Skin Cancer Support Worker

Fixed Term 12 month Mat Leave Cover

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 4 secondment role, with in the plastic surgery team. The post holder will be an integral part of the Skin Cancer Team, who assists, supports and co-ordinates the pathway for patients undergoing investigations or treatment for skin cancer.

A large part of the role is providing administrative and coordination support to patients, families, consultants, cancer nurse specialists and other staff involved in the Skin cancer pathway. The successful applicant will ensure the efficient channelling and close co-ordination of the patient pathway ensuring robust communication between medical staff, GPs, patients, relatives, members of the public and other disciplines within the Trust and close liaison with the community staff and oncology teams.

The post holder will demonstrate excellent organisational skills, must be flexible in approach, able to exercise initiative and demonstrate a consistently high standard of professionalism, being aware of the need for confidentiality and integrity. The post holder will have excellent communication skills and be willing to undertake on-going training and development.

The post holder will function as part of the skin cancer multi-disciplinary team provide.

DUTIES

Communication

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with clinicians, managers and others within department and Trust wide service users.

Be the point of contact for all non-routine enquires facilitating communication and information flows, initiating and responding to correspondence and resolving enquiries.

Discussion and assist patients with HNA, identifying the concerns with the CNS to make a formal care plan

Liaise with GPs/cancer services as appropriate.

Liaise with patients and other consultants’ secretaries.

Specifically assist the CNS’s in coordinating care by tracking patient pathways and providing a point of access

Provide basic telephone advice and refer on or sign-post to other sources of support

Take responsibility for a post op telephone clinic under supervision of CNS

Coordinate/act independently to make OPD appointments for those with abnormal results

Communicate and signpost to appropriate needs related information.

Co-ordination of care

Under supervision of the CNS deliver patient-centred, support and education as necessary to

Non-complex patients.

Encourage and support active and healthy lifestyle choices.

Advise patients and their families on how to make contact when they feel that there are delays

In their pathway

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Clinical

**The Nursing Support will**:

- Ensure excellent standards of patient care are maintained at all times.
- Provide compassionate, safe and effective evidence based care and support to people in a range of care settings.
- Monitor the condition and health needs of patients within their care on a continual basis in partnership with MDT, families and carers, recognising when it is necessary to refer or escalate to others for reassessment.
- Understand all elements of the nursing process and be able to assist the registered nurse in the on-going assessment, planning, management and evaluation of care.
- Be prepared to undertake additional skills including but not exhaustive; cannulation, venepuncture and simple dressings.
- Ensure the privacy, dignity and safety of individuals is maintained at all times.
- Demonstrate the ability to recognise changing priorities seeking advice and guidance from the Registered Nurse or other registered care professionals as appropriate.
- Escalate and share information with the registered nurses on the condition, behaviour, activity and responses of individuals.
- Recognise issues relating to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults and report any problems or raise concerns to the appropriate registered care professionals.
- Assist in the assessment of and contribute to the management and reduction of risk across several areas within the environment where care is being administered.

Assist in the implementation of appropriate action to meet the specific physical, emotio