Bank Children’s Continuing Care Assistant Band 3 inAbbey Wood inAbbey Wood PUBLISHED 12 NOV 2024

Bank Children's Continuing Care Assistant - Band 3

We are looking for experienced continuing care assistants to support children and young people with complex needs, in their homes, at night. You will be expected to provide excellent clinical care and intervention to enable parents/carers to get some respite. You will be working alone, offering 1-1 support to the most complex children and young people for a 10-hour period. You will need to build rapport with the child or young person and their family to ensure they get the personalised care they need. You need to have experience of completing tasks such as tracheostomy management, ventilation management, enteral feeding, seizure management, patient handling, personal cares, and medicines management. At Oxleas, we will offer you training to develop on these skills and be able to perform them with confidence as a lone worker. You will have the support of the clinical skills trainers, and senior nurses within the team to ensure you feel well supported, and competent in the tasks we are asking you to complete. This is an exciting opportunity to work with the most complex children and young people and make a difference to their lives.

As a band 3 children's continuing care assistant, your main roles and responsibilities will be to ensure the child or young person is safe, and well over night. In turn, you will ensure parents and carers get the respite they need to be able to care for their children/young people in the day. This is a very clinical role, and the expectation is that you will work alone, at night, offering 1-1 care. The needs of each child or young person will vary, and you will work between various packages supporting different people. The tasks you will be expected to complete include:

1. Observations using PEWS format and recognising the deteriorating child/young person.

2. Following specialist care plans to ensure the needs of the child/young person are met.

3. Completing initial equipment checks, and cleaning to maintain a safe environment.

4. To take and give thorough handovers at the start and end of the shift.

5. To complete clinical intervention which may include tracheostomy management, ventilation management, respiratory intervention such as suction, medicinesmanagement, enteral feeding, seizure management, personal care, patient handling, and comforting interaction with children and young people when they are distressed.

6. You will maintain a high standard of clinical work when carrying out interventions.

About us

Overview of the Post

This is an opportunity to work in The Childrens Continuing Care Service within Oxleas CYP Specialist Directorate.

To provide direct clinical care to named individual babies, children and young people aged 0-19 years with complex health needs including severe learning disabilities and life limiting, life threatening conditions in their home and in various community settings. This service is provided by the childrens community nursing team.

To deliver 24 hours holistic care on a rota basis using individualised single care plans that have been written by the Lead Continuing Care nurse for a named child. Work will be supervised by an Assistant Practitioner and competency-based training will be provided by the Clinical Skills Nurse. Nursing duties will be delegated to them by the Assistant practitioner and by the nurses within the Team.

To report any changes in the childs condition as stated in the care plan to the lead Continuing Care Nurse or a nurse in the Team.

Key Task and Responsibilities

To work as a member of the childrens community nursing team providing packages of care for named individual children with complex health care needs in their home.

To ensure that children receive the planned play and stimulation related to their emotional developmental needs in the home and community setting.

To encourage and maintain high standards of personal care, including hygiene for all babies, children, and young people.

To carry out duties, within good practice guidelines, involving the Assistant Practitioner and Lead Continuing Care nurse when required.

To work as part of a team offering support and advice to families within own scope of practice.

To be competent in working with equipment in the home. For example, feeding pumps, administration of emergency medication and use of hoists.

The role consists of substantial moving and handling, staff will need to be fit and physically able to perform these tasks.

Management responsibilities

To maintain clear, professional boundaries with children and their family when working in a home setting

To discuss sensitive health issues with children and their family members, using negotiation and reassurance skills where required. To report the outcomes of these discussions to the Assistant Practitioner.

To work with other health care professionals and staff in community services to deliver a high standard of care.

To identify and report any changes in the childs health and wellbeing to the family and Assistant Practitioner.

To maintain confidentiality in relation to children and their families at all times.

To consider the childs needs as paramount and to adhere to all safeguarding procedures.

To prioritise work and ensure effective time keeping.

Leadership

To maintain clear, professional boundaries with children and their family when working in a home setting

To discuss sensitive health issues with children and their family members, using negotiation and reassurance skills where required. To report the outcomes of these discussions to the Assistant Practitioner.

To work with other health care professionals and staff in community services to deliver a high standard of care.

To identify and report any changes in the childs health and wellbeing to the family and Assistant Practitioner.

To maintain confidentiality in relation to children and their families at all times.

To consider the childs needs as paramount and to adhere to all safeguarding procedures.

To prioritise work and ensure effective time keeping.

Clinical

To carry out care plans developed by the Lead Continuing Care nurse and supervised by the Assistant Practitioner.

To undertake skilled clinic tasks following competency-based training for named children for whom they provide care; for example, tracheostomy care, enteral feeding (naso-gastric/Gastrostomy/jejunostomy), suctioning, changing oxygen probes and basic life support.

To be familiar with all equipment required to support the child and to report any deficiency immediately.

To carry out and record defined safety checks of technical equipment during each shift reporting any issues to the family and Assistant Practitioner.

To identify concerns and report to the continuing care nurse.

To implement agreed individual programmes of care and act as key worker if required.

Communication

To communicate effectively with colleagues and other members of the team and identify and report concerns to senior staff.

To communicate effectively with families, carers and other members of the multi disciplinary team.

To make verbal and written reports as required, ensuring these are kept up-to-date.

To keep accurate and clear records.

To maintain timely and up to date reports on RIO system according to Trust policy and in the family held record.

To be suited to this role, you will be a kind and caring person who is keen to work with the mvulnerable children and young people, and their families. You will take measures to ensure communication is adapted to meet the needs of those who are non-verbal, and you will interpret their basic wants and needs. You will be patient and take time to get to know each child/young person as an individual, and work to build rapport with them.