Role Overview
We are looking for a caring, skilled care assistant to provide full medical and developmental care for an infant with extremely high support needs. The role involves night-time and full dependency assistance in a home setting.
Key Client Needs / Conditions
- Infant (1-2 years) with multiple medical complexities including: tracheostomy in place, copious secretions, gastro-jejunal feeding, oral tasters, vomiting requiring venting/drainage, two new stomas, neck irritation from tape changes
- Developmental delay: not yet rolling or sitting independently
- Bilateral deafness, under assessment for cochlear implants
- Non-tolerant of speaking valve, high aspiration risk, skin / tissue vulnerability
Main Responsibilities
- Manage tracheostomy care, including frequent suctioning, nebulisers, and handling heightened secretions
- Administer gastro-jejunal tube feeding, venting and drainage tasks; support oral tasters under supervision
- Carry out standard infant continence and personal hygiene care
- Monitor and manage skin integrity, change tapes, care for stomas, relieve neck irritation; reposition regularly to prevent pressure damage
- Support medication administration (enteral medications), nebuliser treatments
- Observe communication via non-verbal cues (expressions, movements, vocalisations); work with deafness assessment and adapt care accordingly
Essential Skills & Experience
- Experience caring for infants or very young children with highly complex medical needs
- Competence in deep oral / tracheal suctioning and managing airways with copious secretions
- Knowledge and skill with enteral feeding (gastro-jejunal), stoma care, and skin-care for fragile skin
- Familiarity with nebuliser use; medication administration procedures
- Understanding developmental delay; ability to respond to non-verbal cues and infant distress
Working Pattern & Conditions
- Overnight / night-time presence required, since client sleeps in living room at night
- Opportunity for regular night shifts; flexible schedule
Personal Attributes
- Gentle, patient, resilient, attentive to detail
- Strong observational skills and ability to respond swiftly to medical or comfort needs
- Comfortable working in an environment with multiple other children and pets (e.g. cats)
Requirements
- Enhanced Adult & Child DBS check required
- Full training provided in all specialist tasks / clinical care
What We Offer
- Competitive pay rate, reflecting medical intensity and night work
- Comprehensive training in all necessary clinical and developmental care tasks
- Supportive supervision; working with a clinical oversight team
If you have the appropriate skill set and compassion for complex infant care, we’d love to hear from you.
Please send your CV, together with a covering note outlining your experience with infants with tracheostomies, enteral feeding, suctioning, and developmental support.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: £15.50-£16.50 per hour
Expected hours: 20.0 – 50.0 per week
Experience:
- tracheostomy: 1 year (preferred)
- suctioning : 1 year (preferred)
- Ventilator: 1 year (preferred)
Language:
Work Location: In person
