[ref. f82551218] Lung Cancer Support Worker - Reading
Come and join our team in this exciting time of change as we pride ourselves, our staff and our services on excellence.
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”
We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions
We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate
We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live
We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice
Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.
Job overview
Band 4 Lung Cancer Support Worker
We are looking to recruit a Cancer Support Worker to join our lung cancer specialist nursing team at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
We strive to provide excellent quality cancer and holistic care to all of our patients, and our friendly team of Cancer Support Workers play a key part in this.
You will work under the supervision of registered nurses, providing patients and carers with general information and support about cancer related issues and cancer services.
You will also assist the team with administrative duties helping to ensure the safe and timely follow up of patients who are undergoing surveillance after cancer treatment.
Training will be provided by the Royal Berkshire Hospital and the working environment is friendly and supportive.
An informal visit and/or phone call is strongly recommended in order to research the post and the team.
Main duties of the job
This post provides administrative duties and support to the Clinical Nurse Specialists.
A key aspect of the role involves daily and direct (e.g. face-to-face and telephone) communication with patients, relatives, carers, and other health and social care professionals.
You will work closely with the Clinical Nurse Specialists to prepare clinics and may track patients on surveillance using a variety of electronic systems. You will assist in the administration of nurse led clinics and holistic needs assessments and in the preparation of written and electronic patient information.You may also be required to carry out 'buddy calls' to vulnerable, isolated patients escalating any concerns to the registered nursing team.
You will have excellent communication and organisational skills, and work well within a small team.
Although each of our support worker posts supports a specific cancer team you may be asked to support other teams at times and the Cancer Support Workers also act as department fire wardens on a rota basis.
Working for our organisation
Reading sits on the river Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.
The CQC recently rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.
Our CARE values: Compassionate, Aspirational, Resourceful, Excellent, reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be and you can join our dedicated and talented team to make this happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Under the guidance and supervision of a registered practitioner, the support worker helps co-ordinate care by providing a single point of access, including: Rapid re-entry into the system for those people identified as having urgent or specialist needs, providing general information and support about cancer and cancer services.
By supporting independence and self management the role enables people to navigate the health and social care system and make choices that are best for their cancer and their lifestyle.
The information you will provide and communication required is sensitive due to the nature of cancer.
Communication in this context requires a high degree of empathy, understanding, diplomacy, honesty and integrity.
Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for further details.
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria- GCSE English Language and Mathematics (Grades A-C) or equivalent
- NVQ4 or NVQ3 plus additional training to diploma level equivalent, or equivalent through short courses
Experience
Essential criteria- Relevant administrative and organisational skills
- Relevant health or social care experience at AfC Band 3 or equivalent
- Experience of multiprofessional working
- Experience of working with people diagnosed with cancer
- Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance
- Annual leave – 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part time staff
- NHS pension scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Money Advice Service
- Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
- On-site nursery (based at RBH)
- Full educational library services
- Cycle to work scheme, lockable storage for cycles
- Bus to work scheme
- Excellent rail and bus links
- A huge range of Health Service Discounts at hundreds of big brands from holidays to gadgets and restaurants to retail.
After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system (TRAC). All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, that as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
Appointment to any position is conditional on the satisfactory completion of the core NHS Employment Checks Standards. Information disclosed in your application will be checked and any offer of appointment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information or provide false or misleading information.All new appointments to the Trust, with the exception of executive positions, are subject to a 6 month probationary period.
The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies.
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke free environment. A smoke free policy is in operation and smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust’s sites.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults.