Children's Palliative Community HCA

Main duties of the job

Acorns Children's Hospice Trust is inviting an experienced Healthcare Assistant to join our Community Team in Birmingham. The new role involves delivering holistic, child‑centred care to children and young people with complex, life–limiting or life‑threatening conditions, primarily within the community.

Acorns is recognised as a great place to work because of our people. Our priority is that our people feel valued, whatever their background and experience, and wherever they work.

As a Childrens Palliative Community Healthcare Assistant, you will:

• Work under the direction of the registered nurse to provide care in a variety of settings outside of the hospice
• Independently provide personalised care of children, young people and families as per the child’s holistic care plan and identify changes in condition, ensuring these are escalated to the registered nurse
• Empower children, young people and their relatives to make decisions about their care and to exercise choice
• Help ensure that children and young people are introduced to and encouraged to engage in a wide range of stimulating and creative activities by interaction and play, both indoors and outdoors, encouraging the use of local community facilities where appropriate
• Travel within a designated geographic area to visit patients in their homes or community settings

• Care Certificate or willing to work towards
• Previous community and lone working experience
• Previous experience of working with children with complex health needs
• Ability to provide care sensitively, taking into account culture, beliefs and wishes
• Knowledge of procedures related to safeguarding adults and children
• Ability to travel independently around the Acorns region

• £26,000 to £27,000 per annum
• Part‑time & full‑time roles are available
• Based around the Birmingham Hospice (B29 6HZ
  )
• Employee discounts from leading retailers including the Blue Light Card
• Discounts on refurbished tech
• Health cash plan
• Gym membership and equipment discount scheme
• Bike2
  
  Work scheme – save up to 42% on bikes and equipment
• Wellbeing, legal and financial support
• Generous contribution to group personal pension plan (7.5%) or continuation of current NHS pension scheme
• NHS pension scheme life assurance or Acorns group life assurance scheme

Interviews are scheduled to be held on 17 February.

You need to be eligible to work in the UK to be considered for this role. We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and therefore any successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check for children and will be asked to provide two satisfactory references. In addition, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of immunisation against specific diseases or confirm their willingness to receive the necessary vaccinations.

As a UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting organisation we are committed to ensuring that the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child is embedded into both culture and practice within the organisation. As an employee you will be a Duty Bearer for Childrens Rights and support all children to be Rights Holders.

If you have any questions, please contact us at

• Care Certificate or equivalent qualification

• Proven community experience working with children with complex health needs
• Working within a palliative care setting

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.