About this role
Job summary
West Kent Primary Care (WKPC) is seeking to employ a Healthcare Support Worker on behalf of Tonbridge Primary Care Network (PCN).
The post holder will work within the scope of the Healthcare Support Worker role, recognising their own level of competence and seeking support from registered clinicians where appropriate. Clinical duties will only be undertaken following appropriate training, competency assessment and authorisation in accordance with local policies.
The post holder will be based at Trenchwood Medical Centre, and there will be some travel required in the role.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will combine delegated clinical support, proactive care coordination, and administrative tasks under a registered clinician's supervision:
- Undertake observations, venepuncture, long-term condition monitoring, vaccination support, and delegated elements of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments (CGA), alongside health promotion and work to reduce health inequalities.
- Support multidisciplinary team meetings, maintain patient records, document agreed actions, coordinate care plans, and manage follow-ups, particularly for patients with frailty, care home residents, housebound individuals, and those with complex needs.
- Coordinate clinic schedules, manage patient bookings, cancellations, and rebookings, update clinic templates, and ensure efficient appointment delivery across member practices.
- All clinical interventions and home visits will be carried out across practices, care homes, and community settings only once trained, assessed as competent, authorised, and delegated.
About us
About Tonbridge PCN
Serving approximately 70,000 patients, Tonbridge Primary Care Network (PCN) is committed to developing collaborative working across its member GP practices and local health and care services. Tonbridge PCN recently received a Kent and Medway award for its Integrated Home Visiting Service, delivered jointly by PCN GPs, paramedics and local community nursing teams.
About West Kent Primary Care
West Kent Primary Care will act as employer for this role. We are a collaborative and ambitious GP Federation working with GP practices across Sevenoaks, Weald, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Malling, and Maidstone to improve General Practice provision in the area. West Kent Primary Care are a supportive and friendly organisation whose aim is to provide high quality, seamless health care that enables people to lead healthier lives, whilst feeling supported and cared for.
What we can offer
- Favourable terms and conditions
- Match NHS Annual Leave entitlement
- NEST and NHS Pension
- A comprehensive induction into the company followed by a local induction to introduce you to the role
- Training, support, and development in your career
- Flexible working arrangements
- Recognition via Employee of the Month scheme
- Wellbeing support and Employee Assistance Programme
*Due to the geographical location and travel required for the role, it is essential to have a full driving license.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical care and delegated interventions
- Support registered clinicians in completing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments (CGA) by gathering relevant patient information and undertaking delegated assessment components within their assessed competence.
- Gather and document information relating to patients' functional ability, mobility, falls history, activities of daily living, social circumstances, nutrition and other relevant areas, following appropriate training and agreed assessment tools.
- Support the preparation and documentation of personalised care and support plans following clinical assessment and review by the appropriate registered clinician.
- Identify and escalate any concerns or changes in a patient's health, functional ability or social circumstances to the appropriate clinician.
- Undertake delegated basic clinical observations and interventions, including blood pressure, temperature, pulse, height, weight, urinalysis and other agreed observations, within assessed competence and local protocols
- Undertake venepuncture and specimen collection where trained, assessed as competent and authorised
- Support long-term condition monitoring, including foot checks, peak-flow measurement, inhaler technique and capillary blood glucose testing, where delegated and competent
- Assist registered clinicians with agreed procedures, including simple wound-care support and the application of non-adherent dressings
- Act as a chaperone in accordance with local policy
- Recognise deterioration, safeguarding concerns, clinical risk or incidents and promptly escalate these to the supervising registered clinician.
Health promotion, prevention and inequalities
- Support health promotion and prevention activity across the PCN, including smoking cessation, weight management and lifestyle interventions
- Provide information and signposting that supports self-management, independence and access to appropriate health, care and voluntary-sector services
- Work with the multidisciplinary team to support people with long-term conditions and to reduce health inequalities, including proactive outreach to identified patient cohorts.
Vaccination and immunisation
- Play a key role in PCN vaccination and immunisation programmes, including patient preparation, observations, administration support, stock and cold-chain processes, documentation and follow-up, as appropriate to training, competence, legal authority and local policy
- Administer vaccinations only where trained, assessed as competent and authorised under the appropriate legal mechanism and local governance arrangements.
Multidisciplinary and community working
- Provide clinical support to registered nurses and other healthcare professionals across the PCN
- Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team to support continuity of care for people with frailty, care home residents, housebound patients and people at risk of hospital admission
- Support agreed referrals, appointments, reviews and follow-up across primary care, community services, secondary care, social care and the voluntary sector
- Work across PCN sites, care homes and community settings, undertaking home visits only when appropriately trained, delegated and supported.
MDT coordination and partnership working
- Support the coordination and delivery of PCN multidisciplinary team meetings, particularly for patients with frailty, complex needs, care home residents and housebound patients.
- Arrange MDT meetings, coordinate dates, prepare agendas, identify patients for discussion in collaboration with the clinical team and circulate invitations and relevant patient information to appropriate professionals.
- Collate relevant patient information ahead of MDT discussions to support effective multidisciplinary review and decision-making.
- Attend MDT meetings where required and accurately document discussions, decisions, agreed actions and responsibilities.
- Circulate meeting notes and action plans to relevant professionals, ensuring appropriate information governance and confidentiality.
- Maintain and update patient lists, registers, care coordination records and relevant clinical system information.
- Monitor outstanding MDT actions and liaise with relevant professionals to support timely follow-up and continuity of care.
- Coordinate communication between GP practices, care homes, community nursing teams, district nurses, social care, secondary care and voluntary and community sector organisations.
- Support the coordination of care across organisational boundaries, helping to reduce duplication, gaps in communication and fragmentation of services.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with health, social care and voluntary sector partners to improve access to appropriate services and support
Safety, governance and professional development
- Work under the supervision of a registered clinician, within the limits of competence, and seek advice whenever a task or patient need falls outside the roles scope
- Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and confidential records in the relevant clinical systems in accordance with legislation, professional standards and local policy
- Follow infection prevention and control, information governance, safeguarding, medicines management, health and safety, incident reporting and equality requirements
- Hold a Care Certificate, or an equivalent qualification, and maintain mandatory training and role-specific competencies
- Work at Support Worker Level Practice as described in the Primary Care and General Practice Nursing Career and Core Capabilities Framework and participate in supervision, appraisal and continuing development
- Contribute to quality improvement, patient safety initiatives, audit and service evaluation relevant to the role.
Administrative and Operational Duties
- Coordinate and maintain PCN clinic schedules across member practices and hub services.
- Manage patient bookings, cancellations, rebooking and appointment changes.
- Update clinic templates, appointment availability and schedules on relevant clinical systems.
- Contact patients to arrange, confirm or rearrange appointments.
- Identify gaps in clinic schedules and support the effective utilisation of clinic capacity.
- Liaise with clinicians and practice teams regarding clinic requirements and operational changes.
- Provide administrative support for vaccination programmes, long-term condition clinics, proactive care clinics and other PCN services.
Please see attached job description and person specification for full details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSEs, or equivalent, including English and mathematics.
- Care Certificate or equivalent qualification
- Evidence of role-relevant training and competency assessment for delegated clinical activities undertaken.
Desirable
- Current competency in venepuncture, vaccination support or other primary care clinical skills relevant to the post.
Skills
Essential
- Ability to undertake delegated basic clinical observations and interventions safely within assessed competence.
- Effective written, verbal and interpersonal communication with patients, carers and colleagues.
- Accurate, contemporaneous record keeping and competent use of digital clinical and administrative systems.
- Ability to organise and prioritise workload, follow instructions and escalate concerns promptly.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team while recognising the limits of own competence.
- Ability to coordinate and maintain clinic schedules across PCN member practices and hub services.
- Ability to manage patient bookings, cancellations, rebooking and appointment changes accurately.
- Ability to update clinic templates, appointment availability and schedules on relevant clinical systems.
- Ability to communicate effectively with patients to arrange, confirm or rearrange appointments.
- Ability to identify gaps in clinic schedules and support the effective use of clinic capacity.
- Ability to liaise effectively with clinicians and practice teams about clinic requirements and operational changes.
Desirable
- Competence in EMIS or a comparable primary care clinical system.
- Skills in venepuncture, health checks, long-term condition monitoring or vaccination delivery/support.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of confidentiality, information governance, safeguarding, infection prevention and control, equality and health and safety.
- Understanding of accountability, delegation, supervision and the need to work within competence.
- Knowledge of health promotion, prevention and approaches to supporting long-term condition management.
- Knowledge of patient safety, incident reporting and escalation processes.
- Understanding of Support Worker Level Practice within the Primary Care and General Practice Nursing Career and Core Capabilities Framework.
Desirable
- Understanding of PCN services, the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme and vaccination and immunisation programmes.
- Awareness of population health management and approaches to reducing health inequalities.
Other
Essential
- Commitment to person-centred care, dignity, equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Willingness to work under registered-clinician supervision and to complete ongoing training, competency assessment and appraisal.
- Flexible and reliable approach, with willingness and ability to travel between PCN sites, care homes and community locations as required.
- Ability to meet the physical and emotional demands of the role, with reasonable adjustments where appropriate.
Desirable
- Access to suitable transport for business travel between work locations, subject to reasonable adjustments.
- Commitment to service improvement and reducing health inequalities.
Experience
Essential
- Relevant experience in health promotion, prevention and supporting long-term condition management.
- Experience of working with healthcare professionals, or in the NHS, social care or another relevant care setting.
- Experience of dealing appropriately with confidential and sensitive information.
Desirable
- Experience in primary care, community care, care homes or services for older people.
- Experience of multidisciplinary working, vaccination programmes, end-of-life care or administrative support in a clinical service.
- Experience of working across multiple sites or undertaking community visits.
- Experience of providing administrative support for vaccination programmes, long-term condition clinics, proactive care clinics or other PCN services.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
Employer details
Employer name
West Kent Primary Care
Address
Hospice In The Weald
Maidstone Road
Pembury
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN2 4TA
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://westkentprimarycare.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)