Health Care Assistant - Amazon Ward - Peterborough

at  North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust

Opportunity for Healthcare Assistant for Amazon Ward at Peterborough City Hospital.
Our Healthcare assistants play a vital role in supporting the team to provide a high quality care for children and their families and you will be work across amazon, Rainforest and Jungle wards.
We are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic, driven and passionate about the care and quality that children and their families receive within our wards.
You will need to be able to remain calm in an emergency, compassionate when dealing with distressing situations and be keen to develop your skills within the role.
If you are hardworking, reliable and committed to the service, but can be flexible and adaptable we would love to receive an application from you
Amazon & Jungle Children’s Units can open a number and variety of opportunities for an enthusiastic and driven Health Care Assistant. We are passionate about the care and quality that children and their families receive within our units and have state-of-the-art facilities equipped with the latest equipment and this ensures that children receive the very highest standards of healthcare.
We have a 30 bedded Ward comprising of 12 en-suite cubicles, a 2 bedded fully equipped HDU area and 4 four bedded bays. We are a general paediatric unit receiving children from 0 – 18 years dependent on condition. We operate a busy day surgery area within the unit, taking up to 10 surgical patients per day.
As an HCA you may be asked to help on Jungle which is our eight bedded paediatric assessment unit adjacent to the Amazon Children’s ward where GP admissions are assessed and monitored. We share this area part of the day with the emergency department.
May also be asked to help on Rainforest which is our busy and expanding Outpatient department specifically for children.
We reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the closing date indicated should we feel we have received sufficient applications.
We are dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusivity within our workforce and warmly welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, with a particular emphasis on encouraging those from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, as well as candidates from our local area.
As part of our commitment to supporting our employees we offer a range of benefits including:
Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 27 days and increasing to 29 days after five years of service and 33 days after 10 years of service, in addition to the national Bank Holidays (pro-rata for part time staff);

Practice
1. Welcoming children and families

1.0 Welcome children and families to the Department

• Ensure all areas are tidy and welcoming
• Ensure ward signs and notices are up-to-date and easy to read
• Ensure patient information material is accessible and up-to-date

1.1 Direct children and families to other areas and departments as required

• Facilitate use of wheelchairs, pushchairs, etc. when required

1.2 Be aware and understand the guidelines relating to Child
Protection issues.
2. Ensure smooth running of outpatient clinics

2.0 Contribute to administration

• Access PAS system, enter and retrieve basic data (admission,

discharge, transfer) and log out

• Make and receive telephone calls
• Handle patient and relative enquiries
• Contribute to data collection as required

1. Care of children and families

3.0 Undertake routine observations

• Reassure and support child and family
• Weight and height children, recording results on e-track
• Obtain specimens required and once correctly labelled direct to

appropriate laboratory
3.1 Attend consultations for chaperoning if indicated

3.2 Support families following consultation

• Arrange follow-up
• Help arrange transport
• Arrange for further support/information if indicated in liaison with other

health professionals

3.3 Arrange specific equipment

• Organise maintenance and replacement of equipment
• Ensure adequate consumables are available for use

1. Maintains a safe environment

4.0 Infection control

• Limit risk of cross-infection to patients and other staff through safe

disposal of sharp and soiled items

• Limit risk of cross-infection through appropriate cleaning of equipment,

couches, trolleys and toys

4.1 Health and safety

• Ensure that equipment is stored safely and repaired promptly
• Ensure all potential hazards are stored out of reach of children
• Ensure that entrances, exits and fire exits remain uncluttered
• Attend regular updates on fire and manual handling in line with Trust

policy

• Advise parents/carers on appropriate health and safety issues
• Maintain personal standards of health, security and safety

1. Patient Well-being

5.0 Promote equality for all individuals

• Promote anti-discriminatory practice
• Maintain the confidentiality of information
• Promote and support individual rights and choice within service

delivery

• Acknowledge individual’s personal beliefs and identity
• Support individuals through effective communications

5.1 Contribute to the ongoing support of patients, relatives and carers

• Enable patients to maintain their interests, identity and emotional well

being

• Act as an advocate for the child
• Support members of the patient’s family during visits
• Enable the family and friends of the patient to support the patient

5.2 Be aware of the vulnerability of children and young people

• Have understanding of the potential for child abuse and be aware of

local guidelines

• Act to protect children by reporting concerns through relevant

professionals
6. Teamwork

6.0 Contribute to the development of self and team

• Contribute to My Performance Appraisal (MPA) with the manager or

supervisor

• Contribute to team meetings within the department and across the

Service Unit

• Contribute to suggestions to improve practice

1. Education

7.0

• Attend education appropriate to HCA role
• Identify development needs with team leader and ward manager

through your MP