We have an exciting opportunity for a Health Care Assistant to join the friendly, proactive and cohesive Multidisciplinary Team at The Bridge School. The Team are committed to providing both excellent and equal access to Health Care for Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities.
The Bridge School is based in Islington, within a diverse inner London Community. It is a school for children and young people who have complex learning needs, many of whom have a diagnosis of Autism. Whilst employed by the Whittington Health NHS Trust, the Team is co-located within the school. It is made up of School Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Dietitians and other Health Professionals. The Bridge is a fast paced environment where no two days are the same.
The Healthcare Assistant (HCA) will work as a member of the Special School Nursing Team and will be responsible for supporting the effective delivery of individualised care and support to children attending Special Schools in Islington.
The post holder will undertake both clerical and clinical duties, as directed, to support the delivery of health services to children and young people.
The post holder will be based primarily at Bridge School . Depending on service needs, there may be occasions when the Healthcare Assistant is required to work in other teams or departments within the service, including Richard Cloudesley School and Samuel Rhodes School. The post holder will receive regular supervision from the Special School Nurse and will participate in in-service training, clinical supervision, and team meetings.
The primary focus of the role will be to support the health needs of children and young people attending the school. At Bridge School, the post holder will support students with complex learning needs and social communication difficulties, working alongside families and the wider multidisciplinary team to promote optimum health and wellbeing.
This may include undertaking clinical tasks such as administering gastrostomy feeds, supporting medication management, and implementing individual healthcare plans, following appropriate training and competency assessment.
The post holder will also assist with the day-to-day running of the Nursing Service, including organising school medicals, liaising with the immunisation team, maintaining accurate records, and supporting the coordination of healthcare provision within the school setting.
We have an excellent reputation for being innovative, responsive and flexible to the changing clinical needs of the local population. We are treating more patients than ever before and are dedicated to improving services to deliver the best for our patients.
Our mission
Helping local people live longer, healthier lives.
Our vision
Provide safe, personal, co-ordinated care for the community we serve.
Our goals
We have developed six key strategic goals to make sure we continue to support people to live longer, healthier lives.
To secure the best possible health and wellbeing for all our community
To integrate and coordinate care in person-centred teams
To deliver consistent, high quality, safe services
To support our patients and users in being active partners in their care
To be recognised as a leader in the fields of medical and multi-professional education, and population-based clinical research
To innovate and continuously improve the quality of our services to deliver the best outcomes for our local population
- To work as a member of the special school multidisciplinary team, sharing information with team members as appropriate and in accordance with confidentiality and information governance requirements.
- To maintain accurate records by accessing and updating the electronic patient record system (currently Rio), and to undertake filing and administrative duties in accordance with Whittington Health NHS Trust policies and procedures. To ensure that accurate, up-to-date written and electronic records are maintained in line with Trust standards, with guidance and support from the supervisor.
- To respect the individuality, values, cultural backgrounds, and religious beliefs of children and their families, contributing to the provision of a service that is responsive and sensitive to their needs.
- To assist team members in liaising with agencies involved in a child's care, including Education Services, Social Care, and voluntary sector organisations. To develop and maintain professional relationships with children, families, and school staff, communicating in a manner that respects individual views, autonomy, and cultural differences.
- To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills and tools to communicate effectively with children and young people who may be non-verbal, have English as an additional language, require an interpreter, have a hearing impairment, or have cognitive, learning, behavioural, or emotional needs.
- To liaise with relatives, carers, and other professionals involved in a child's care, as appropriate and under the direction of senior team members.
- To promptly report any concerns, incidents, or issues to the clinical lead or line manager in accordance with Trust procedures.
- To communicate effectively by telephone and other communication methods with parents, carers, schools, and external agencies.
- To support the Special School Nurse in the planning and delivery of programmes of care for identified children and young people.
- To provide care and support for children and young people with complex health needs, including assisting with the administration of medication, gastrostomy feeding, implementation of healthcare plans, and health promotion activities across school sites, following appropriate training and competency assessment.
- To arrange appointments with parents/carers for school medicals, dietetic appointments, professional meetings, and other health-related reviews as required.
- To provide nursing care and undertake healthcare activities following appropriate training and competency assessment by the School Nurse. This may include administering gastrostomy feeds, supporting children in accordance with epilepsy care plans, administering prescribed medication, and undertaking other delegated healthcare procedures.
- To undertake health screening procedures, including vision, hearing, and growth assessments, and to record and interpret measurements using appropriate growth charts and percentile calculations. Any concerns identified through screening, or raised by the child, parent/carer, or school staff, should be reported promptly to the School Nurse.
- To support the planning, organisation, and delivery of immunisation sessions within the school setting, in accordance with local and national immunisation guidelines.
- To assist in undertaking environmental and clinical risk assessments and contribute to maintaining a safe environment for children, young people, staff, and visitors, under the guidance of senior team members and in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.
- To monitor and report any changes in a child's health, wellbeing, or presentation to the School Nurse or other appropriate healthcare professional.
- To ensure that all clinical activities are carried out in accordance with Trust policies, professional standards, infection prevention and control procedures, and safeguarding requirements.
