Job summary

We are recruiting for a Cancer Support and Information Health Professional who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.

The role is to cover maternity leave for a minimum 6 months (the cover can last up till 8 months). The role entails supporting the operational service delivery, offering emotional, practical and social support, together with the most up to date information, to anyone affected by cancer. You will join the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre's Cancer Support & Information team, based in the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre

The successful applicant will have a clinical, nursing or allied health professional background, will have a strong cancer knowledge base and experience working with cancer patients and their families.

You will be enthusiastic and motivated, looking to build on how our services are delivered to ensure we remain flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of our patients.

You will support the Health Professional team deliver and annual programme of our health and wellbeing initiatives for patients and carers. We can therefore offer flexibility to the right candidates for flexible ways of working to deliver this.

Our Values are Include, Respect and Improve. It is important that you understand and refer to our values during your recruitment process and beyond!

Main duties of the job

To provide a safe and comprehensive support, advice and information service to patients and carers receiving treatment at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.

To manage patient and carer activity for those accessing cancer support and information services.

This includes those attending the drop-in centre, attending therapy appointments at the LJMC building in addition to those accessing telephone and on-line services.

Work with other Health Care Professionals to ensure consistent quality of service is provided. To oversee the required training for staff and volunteers in order to ensure this is achieved.

To be responsible for the drop in area, managing and on-going training of volunteers and liaison with MVCC staff as appropriate.

About us

At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide & our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible & innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.

We run the following hospitals:

• The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
• New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
• Hertford County, Hertford
• Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood

We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation; our staff & patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.

We understand that finding and starting a new job is an important life decision. If you need reasonable adjustments for a disability, or a life event, such as menopause - so that we can consider your application fairly & to get the best out of you during the selection process, please let us know.

We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. Employees are entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns & we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made & considered formally, & will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.

Job description

Job responsibilities

ENHT is seeking to maintain and expand the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre staff as we move to an exciting new future.

We welcome applications from those who would relish the opportunity to be part of new and developing cancer service, building on the excellent reputation, research and patient experience the Cancer Centre already delivers.

In addition, you will receive a High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of your basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of �4,314 and a maximum payment of �5,436 per annum pro rata.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a health related subject e.g. nursing, radiotherapy etc.
• Specific oncology qualification and/or considerable experience.
• Communication skills/counselling skills training

Desirable

• Counselling qualification/experience
• Teaching/training qualification/experience

Previous Experience

Essential

• Experience in a professional capacity of working with people affected by cancer
• Experience of providing person centred cancer support and information
• Experience in communicating and working with multi-disciplinary teams and with other health and social care agencies
• Experience of working with volunteers
• Experience of managing staff
• Experience developing a staff team and providing both on and off the job training.

Desirable

• Experience of undertaking/implementing research findings/audit

Skills

Essential

• Ability to manage health information resources
• Ability to identify good quality and research -based patient information
• Understanding the needs of people from a diverse background
• Understanding of the needs of those from vulnerable backgrounds
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence, negotiate, motivate and influence
• Ability to work autonomously and as a member of a team in an emotionally charged environment within a hospital setting
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of a range of cancers, and their potential impact on patients/carers
• Knowledge of current treatments for cancer
• Knowledge of computerised Patient Information Systems (e.g. Lorenzo, PIMS) and office IT solutions (E.g. Word, Access, PowerPoint)
• Knowledge of cancer wait times
• Knowledge of confidentiality in the workplace and information governance rules

Desirable

• Working knowledge of the welfare and benefits system in the UK
• Understanding of quality & service improvement methods

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

361-CAN-5272255