Healthcare Assistant

**About the Role**

As a Healthcare Assistant, you will undertake routine tasks related to individual's health and wellbeing. Assist in the delivery of quality care to meet individuals' health and wellbeing needs. Establish and maintain communication with people on routine care matters, ensuring that all health and safety and security measures are maintained. Acknowledge the risk of Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) and understand own responsibility as agreed with line manager in the prevention and control of HCAI. This is a zero hours contract to support our sites across Castlepoint and Rochford with weekend work available.

'Totally seeks to improve healthcare outcomes for all through the delivery of exceptional health and wellbeing services.'
**Your Day to Day**

**Routine tasks related to individual's health and well being**
- Provide chaperoning duties to dermatology consultation clinics
- Assist in minor procedure clinics*
- Obtain consent from individuals before starting the tasks/activities*
- Assisting patients during moving and handling
- Assisting patients to mobilise and or achieve physical comfort
- Supply and maintain equipment and supplies
- Receive, transmit, store and retrieve information
- Contribute to the effectiveness of work teams
- Act as a designated person as per the About Health Medicines Management policy
- Assist in the collection of patient reported data such as satisfaction surveys or outcome measures
- Records information related to designated tasks accurately and passes it on to the relevant person in the team on time.
- Identifies and reports any significant changes that might affect the individual's health and wellbeing to the appropriate person.

*These and **other roles** should only be undertaken once professionally assessed using NVQ level 3 health awards standards.

**Delivery of care to meet individuals' health and wellbeing needs**
- Obtain consent from patients before starting the care programme.
- Respect patients' privacy, dignity, wishes and beliefs and minimise any necessary discomfort
- Prepare patient, self, equipment and materials appropriately for the activity* to be undertaken
- Supports patients throughout encouraging them to promote their own health and well-being.
- Undertake tasks/activities* as delegated and taught for that specific patient working within level of competence.
- Priorities attention to patients, alerting the team when there are changes in the individuals' health and wellbeing or any possible risks.
**Establish and maintain communication**
- Communicate with people clearly in a manner and at an appropriate level and pace, overcoming barriers to understanding.
- Provide and receive routine information in a tactful and or persuasive manner.
- Check information received and confirm accuracy.
- Communicate information only to those people who have a right and need to know it consistent with employer's procedure and the law.
**Contribute to own personal development**
- Complete the requirements of the Organisation's induction programme.
- Assess and identify current knowledge and skills to the demand of the job, with the help of others.
- Prepare for and actively take part in About Health's appraisal process.
- Take an active part in a variety of learning activities and keep a record of them, seek help when unsure.
**Maintaining and developing services**
- Explain to others rationale for personal actions.
- Carry out delegated tasks correctly, offering own view on how services can be improved.
**Help to maintain quality**
- Understand position and job in the organisation, knowing where to go for additional support.
- Arrive promptly for work and alerts others if late.
- Prepare equipment, material and self appropriately for the task to be undertaken.
- Maintain, handle and store equipment and materials effectively and safely.
- Recognise the meaning of quality procedures and consistently work within the parameters of About Health's principles, policies and procedures.
- Make suggestions on how quality in own area of work can be improved.
**General Statements**:

- To be familiar with and adhere to all policies and procedures.
- The post holder must be aware of and adhere to individual responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act and identify and report, as necessary, any untoward accident, incident or potentially hazardous environment.
- The post holder may be required to work in and from any company premises.
- This job description is intended as an outline of the general areas of activity and will be amended from time to time in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. It will then be reviewed in association with the jobholder(s)
**Confidentiality/Data Protection**

The post-holder is expected to maintain the complete confidentiality of all material and information to which he/she has access and process and the confidentiality of all personal data stored, in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act and professional bodies. Any requests for clinical information disclosure must be approved by Caldicott Guardian. The post-holder must, if required to do so, process records or information in a fair and lawful way. He/she must hold and use data only for the specified, registered purpose for which it was obtained and disclose data only to authorised persons.

**Corporate Governance**

The post-holder must, always, act honestly and openly and comply with relevant corporate governance requirements, employment legislation, standards of business conduct, codes of openness and accountability.

**Equal Opportunities/Diversity**

The post holder must comply with and promote Equal Opportunities and accordingly must avoid any behaviour which discriminates against colleagues, potential employees, patients or clients on the grounds of sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, age, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, disability, political opinion or trade union membership.

**Health and Safety**

Under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974), it is the responsibility of the post holder at every level to take care of his/her own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by his/her acts at work. This includes cooperating with the organisation and colleagues in complying with health and safety obligations to maintain a safe environment and particularly by reporting promptly and defects, risks or potential hazards.

**Code of Conduct**

The post holder is required to observe the following principles:

- Make the care and safety of patients his/her first concern and act to protect them from risk
- Respect the public, patients, relative, carers, staff and partners
- Be honest and act with integrity
- Accept responsibility for his/her own work and the performance of the people the post-holder manages
- Show commitment to working as a team member by working effectively with team members and the wider community
- Take responsibility for own learning and development
- In all actions undertaken have regard for the organisation's reputation
**Flexibility**

The post holder is expected to work flexibly to be able to meet the challenges and opportunities of the post. The post-holder can be expected to work in and from any of the premises where business is conducted.

**Other**

The post holder is required to:

- To work in accordance with the organisation's policies and procedures always
- To adhere to the confidentiality policy at all times, in particular ensuring that there are no breaches of confidentiality as a result of the post-holder's actions
- To carry out duties that are commensurate with the grade of the post as directed
**Qualification, Experience & Training**
- Previous experience in an outpatient / GP setting / health setting.
- Customer facing experience.
- NVQ Direct Care Level 2 or equivalent experience.
- Previous experience of assisting minor procedures.
**Reward & Benefits**
- 25 days annual leave (plus 3 buy back days)
- Perkbox (online discount portal),
- 6% Employer Pension contribution,
- Share save scheme,
- Opportunities for career development,
- Employee assistance program,
- Virtual GP Services - 24/7 GP Appointments,
- WeCare Wellbeing
**Disclosure & Barring**

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