Senior HCA

Durnsford Lodge Residential Home

Senior HCA

£23920

Durnsford Lodge Residential Home, Plymouth

  • Full time
  • Permanent
  • Onsite working

Posted 2 weeks ago, 1 May | Get your application in now before you miss out!

Closing date: Closing date not specified

job Ref: aa2f064c2d4941c49a84244b461271fa

Full Job Description

Responsible for: Providing a lead role on each shift, allocation, and direction of staff, monitoring of records, administration of medication, being a point of contact for professionals and visitors, to report any safeguarding concerns or complaints to the manager. Ensuring that incidents are properly recorded, escalated and action taken. To provide mentorship and formal supervision to junior staff.

To provide personal care, daily assistance, and emotional support to the residents in the home and documenting evidence of the above.

Working Arrangements:

Shift work: 7:30am - 8pm

(Please note these shifts are for guidance only and different hours may be required to meet the needs of the service),

  • To lead the shift, to support, allocate and direct staff to ensure the service users are properly and effectively supported.

  • To assist the team with hands on personal care when required.

  • To provide care staff with formal supervision (after training)

  • To ensure agency staff receive an induction on their first shift.

  • To support each resident with their medication in a personalised manner. To ensure that medication is administered correctly and in line with the homes medication policy and procedure.

  • To ensure that any medication error is properly reported that medical intervention and advice is sought and to report this immediately to the manager.

  • To carry out daily medication audits as requested by the service manager.

  • To ensure that any safeguarding concerns raised by staff are escalated to management and that any relevant documentation pertaining to this is completed.

  • To ensure the correct recording of any incidents that occur while on shift and that if this is out of hours that the on call is informed in the appropriate way and in a timely fashion dependent on the nature of the incident.

  • To ensure staff are completing all service user records in a timely fashion.

  • To conduct monthly resident meetings.

  • To liaise with Drs and professionals regarding the resident's medical requirements and to keep a detailed record of these interventions.

  • To address any concerns with individual staff members by use of a recorded discussion.

  • To be responsible for their individual use of PPE provided by the service in respect of Covid-19 and to ensure the correct PPE is always available and worn and that proper donning and doffing instructions are followed.

  • To report any shortages of PPE to the management team immediately.

  • To report any poor practice regarding PPE.

  • To ensure that anyone who has contact with the service either in person, by telephone or through other means is greeted in a friendly and professional manner, made to feel welcome and is given the assistance should it be required.

  • To ensure that all visitors to the service provide ID on entry.

  • To ensure confidentiality is always maintained and that advice is sought before giving any information to any person who has not confirmed their identity. This also applies to phone calls.

  • To ensure that visiting and entry requirements pertaining to essential visits and monitoring are adhered to and recorded.

  • To be familiar with the care plan, risk assessments, consent preferences and manual handling plans of all residents using the service.

  • To ensure that the resident is consenting before carrying out any care tasks.

  • To undertake key working duties and keep an accurate record of these. This includes assisting the individual to manage their inventory, keep their room tidy and personal to them, ensuring they have their personal belongings around them, assisting them with appointments and ensuring they have regular contact, should they wish, with their family and friends.

  • To ensure that comprehensive and contemporaneous records are kept in respect of each service user supported by the employee on any given day and to ensure these are complete and any issues with the documentation flagged up to the deputy manager.

  • To be aware of and compliant with the homes policies and procedures.

  • To promote dignity, independence, respect, choices, and rights always and to report any instance of these values not being upheld.

  • To assist residents in all aspects of their personal care, daily living tasks with empathy and respect.

  • To ensure peoples meal choices are recorded and to assist the eating and drinking where required.

  • To accompany, where appropriate, service users to medical appointments.

  • To support service users to take part in meaningful and stimulating activities and keep an accurate record of these.

  • To support residents to make complaints or raise concerns about the service the receive.

  • To ensure the people they support are safeguarded and that any concerns, allegations, unexplained injuries, falls, allegations, or any other issues constituting a safeguarding are reported immediately to the management team.

  • To work as part of a team and to understand that importance and impact on the team and on the service of any unreported lateness, sickness, or non-attendance.

  • To fully understand the boundaries of the role and be aware of when something falls outside of those boundaries and assistance/advice/authorisation is required before continuing.

  • To attend at least 6 staff meetings annually and to attend training when required.

  • To take part, every 2 months in formal supervision and to attend a yearly appraisal.

  • To be responsible for daily health and safety, addressing any immediate hazards and reporting any maintenance issues in a timely fashion to the management team.

  • To help and support each other as a team and be open and transparent about any mistakes or issues.

  • To use the on-call facility appropriately and in a timely fashion.


  • Please note that the above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties. You may be expected to perform different tasks or duties within the boundaries of your role at any given time in line with the needs of the service. If you have any issues or concerns about anything you are asked to please bring this to the service manager as soon as you can.