JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Responsible to: Accountable to: Qualifications: Hospice at Home Team Leader Hospice at Home Manager Director of Patient Care Location: Based at St Clare Hospice Hours: 37.5 Responsible for: 1 st Level Registered nurse NMC Registration Diploma / Degree in palliative care or working towards Full and valid driving licence Key Working relationships: Hospice multi-professional team members Primary Care staff GPs End of Life Care Coordinators and District Nurses Hospital Colleagues Clinical Nurse Specialists/Macmillan Nurses Macmillan Cancer Information and support service (West Essex) Neighbouring Hospices Social Care providers Continuing Health Care Team Volunteer Services Manager Job summary Work effectively as a member of the Hospice at Home Team, building confidence in patients and their families, delivering holistic care and support to achieve home
based care for those with life limiting illness. Hold a caseload of patients in the community, working alongside clinical nurse specialist. Take responsibility for managing a shift in the Hospice at Home service. Work at all times to ensure high quality service delivery is achieved. Lead by example, role modelling high standards of practice that reflect best practice guidelines, local policies and the hospice core values. To support and empower patients and their families, carers and significant others to influence and participate in advanced care planning decisions concerning their end of life care by facilitating the provision of information and support. Assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care; effectively promoting best practice to improve outcomes for patients and be accountable for own practice in relation to assessment and care planning. Contribute planning and finding innovative, flexible and responsive strategies to prevent crisis, avoid hospital admissions and support the development of networks for patients and their families from within the communities we serve. Recognise and respond to urgent situations, securing appropriate and timely support and intervention to meet the needs and preferences of patients and their families, seeking advice and authorisation where necessary. Contribute to establishing close links with other service providers including voluntary sector agencies to enable timely support and intervention for patients and families throughout the palliative care journey. Contribute to the delivery of support and intervention to meet need in crisis situations or where, intensive support and respite provision is needed in collaboration with other community based services to enable patients to remain in their preferred place of care. Support the development of strategies to engage other providers in community and acute services to build confidence in patients and their families. Contribute to the provision of twenty-four hour Hospice at Home service as the service expands through future developments. Work as an effective team member offering support to junior colleagues as required in order to ensure high standards of performance and delivery of care. With the support the Hospice at Home Manager develop, support and supervise team members including Nursing Assistants and volunteers to ensure high standards of holistic care are provided at all times, monitor practice identifying areas of good
practice and areas in need of development. Be responsible for collating own clinical activity data as required by the organisation, submitting and/or inputting onto the Hospice s electronic patient record system. Key responsibilities CLINICAL Support Hospice at Home in monitoring the care provided by the service to ensure compliance with Care Quality Commission essential standards, legislation and best practice and driving forward action plans to improve individual and team performance. To adopt a research based approach to specialist palliative care as well as general nursing and to contribute to the overall knowledge of the multidisciplinary team. Hold a caseload of patients in the community, working closely with the Clinical Nurse Specialists where necessary regarding the clinical input required to the patients on the caseload. Support senior staff and contribute as delegated to the continual improvement in patient care utilising national and local policies/guidelines, research and audit. Work within other areas of the Hospice as directed to do so in order to maintain service continuity e.g. Inpatient Unit and Day Therapy service. To work within the principles of the NMC Code of Professional Conduct/HCPC Standards of Conduct Performance and Ethics at all times. Maintain clear, accurate documentation in accordance with NMC guidelines. Provide opportunities for patients and relatives to discuss their care and raise issues. Support the Manager in engagement with colleagues within and beyond the Hospice to ensure care planning and co-ordination meets the assessed needs of patients and families and support effective interdisciplinary team working. Contribute to discussions/meetings regarding patients including liaising with healthcare professionals within Hospice multi-professional meetings, community GSF meetings and Hospital discharge meetings. Communicate with and support community teams and other service providers to ensure a seamless approach to the identification of need, care planning and delivery of care. Promote and maintain communication between staff, ensuring that patients, relatives and members of the MDT receive essential information. Act as a resource in relation to care provision and management for those with life limiting illness, palliative care and end of life needs to generalist colleagues, patients
and families. To motivate, support and supervise nursing assistants to enable them to understand and develop within their own role LEADERSHIP AND MANAGMENT To contribute to the prompt investigation of complaints and accidents/accident/near misses using them constructively to inform and improve the working of the hospice Continuously review own workload and, as delegated by Hospice at Home Manager direct other team members to ensure priorities in service provision are addressed. Work as an effective team member offering support, direction and guidance to colleagues manage the shift and delegate responsibilities to Nursing Assistants as required to support patients considering the complexity of the task and the skills and competence of that person. Support the maintenance of rotas within the shift to ensure effective delivery of service and appropriate staffing levels and skill mix to meet the needs of the service. Respond and commit to staffing crisis for the team in conjunction with the Hospice at Home Manager being flexible in responding to rescheduling of off duty to ensure staffing levels are maintained. Maintain effective communication within and beyond the immediate team incorporating the use of information technology where appropriate. Support senior staff with recruitment of staff and volunteers in accordance with Hospice policy and procedures. Support with the induction of new staff and volunteers in accordance with Hospice policy and procedures to ensure they have the appropriate information and training to carry out their role. Where delegated by Hospice at Home Manager, support the completion and review of annual appraisal and quarterly one to one meetings for Nursing Assistants ensuring development needs are identified and addressed. Co-ordinate the day to day organisation of staff and workload in the absence of Hospice at Home Manager. To promote clinical supervision, critical incident review and risk management reviews in the line with clinical governance recommendation. Where delegated by the Hospice at Home Manager participate in nursing assistants 1;1 s.
EDUCATION AND QUALITY Share knowledge and expertise with others via both informal and formal teaching and participate in the education and training of others as appropriate including students, new starters, Nursing Assistants. Take responsibility for own personal development and education Access mandatory training appropriate to the role. To participate in research and audit within the hospice environment encouraging staff participation Where acting as a mentor for students and new team members work at all times to provide a positive role model within the team. Be responsible for inputting clinical data as required on to the Hospice s electronic patient record systems. Ensure a safe environment by ensuring the reporting of hazards and incidents, completion of relevant risk assessments. Responsible for reporting any risks associated with service delivery within the shift and responding appropriately to issues that arise to enable service continuity. Contribute to monitoring the standards of practice within the service and support annual audit as delegated by Hospice at Home Manager. Ensure a safe environment by reporting hazards and incidents, completion of relevant risk assessments. PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES Maintain appropriate and respectful professional relationships with patients, families, colleagues, other staff and stakeholders. Exercise good personal time management, punctuality, professional appearance and consistent. Ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times and that information relating to patients and personnel is only used in connection with authorised duties. Act as an ambassador for St Clare Hospice promoting at all times the Hospice mission, values, and acting in a way to uphold public confidence. Ensure effective use of Hospice resources. To communicate effectively and work collaboratively with patients, families, carers using the appropriate communication techniques relating to age, culture, ethnicity and disability to respond sensitively and appropriately to the needs of the patient with end of life care needs, their families and carers. To effectively manage and prioritise your own workload within the time available
including the prioritising of patients to be treated along with other commitments in the day (e.g. meeting). To be able to delegate or arrange cover when required. To assist other staff to prioritise their workload and adjust own/team s plans to accommodate changes in demand. To efficiently manage a challenging caseload, demonstrating flexibility with varying levels of staff, varying complexity of patients and fluctuating numbers of patients on the caseload Participate in the Hospice appraisal system and access training opportunities to improve own knowledge and skills. Actively engage in rotation to other departments of the Hospice to support own personal and professional development and the development of own and others knowledge and skills. To be professionally accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in your care. Willing to partake in group clinical supervision. Ensure the security of information accessed in the course of your duties ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act and information governance best practice guidance. Report any hazards or incidents in accordance with the Health Safety and Risk Management Policy and procedures. Comply with the processes in the Hospice Handbook. Ensure that infection control measures are followed in relation to the role. General The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and the postholder will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by the changing role within the organisation and the overall business objectives of the organisation, as deemed reasonable and requested by the postholder s line managers, departmental Director or CEO. Provide cover for colleagues as directed by the line manager. The post-holder will have access to confidential data on patients and services within St Clare Hospice. Failure to maintain confidentiality will lead to disciplinary action, which could ultimately lead to dismissal. The post holder may be required to participate in the assessment of risk and thereby contribute towards clinical and corporate governance agenda as appropriate.
The post will be subject to regular annual appraisal and review of the Personal Development Plan. The post holder will be expected to produce work of a high standard and to promote quality at all times. St Clare Hospice is committed to Equal Opportunities for all present and potential members of staff and patients, irrespective of gender (including gender reassignment), marital status, sexual orientation, race, colour, creed, religion, belief, nationality, ethnic origin, age, and disability, a positive diagnosis of HIV/AIDS or Trade Union membership. Therefore St Clare Hospice expects its entire staff to understand, support, and apply this policy through their working practices which requires all individuals to be treated with respect, dignity, courtesy, fairness and consideration. The post holder will be expected to keep themselves updated on all matters relating to Hospice policy. The post holder must familiarise themselves with matters relating to health and safety management as they affect them personally and/or the Hospice, reporting any potential risks to life or property immediately in accordance with the Hospice s Health and Safety Policy and procedures. They must use all equipment provided to undertake their role safely. Refrain from smoking in any area of the Hospice building. This is an outline Job description and may be subject to change, according to the needs of the service, in consultation with the post holder. Signed (employer) Date Signed (employee) Date