JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:

Team Leader, Primrose at Home

Department:

Primrose Hospice

Location:

Primrose Hospice

Hours:

22.5 per week, worked flexibly to meet the needs of the service

Grade:

Agenda for Change Band 6

Responsible to:

Nurse Manager Provision of clinical leadership to a team of Healthcare Assistants, delivering personal, emotional and basic nursing care to terminally ill patients in their own homes and thus enabling them to remain at home. Development and maintenance of clear lines of communication and a point of liaison between Primrose Hospice, Community Nurses, Macmillan Nurses and Worcestershire Health and Social Care Single Access Service (WHASCAS), ensuring appropriate assessment of individual patient need. Responsibility for the support and supervision of the team. Identification of individual training needs and the delivery and/or organisation of training as required. Monitoring and improving the quality of the service. Maintenance of data supporting all aspects of service delivery.

Job Purpose:

Contact with others Internal: Primrose at Home Healthcare Assistants, Hospice Clinical Team, Hospice Administrative Team, Family Support and Complementary Therapy Team, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Volunteer Coordinator and volunteers, support staff (cooks, household etc). External: WHASCAS, District Nurses and GPs, wider palliative care service including Hospital and Community Macmillan Service, Continuing Healthcare Managers, other members of the primary health team, social services, families and patients.

Primrose at Home Team Leader July 2012

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Main areas of responsibility

Key Accountabilities

Tasks

To provide clinical leadership to the Primrose at Home service

Maintains current and ongoing knowledge of patients currently receiving care from Primrose at Home by means of regular liaison with WHASCAS, district nurses and R & B Palliative Care Service Prioritisation of service delivery in line with patient need Regularly liaises with District Nurses where Primrose at Home service is involved with a patient’s care Where a District Nurse is not involved with a patient referred to the service, visits, assesses patient’s needs and develops a written care plan clearly identifying the role and boundaries of the Primrose Carer Develops and maintains clear lines of communication with District Nurses and members of the R & B Palliative Care Team, ensuring that Primrose at Home is meeting the needs of terminally ill patients and their families Responsible for documentation of shifts provided and patient details on internal systems and SystmOne (clinical record system) Responsible for the maintenance of a calendar of HCA availability and development of a system that ensures that WHASCAS is in possession of the most up to date information at all times Responsible for the distribution of timesheets to carers and checks completed timesheets on a monthly basis Completes turnaraound documentation and other monthly statistical returns for the service Submits CHCF invoices Responsible for the day to day management of the Primrose at Home Team, exercising leadership and developing a management style which encourages individual growth and promotes high morale Leads on recruitment and selection of new staff to the service Supports the Nurse Manager, maintaining continuity and consistency of leadership in line with policies agreed within the Hospice Takes appropriate action following any accident or untoward incident and reports and documents details of such events as soon as possible to the Nurse Manager

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To maintain records documentation associated service delivery

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To provide management to a team of Healthcare Assistants

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Decisions / Recommendations • Reviews current practice, contributes new ideas and co-operates with changes in policy as they occur • Regularly carries out audit and user satisfaction survey and uses results to improve quality of service Primrose at Home Team Leader July 2012

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Dimensions and limits of authority / influence • Management responsibility for team of HCAs • Responsible for development and training needs of team • Contributes to development of policies for own service • Awareness of financial resources and budget set for service Allocation / checking of work • The post holder is responsible for their own professional actions. They are responsible for the management of a service • Works within Hospice policies and procedures • Work is managed rather than supervised • Observes personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources used in course of work Physical effort • The role involves computer work • The role will require own transport in order to go out into the community and to attend meetings off-site Working conditions / environment • There may be a minimal requirement for some out of hours work, to meet or work with HCAs who work unsocial hours or, for instance, twilight district nurses but this would always be in a planned manner with a TOIL system operating • There will be contact with individuals and families who are experiencing considerable emotional distress. PERSON SPEC - Qualifications, skills and knowledge required Qualifications Essential • RGN • Educated to degree level in a relevant subject • Post basic qualification in palliative care • Adult Education qualification or equivalent level of experience Desirable • Community Nursing Qualification Experience Essential • Minimum of 4 years post registration • Leading a team • Working in a palliative care setting • Working in a multi-professional team Desirable • Community experience

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Skills for role • Advanced communication skills • IT literate (Word, Excel and with training able to use clinical records system) General skills • Ability to work flexibly and adapt to rapidly changing situations • Problem solving approach • Able to work independently and as part of a team • Excellent organisational skills • Able to motivate others • Good coping strategies and stress management • Ability to keep accurate documentation Knowledge • Audit

OTHER DUTIES To undertake any other duty within your ability and within reason, as may be required from time to time, at the direction of your line manager. ASSISTANCE The Hospice has the advantage of being supported by a number of volunteers. If a volunteer is assigned to assist you at any time, you will still retain responsibility for the requirements of this job in terms of accuracy, efficiency and standards of completion. You will also ensure good communication and be mindful of your responsibility towards that volunteer in terms of Health and Safety. CONFIDENTIALITY You should be aware of the confidential nature of the Hospice environment and/or your role. Any matters of a confidential nature, relating to patients, carers, relatives, staff or volunteers must not be divulged to any unauthorised person. DATA PROTECTION You should make yourself aware of the requirements of the Data Protection Act and follow local codes of practice to ensure appropriate action is taken to safeguard confidential information. HEALTH AND SAFETY You are required to take reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your acts or omissions and you should ensure that statutory regulations, policies, codes of practice and safety and good house-keeping rules are adhered to, attending safety and fire lectures as required. JOB DESCRIPTION This Job Description is not intended to be restrictive and should be taken as the current representation of the nature of the duties involved in your job and needs to be flexible to cope with the changing needs of the job and the Hospice. Primrose at Home Team Leader July 2012

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AGREEMENT Senior Manager’s name

Signature

Job Holder’s name

Signature

DATE AGREED

Primrose at Home Team Leader July 2012

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