Palliative Care Social Worker

Do you have a Social Worker background in Palliative Care? Are you passionate about supporting and empowering patients to live well until their very last moment in their life?

If so, then the role of Social Worker at Pilgrims Hospices may be just the job for you!

As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims Hospices provides end-of-life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking well-motivated and forward thinking professionals to join our multi-disciplinary team, in supporting patients across east Kent.As a member of the wider clinical team, the successful candidate will be involved in assessing and developing appropriate plans of intervention and support for patients and their families, acting as a resource in providing advice on active palliative care management.

Key duties include:

- Being responsible for social, psychological and practical aspects of patient and family care, in respect of all patients under the care of the hospice both in the hospice and in community setting
- Recognising and appropriately responding to changes in patients conditions
- Acting as an independent prescriber
- Actively contributing to service development
- Being involved in the supervision and education of other health professionals
- Undertaking evidence based projects and audit
- Making recommendations for the development of and changes to working practices and processes as required

About us

Our Vision

We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our Vision and our organisational and charitable aims.

To achieve our Vision, we have a shared set of values and behaviours that enable us to be the people and the charity that patients and their loved ones need us to be. They form our CODE, which guides us in our daily working and decision making:

CompassionateWe treat everyone with compassion and care

OpenWe communicate openly, honestly and effectively

DynamicWe are dynamic, improving and developing our service

EmpoweredWe empower people to achieve their outcomes

Our hospices offer:

- Modern, friendly and highly professional working environments
- Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning (upon successful completion the post holder will move to a Band 6 role)
- Alignment with NHS pay rates and continuity in membership of the NHS pension scheme
- A sense of achievement in supporting a worthwhile cause
- A sense of wellbeing
- A good work-life balance
- Locations across well-populated areas of east Kent all providing very good road and rail links
- NHS and financial discounts i.e. Blue Light Card
- Free hospice parking

If you think this is your ideal role and want to join us and contribute to providing high quality patient care and support to those at the end of their life, then we would love to hear from you.

Job description
Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A Patient / Family Support

Complete holistic assessment of family circumstances, social and emotional issues relating to patients, families and carers, providing focussed input to address complex psychosocial needs

Co-ordinate and facilitate arrangements and assessments for patients discharge plans and care needs as appropriate, including Continuing Care and Local Authority assessments where required

Support patients and their families regarding welfare right entitlements. Provide advocacy and support in complex circumstances and referral to specialist welfare benefit services as appropriate

Provide support to families with the adjustment needs of children and when necessary the planning of their future care in collaboration with external agencies such as Local Authority Childrens Services and specialist childrens support services

Coordinate and facilitate carers support services, undertaking carer needs assessment and bereavement risk assessment where required

Provide individual and group bereavement support where required in collaboration with wider psychosocial team

Keep up to date records in compliance with GDPR legislation and in support of organisational Quality & Governance reporting

Keep up-to-date with changes in relevant health & social care policy/legislation/ guidance and contribute to development of practice and processes in response to changes

B Multi-Disciplinary Working

Work collaboratively with MD colleagues towards meeting the psychosocial and future care planning needs of the patients, families and carers in the context of palliative care

Provide support and guidance to the MDT with regard to Safeguarding and Mental Capacity Act including Best Interest Decision Making and DoLS

Participate fully in MDT meetings contributing to discussions regarding the social and psychological needs of patients/carers/bereaved

Contribute to the induction of MDT colleagues and provide shadowing opportunities to colleagues from other agencies

Participate in the teaching activities of the Hospice in collaboration with the Hospice Education Department

At the discretion of the Lead Social Worker support social work student placements and supervision in collaboration and within the requirements of local training providers and any trained practice educators within Pilgrims

C Other

Social Workers will adhere to the appropriate professional code of practice

Social Workers will receive regular six-weekly professional supervision

The post holder will assist the organisation to maintain its services as detailed in the Statement of Purpose

Assist with the development of hospice philosophy and play a part in further developments in the work of the Pilgrims Hospices, research initiative and service evaluations

Interface with the acute and primary psychosocial areas of care

Maintain CPD in line with registration requirements and keep up to date with Statutory and Mandatory training requirements