Job Description

We have great opportunity for Healthcare Support Workers (HCSW) to join our #Team OUH in Theatres, Gastroenterology ward and Surgical Emergency areas. This post does not attract Visa Sponsorship.



We are looking for Individuals who are motivated, passionate about healthcare, and want to deliver care with empathy, supporting patients and their families. We deliver exceptional patient care with compassion and respect and make a real difference in patients' lives and want to recruit candidates who are aligned with our values in the way they deliver patients care, and work with colleagues in our diverse teams. Successful candidates will be willing to learn and contribute, in multidisciplinary teams to deliver compassionate excellence for patients and team outcomes with kindness.



Whether you are new to healthcare or an experienced Healthcare Support Worker, we have a clear onboarding framework to support you to settle into your new role, complete the Care Certificate via our HCSW onboarding programme, local competencies, and development to support your growth and progression.



Successful candidates will be appointed at band 2 or 3 depending on qualification, experience, and interview outcome. Link graded Band 2/3 offers will require completion of HCSW Onboarding programme, Trust probation, Care certificate & local competency sign off and Manager approval to progress. This may include further competitive process where more colleagues are interested in one vacancy.



We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient pool of applications has been received.



Ready to make a difference? We would love to hear from you, come and be part of a team that values kindness, empathy, and respect and start your Healthcare Career with us!

As the Healthcare Support Worker you will:

Provide personal care for our patients, including washing, dressing, toileting and assisting with mobilising and feeding



Assist registered members of staff to deliver a high standard of care to patients in the ward/clinical area demonstrating compassion, kindness, and sensitivity.



Be able to demonstrate the ability to put patients at the heart of what you do and recognising different needs by encouraging a spirit of support, integrity, respect and teamwork.



Work as part of the team, under the supervision of trained nurses, assisting with delivery of planned health care, to meet physical, psychological, and social needs of the patients.



Maintain a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for patients, staff and visitors.



Shows pride in the quality of care they provide for patients and learning from successes and setbacks



Evidence commitment to the Oxford University Hospitals vision and values



Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.



The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.



Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel .



Please refer to the full job and person specification for full details. The healthcare support worker will be expected to undertake the following duties under the supervision of a registered practitioner:



Patient Care



Assist all patients with their personal care needs, empowering patients or families/carers and actively encouraging participation. This may involve maintaining hygiene needs for individuals such as helping patients to wash and dress themselves and assisting with toileting needs, maintaining privacy and dignity at all times.



Perform clinical observations (following appropriate assessment of proficiency and under the direction of a registered practitioner where agreed.) and accurately record using agreed electronic national early warning signals such as SEND and report and escalate any concerns appropriately by reporting to the registered practitioner immediately.



Prepare patients, families/carers and the environment for clinical activities supporting patients and their families/carers and preparing specific equipment as necessary.



Participate in the initial assessment of patients' needs, under the direct supervision of a registered practitioner.



Observe and report the patient's condition to a registered practitioner as required.



Monitor closely patients having undergone a clinical activity ensuring their safety and wellbeing and reporting to a registered practitioner as required.



Assess and monitor the patient's skin integrity and report and document immediately any changes or concerns in their condition.



Assist patients to meet their food and fluid intake giving attention to special diets, supplements and cultural requirements. In order to avoid malnutrition, ensure an age appropriate nutritional assessment is undertaken (e.g. MUST). All food, nutritional supplements and fluid intake to be recorded accurately as required.



Actively encourage all patients, families/carers to share the responsibility for the maintenance of their health and to promote healthy living where appropriate and identified as part of the care plan.



Assist patients to mobilise safely, taking account of development/physical needs using equipment and techniques as prescribed and recorded in the plan of care contributing to the falls and moving and handling risk assessment. Undertake patient transfer and escort duties between departments as appropriate and as per policy.



Recognise when a patient's condition changes and seek advice and expertise from registered practitioners in accordance with Trust policy.



Assist in the care of a patient requiring end of life care in accordance within their spiritual and cultural needs.



Assist as appropriate in the support of families/carers of patients receiving end of life care.



Assist with the collection of specimens as requested such as mid-stream urine, stool, sputum, urine analysis and hospital acquired infections ensuring accurate labelling and transportation as per trust policy and in accordance with the training provided.



Communication



Contribute during handover process to ensure continuity of care and to accurately feedback to a registered practitioner the care given to patients during the shift and of any changes in the patient's condition.



Communicate effectively with members of the multidisciplinary team, patients and carers, using all methods of communication. Where there are barriers to understanding, arrange access to information, support and other services to aid effective communication.



Greet all patients and visitors to the department with courtesy and respect, being mindful of age specific body language and tone of voice, demonstrate sensitivity and empathy.



Help patients, families/carers and visitors orientate themselves to their surroundings when admitted to the ward/department providing written and verbal information as required.



Answer telephone calls (and bleeps) appropriately and efficiently, accurately relaying messages to both colleagues and patients using SBARR as appropriate.



Use paper and electronic systems to retrieve and record patient information in line with Trust documentation standards and operational systems. Ensure information is accurate and securely maintained.



Apply the principles of information governance and patient confidentiality to all aspects of your role.



Obtain age/capacity appropriate consent from the patient/family or carer/guardian before any clinical intervention is undertaken; where this is not given, report this to a registered practitioner.



Participate in discussions about ward and departmental issues at ward/departmental meetings.



In instances when a patient/family, carer or visitor feels the need to raise concerns or complain seek support from a registered practitioner.



Maintain professional boundaries and working relationships with patients and colleagues.



Ensure patients, families and carers are kept informed of delays with their treatment, investigations and clinic times as required when known.