Paramedic - Band 6 Equivalent

**Job Title**:Paramedic Band 6

**Reporting to**: Head of DementiaTeam

**Accountable To**:Patient Services Director

**Hours**:Up to 37.5 hours per week (including one Saturday morning a month)

**Location**:The Hospice, Aylesford, Maidstone

**Salary**:£40,314 per annum (FTE 37.5 hours per week)

**About the Role**

This is an exciting opportunity for a Paramedic with a special interest in Dementia Care/End of Life Care to join our award-winning Dementia Team. With this role is also an opportunity for further development and training.

You will work under the direction of the Head of Dementia Service, to facilitate the highest possible standards of individualised physical, psychological, social and spiritual nursing care for patients, their relatives and carers. You will need to prioritise needs in line with available resources, ensuring that patients’ dignity is promoted and respected and that equality and diversity are priorities of care. This will include undertaking comprehensive holistic patient centered assessments, agreeing a plan of care for patients and families based on clear goals intended to bring about effective, measurable outcomes.

The post-holder will be an expert role model providing education and support regarding palliative and end of life care issues to other health and social care professionals and in conjunction with the Head of Dementia Team, stimulate and direct the development of clinical practice across the local community.

There is a genuine occupational requirement for the post holder to drive and have access to appropriate transport during the course of normal duties.

**Essential Criteria for the Role**

Working at an advanced practice level under the direction of the Head Dementia Team, taking accountability for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients taking into account local and national policy and guidelines, providing individualised care and prioritising needs in line with available resources.

Willingness to learn and develop knowledge and skills to specifically support dementia patients and their loved ones - essential

Dementia Qualification/course - desirable

Ensure that the patient’s dignity, needs, wishes and culture are promoted and respected at all times and that equality and diversity are priorities of care.

Undertake comprehensive specialist palliative care assessments, supporting patients and families with complex decision-making process to enable them to make informed decisions and agree a plan of care for patients and families based on clear goals intended to bring about effective, measurable outcomes.

Refer patients, as appropriate to secondary care for relevant diagnostic investigations taking a holistic approach to interpret results.

Work in partnership with other services to help patients achieve their preferred place of care.

As an Independent Prescriber, prescribe medicine in accordance with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) guidance, local and national policy guidelines. (Subject to qualification).

**About our Team**

The Dementia Team is a highly skilled Team made up of Nurse Specialist, Healthcare Assistants, Clinical Administrator and volunteers. They currently proved care, support and education to over 400 patients and their carers.

**About the Hospice**

At Heart of Kent Hospice, we believe that everyone deserves compassionate, expert care when there is no cure for their illness and when they have a limited time left to live.

We are a charity and we don’t charge a penny for our care. We depend on the compassion and kindness of you, the people of this community, to power our services and ensure that everyone gets the help they need.

We provide specialist care and support to adults who have a terminal illness as well as their families, friends and carers. We help people to live as fully and as well as possible for the rest of their lives and ensure that their final days are comfortable and peaceful,

wherever they choose to be. We treat every individual as the unique and special person that they are. Everything we do is tailored and personalised.

Our vision is that everyone living with a terminal illness in our community will have the best quality of life. Our purpose is to enable people with a terminal illness in our community to live with comfort, independence and dignity to the end of their lives, and to support those closest to them. All our care is underpinned by our core values of compassion, integrity, respect and teamwork. These values guide our decision-making and how we conduct ourselves in our work and every one of our colleagues plays an important part in enabling us to give our patients and their families the best possible care.

If you’re passionate about our cause consider joining our team.

**Benefits of Working at the Hospice**

At the Hospice we offer a competitive remuneration package including contributory pension scheme with NEST or the option to continue in the NHS pension scheme speci