Health Care Assistant

We are looking for a Healthcare Assistant to join our dedicated team, working full-time across south milford to meet the needs of newly arrived asylum seekers and refugees. The ideal candidate will be an experienced HCA, have excellent people, planning and organisational skills and be able to work under pressure. You will also need to be flexible, highly motivated and be committed to tackling health inequality.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to innovative services for the asylum seeker and migrant communities in the region.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide community and primary medical services to newly arrived asylum seekers as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

The post holder will conduct initial health assessments and screening, linking in with nursing and medical colleagues to help identify and address the needs of this population.

About us

Bevan is a growing, progressive and award winning Social Enterprise. We provide a range of primary, community and hospital based healthcare services in Bradford and Leeds for people who are homeless or vulnerably housed, refugees and people seeking asylum, and other groups who find it hard to access mainstream healthcare.

"Health, Hope and Humanity"

VISION

Health equality and wellbeing for all

MISSION

Operating as an exemplar social enterprise, we will pioneer and provide inclusion health services that positively change the lives of people in need and enable local communities to thrive.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The Migrant Health Team provides assessment and health interventions for individuals on the asylum or resettlement journey, including those in accommodation provided by the Home Office who are new into the UK.

The service works with a variety of statutory and voluntary partners to achieve these objectives and aims to bring a wider influence to NHS, housing and social care system to proactively identify and better respond to the needs of asylum seekers.

The HCA post provides a support for those on the caseload and an initial assessment of needs of those new onto the caseload/new into the UK.

The team works closely with staff across all disciplines between hospital, primary care and community services to ensure a safe, timely and effective transfer of patient care as required.

Communication and team working is an essential aspect of this role. The successful candidate must be able to work both autonomously and well within a small team.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

The post holder will:

Be expected to carry out a holistic assessment in order to address both physical and well-being needs, subsequently assisting in the setting up of support packages based on their assessment. This will include support with the patients housing, physical health needs, mental health needs and any other social care needs that the patient would benefit from been supported with.

Proactively identify and address own learning needs, ensuring knowledge is up to date in relevant housing and welfare legislation and local service provision.

Record work undertaken with patients accurately and timely, using Bevan Healthcare clinical systems, enabling the collection of monitoring and evaluation data.

Contribute to ongoing quality service evaluation, providing in depth case studies, gathering patient feedback and on occasion participate in research activity.

Comply with all Bevan policies and training requirements.

Coordinate and organise outreach activity alongside the team leader.

Ensure databases remain up-to-date.

Provide clinical services including phlebotomy, TB and blood borne virus screening, new patient health assessments, obtaining clinical observations and screening for mental health problems.

Partnership and team working

Develop and maintain links, working in partnership with external services such as local authority housing departments, supported accommodation providers, street outreach teams, local specialist homeless GP services, substance misuse, and other relevant services to ensure patients care plans are coordinated effectively.

Patient involvement and empowerment

The post holder will:

Work with nursing colleagues to involve patients in developing their care plan, working transparently by managing expectations, explaining potential options in a way that patients can understand.

Support patients through the health and social care and asylum systems as appropriate.

Assist patients to understand and obtain their welfare, housing, legal and related rights, addressing any barriers to understanding and involvement such as language, culture, mental or physical health.

Advocate on behalf of individual patients effectively, clearly communicating the relevant circumstances of patients lives to hospital staff, multi-disciplinary teams and other external agencies.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with vulnerable adults
• Experience of successful and assertive advocacy for individuals facing social exclusion to other agencies and statutory services
• Experience of positive and proactive joint working in addressing individual needs, communicating effectively with partner organisations

Desirable

• Experience of joint working with healthcare services
• Able to demonstrate a good understanding of the challenges that asylum seekers face when accessing housing, healthcare, and other services

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the asylum system
• Understanding of safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children, principles and procedures
• Understanding of the importance of involving patients as fully as possible in the process of care planning
• Understanding of both patient and personal safety issues on/off site
• Understanding of data protection regulations and the need for patient consent

Desirable

• Can demonstrate an understanding of the health issues associated with chronic homelessness and social exclusion
• Understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and its relevance when working with homeless patients

Values

Essential

• Commitment to improving the health of asylum seekers
• Commitment to addressing social exclusion
• Commitment to promoting independence and patient choice
• Understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities in service delivery
• Commitment to evidence-based practice
• Committed to continuing professional development

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Full UK driving licence
• Excellent organisational skills and an ability to prioritise own caseload in a rapidly moving service
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to engage with and manage expectations of patients with complex needs
• Excellent administrative and IT skills
• Positive attitude towards working collaboratively and supportively, seeking expertise of colleagues appropriately
• Self-motivated

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent
• Level 2 Maths and English (e.g. GCSE grade C/4 or above)

Desirable

• NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent
• Phlebotomy

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Bevan Community Benefit Society

Address

Across Wakefield District

Wakefield District

WF1 1AARns required.

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 18 months

Salary: £21,410.00-£24,560.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• On-site parking
• Referral programme

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person