We're looking for Health Care Assistants to join our Paediatrics Team at Whiston Hospital! The post holder supports the team of health professionals to enable them to provide an effective, caring, seamless service to babies and their families by carrying out assigned tasks and by being involved in direct care under the supervision of a qualified nurse Interview date: TBC

• To work as part of the Nursing Team undertaking household support tasks and direct care tasks as delegated by the Nurse in Charge.
• To support the qualified Nursing Staff in the maintenance of high standards of nursing care to patients.
• To assist in providing an environment within the ward that is conductive to patient recovery and pleasant for patients and their families.
• To accept responsibility for specifically delegated functions within the ward which the Nurse in Charge feels are appropriate for untrained staff to undertake.
• To ensure where entries are made in nursing documentation, that these are correct, legible, and comprehensive and countersigned by a registered nurse.
• To ensure the Health and Safety of patients, relatives and other staff is considered and not prejudiced by the post-holder at any time.
• To be able to work autonomously as required and to receive close supervision and instruction as necessary.
• To ensure that privacy and dignity of patients is paramount and is not compromised.
• To ensure that all patient information is confidential and is not disclosed to a third party except with permission of the Nurse in Charge.
• To ensure that all patient care is delivered with the highest degree of professionalism., · To be a flexible, motivated member of the team who demonstrates initiative when supporting the qualified nursing staff both directly and indirectly to carry out their role effectively.
· To be an effective communicator, ensuring all members of the team are kept fully informed as appropriate. · To make all visitors, new staff and students to the ward feel welcome and ensure they are aware of the ward's layout, rules and routines. · To support, as appropriate, families during their stay on the ward, to assist in ensuring the best outcome for their child. · To assist in providing an environment within the ward which is child friendly, and pleasant for babies and their families. · To accept joint responsibility for an appropriate group of patients with support and guidance from the nurse in charge. The nurse in charge is responsible for supervision and accountability for patient care. · To assist in the maintenance and cleanliness of all ward equipment and toys as appropriate. · To undertake other appropriate duties and errands at the request of the shift leader, ward manager or lead nurse. · Support children, young people and their families throughout their stay providing reassurance and empathy. · Ensure all communication with the families maintain a sensitive approach at all times and respects the child, young person and their family. · Ensure infection control guidelines and policies are adhered to and the ward environment reflects the standards set out in the guidelines.
• To be competent at safeguarding children and implementing the Child in Need and Child Protection procedures as appropriate includes the following skills, competencies and knowledge: -
• Be able to recognise child abuse.
• Be able to document accurately child protection concerns according to Laming recommendations, differentiating fact from opinion and have them countersigned by a registered nurse.
• Know who to contact / inform / seek advice from; know how to contact them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, know when to contact them according to Trust and Local Safeguarding Children's Boards policies and procedures.
• Understand the next steps in the child protection process
• Know when and how to act, when and how to refer and the importance of following up a referral.
• Understand which groups of children and young people are at risk of harm or neglect.
• Know how to share information - in writing, by telephone, electronically or in person
• Know who to share information with and when, understanding the difference between information sharing on individual, organisational and professional levels.
• Know what to record, how long to keep it, how to dispose of records correctly, and when to feedback or follow up.
• Understand own (and others') professional roles and boundaries, including the Named professionals, trust managers and social workers.
  
  Disability Confident
About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to .

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites. We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care. Our services: Acute Care Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites. Primary Care Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital. Community Services Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre. Specialist Regional Services We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales. Achievements:
• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme