Diabetes Support Worker: Sponsorship Available

Job Summary

Are you currently working within health or social care and want a new challenge to develop your experience and be part of transforming local care for Medway?

Do you have a desire to work alongside the diabetes team in the community to improve diabetes care?

Are you dynamic, proactive and thrive to make a difference?

Do you hold a full driving licence?

If you answered yes, we’ve got the perfect role for you!

We are looking for a diabetes support worker to work as part of the community diabetes specialist team, supporting community nursing teams and working alongside other healthcare professionals to improve diabetes care.

– The community diabetes team work to support and improve outcomes for those living with all types of diabetes.

– We see patients in their homes, care homes and in clinical settings, as well as a via telephone calls.

– The community diabetes team also provide structured education to patients, as well as healthcare professionals delivering care to those with diabetes.

– The community diabetes team liaises closely with the local hospitals, GPs, care homes and other health care professionals via post, email and telephone.

Main duties of the job

To work with the multidisciplinary teams (specialist diabetes team and community nursing teams) to provide a standard of care to patients with diabetes.

Undertaking annual diabetes reviews within people’s homes, which will involve simple nursing procedures under the direction of the community diabetes specialist team:

• Blood glucose testing
• Phlebotomy (HbA1c, kidney function, cholesterol levels)
• Baseline observations (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, oxygen saturations, height, weight)
• FreeStyle Libre education, application, and data collection
• Insulin administration
• Diabetes foot assessment
• Insulin education and delegation

In accordance with delegated tasks; organise own workload, contact patients via telephone to arrange appointments – ensuring family members are available where necessary, contact care-home/care-agencies to schedule annual training dates.

Maintain accurate, legible and up-to-date records on all patients in accordance with Diabetes and Community Nursing services, as well as organisation policies and procedures.

Work with Community Nursing and Neighbourhood Nursing teams to support those patients with diabetes who may not be under the specialist diabetes service but need support with reviews and insulin administration.

To work alongside patients and their families to promote independence following hospital discharge, or a new request from the GP to commence insulin.

About us

So what else?

This is your chance to join a progressive and innovative service in a social enterprise that is patient and staff focused – you’ll even have the opportunity to become an MCH shareholder.

We encourage staff to get involved in exploring new ways of working and service development.

We’ll provide well established, in-service training, one to one supervision, and appraisals with regular support.

You’ll be able to develop your skills in a friendly and supportive team.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Role requirement and person specification

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications, training, knowledge and experience

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience
• Care Certificate.
• Experience working with a Healthcare setting.
• Demonstration of personal and professional development

• Evidence of ongoing professional Development
• Willingness to undertake ongoing professional development
• Experience of diabetes care or education
• Insulin administration or a desire to complete this competency

Communication skills

• Provide and receive routine information requiring tact or persuasive skills.
• Provide advice, instruction or training to groups, e.g patients/ colleagues / students/ families.
• Can communicate information regarding the patients medical condition and individualised treatment programmes in an easy to understand, reassuring way, enabling and motivating where necessary, this includes the patient, family and carers.
• Ensure clear, concise, accurate and legible records and all communication is maintained in relation to care delivered adhering to local and national guidance.
• Working collaboratively with other team members, colleagues, and services

Skills and Abilities

• Exercise personal responsibility and work independently within defined parameters of practice.
• Ensure that only those activities for which competence has been achieved are undertaken without supervision and that recognition is given to the impact and consequences of practising outside capability.
• Evidence of excellent organisational skills
• Good verbal and written skills
• Self motivating and able to work unsupervised

• Advanced Problem-solving skills (IT skills)
• Experience of audit
• Experience of delivering training and education to groups

Planning and organisational skills

• Plan and manage competing demands of job role.
• Work in an effective and organised manner demonstrating excellent time management and organisational skills to effectively deliver person-centred care for an allocated group of individuals.
• Deliver effective care following treatment plans determined by the Registered Nurse or registered care professional and provide feedback on progress against the plans