Job overview

The Palliative & Complex Care Team (PACCT) provides short-break respite care for children with life threatening illnesses.  The team are looking to recruit a Family Health Support Worker / Short Break Respite Worker working 22.5 hours per week

In the role you will participate in planned care of children and observe/contribute towards the assessment of the child, recognising special needs or problems, and identifying on-going support as required.

The respite care and support is provided in a flexible manner, to be responsive to the needs of the child and family. Care is provided over a 5 days a week, 9am – 5pm. You will be expected to work alone at times and will be required to drive to multiple locations daily.

The caseload will cover the geographical area of Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire in many community settings.

If you have experience of working within a care environment with children, we would love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

• To visit children and carry out an assessment of care needs within the home, in order to gather baseline information to form a care plan, developed with the child’s family, under direction of a qualified children’s nurse/named nurse.
• Family support workers will be expected to work unsupported following completion of competencies and assessment with the support of registered nurses.
• To work flexibly to meet the needs of children and their families, taking responsibility for the child’s healthcare and play needs in the parent/carers absence. This may include the administration of medication, (including potential use of rescue medication).
• To assess and evaluate in conjunction with the PACC Team, planned programmes of care to individual families and provide regular feedback on any progress or change to the child.
• To actively use essential equipment vital for the client’s needs, for example, suction machines or hoists, following appropriate training.

Working for our organisation

Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.

We are ‘United in our Uniqueness’ and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

 Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.