complete upon appointment
- Short courses to undertake patient and clinical care duties
- Assessor in CC
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of working with diverse groups of people developing a range of basic care skills.
- Previous experience of working in a care setting as a nursing assistant/healthcare support worker developing competencies in basic clinical care
- Experience of being able to plan and prioritise own work under the direction of a qualified member of staff
- Experience of how to build up trust and rapport with people
- Previous experience with people with Mental Health or Learning Disabilities or experience in a clinical setting related to mental heath
- Experience of carrying out clinical observations
- Range of work procedures and practices, base level of theoretical knowledge
- Experience of Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression techniques
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Knowledge of care and related procedures, clinical observations, relevant legislation
- Awareness of Mental Health and Mental Illness, its effects on the individual, family and friends. Working knowledge of the Mental Health Act with willingness to learn
- Awareness of the effects of illicit drug use.
- Some awareness of early prevention of violence and aggression using least restrictive interventions and practices with willingness to undertake & complete PMVA training and engage in techniques as required
- Able to recognise changes in a patient’s mental and physical condition and act appropriately by alerting the qualified practitioner or nurse in charge
- An awareness of stigma and discrimination of people with mental health issues
- Awareness of ward procedures and clinical observations
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria- Basic IT skills – ability to use MS outlook, word, and willing and able to be trained to use Trust IT systems and applications such as Electronic Patient Records or PARIS
- Able to impart knowledge, supervise and direct the work of others under supervision
- Can demonstrate good interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills
- Good command of the English language both written and in spoken word
- Ability to engage with people who are experiencing mental ill health and communication barriers.
- Able to respond sensitively to emotional distress and utilise communication skills to deescalate people who are angry or distressed
- Ability to remain calm in challenging situations displaying patience and empathy
- Ability to keep confidential information, and awareness of Data Protection and GDPR.
- Commitment to self-development
Hints and tips for completing your application can be found here.
Sponsorship - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.
What happens after your application has been received?
You will be informed about the progress of your application following shortlisting via email. Only applicants who clearly demonstrate the criteria listed in the person specification will be shortlisted for interview. Interview invites will be sent out via email.
What happens if I am offered the position after interview?
The hiring manager will make contact with you to verbally offer you the position. The hiring manager will then inform Recruitment of the decision and provide relevant paperwork. You will be sent a formal conditional offer via email.
What pre-employment checks will I need to complete?
By conducting pre-employment checks, the recruitment team will verify that you meet the pre-conditions of the role you have been offered. Pre-employment checks will be carried out according to NHS Employment Check Standards. The checks are:
- Identity verification
- Right to work check
- Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
- Professional registration and/or qualification check
- Occupational health assessment
- Employment history and reference validation
All applicants external to NHS will be required to provide HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years. This information will used to validate employment history and references as part of pre-employment checks.
If you are offer a position with is and you require sponsorship to support your right to work, we will review your eligibility in line with government guidance. If the role you have been offer is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not able to evidence your right to work, your conditional offer could be withdrawn.
What happens when pre-employment checks are complete?
Recruitment will liaise with you and the hiring manager to arrange a start date for your new position. You will then be booked on to a Trust Welcome Session and be sent your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.
Other important information- We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and recognise the importance of ensuring our diverse service user population is reflected within our workforce. Unfortunately, we know that, at present, there is underrepresentation of our communities in our workforce. We welcome applications from people from diverse communities to help us grow, learn, be better and consider brilliant innovation diverse people bring.
- If you would like to be considered under the disability confident scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria on the person specification for the post.
- If you require reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process please phone us on 0161 716 3181 at the earliest opportunity. We will support you to complete your application.
- Unfortunately we are not able to guarantee the transfer of lease cars, or cover the costs of early termination charges.
- We have a strict policy on unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Please do not contact our hiring managers directly.
We reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date if a sufficient number of applications have been received. To ensure you application is considered, please submit at the earliest opportunity.