An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Health Care Assistant in The Respiratory Department. The post holder will join our dedicated and friendly team of staff on Ward 2C at Whiston Hospital.

Ward 2C is a 33 bedded medical ward specialising in Respiratory Medicine and is an extremely busy ward with a high turnover of patients. The Ward receives patients from Clinics, Accident and Emergency, as well as the Medical Assessment Unit.

The post holder is expected to rotate to both days and nights, is to be flexible in their approach to caring for a group of patients.

The post holder will be expected to deliver care of the highest standard and work closely with other members of the multi-disciplinary team. The ability to work as part of a team is essential.

The Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) will:
Undertake personal care duties for patients within the care setting accessing supervision from registered healthcare practitioner. Personal care refers to delivery of personal hygiene and assisting with feeding, not requiring clinical skills.
Record patient’s personal care information in accordance with local and trust policies.
Work with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to deliver the Trust’s vision and values providing safe, high quality compassionate, person-centred care.
Demonstrate ward routine to new employees in own work area, where required.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our services:
Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:
Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Work as part of a team and duties will be delegated by the registered healthcare professional.
Act within the scope of your training and competence, knowing who to ask for help and support if you are not sure.
Work within agreed ways of working, following relevant Trust standards, policies and protocols.
Communicate compassionately and effectively with individuals and their families, carers and health care practitioners using a range of techniques, maintaining confidentiality and using tact, empathy, persuasion and reassurance.
Observe, assess and respond to personal care patient’s needs appropriately, escalating concerns to nursing staff, as required.
Organises self in general work tasks or when delivering patient care with supervision where needed from Senior Health Care Assistant and/or nursing staff.
As directed, undertake personal care duties and support activities of daily living, e.g. mouth care, personal hygiene, and toileting needs, demonstrating person centred care.
Safely deliver care duties including manoeuvring of patient equipment (such as hoists and wheelchairs).
Under supervision of a registered healthcare practitioner, undertake delegated procedures within the limits of required training and measured competence, where appropriate. For example, patient moving and handling, and providing personal care.
Support of patients feeding, diet and nutritional needs and accurately record patients nutritional intake and fluid intake and output, noticing and reporting changes to the nursing staff.
Ensure patient property is managed as per Trust policy.
Monitor levels of supplies and order supplies for the department as appropriate.
Demonstrates own duties to new starters, contributing to the learning environment.
To work in line with Trust policies and procedures
Contributes to maintaining a safe, healthy working environment.
Follow the principles for implementing a duty of care, always acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm.
Work in partnership with the individual, their carers/ families and the wider healthcare team.
Maintain and further develop your own skills and knowledge through development and learning activities; maintain evidence of your personal development and actively prepare for and participate in appraisal.
Participate in team handovers