Welcometo Woking & Sam Beare Hospices
Recruitment Pack
Introduction
Woking & Sam Beare Hospices is a patient-centred charity that delivers specialist palliative care to adult patients of all ages who have life-limiting and terminal illnesses. We cover the North West Surrey region, providing free of charge holistic care and support services for patients, their families and carers. We support over 1,400 patients both in our hospice and in their own homes, where over 70% of our care is delivered, enabling patient choice and the best quality of life.
With the expertise of our Specialist Doctors, and in the community our Clinical Nurse Specialists, we care for adults of all ages with a wide range of life limiting conditions such as cancer, heart disease, Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and help them to manage their symptoms, which are often complex.
Our services enable us to care holistically, meaning we offer practical, emotional, social and spiritual support, as well as managing medical needs. We also deliver counselling for our patients and their families, including child bereavement services and school support programmes.
We are a charity, and while we receive some government funding, around 75% of what we deliver is funded through our charity shops and fundraising activities. We could not do this without the generosity of all of our supporters, volunteers and the local community.
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Our History
In 1990, our Trustee and now Life President, launched an appeal for a local hospice in Woking. He believed that no one should die in an undignified way and that therefore there should be a place where patients and loved ones could receive special, palliative care. After five years of fundraising, Woking Hospice welcomed its first patients in 1996.
In 2006, Woking Hospice took over the management of the Sam Beare Hospice in Weybridge, which was then a NHS run palliative care unit for the community, and became one organisation, hence the name Woking & Sam Beare Hospices. However, working at full capacity and with increasing demands on our services, it was decided to combine the two hospices under one roof and in 2016 our charity launched the New Build Appeal to fund a new state-of-the-art facility in Goldsworth Park, Woking. In December 2016 the Sam Beare in-patient beds were relocated to Woking Hospice, but the Sam Beare Community Team continues to support our patients and their families within the Weybridge area.
In May 2017 we opened the doors to our new hospice, which has 20 purpose built, private, en-suite bedrooms, our Bradbury wellbeing centre where in-patients and out-patients can receive a wider range of physiotherapies, complementary therapies, specialised bathing, clinical support and advice, as well as meeting others. It is also the base for our team of Community Nurse Specialist that supports local patients in their own homes.
Woking & Sam Beare Hospices serve a patient population of around 360,000 covering all or parts of the boroughs of Woking, Surrey Heath, Guildford, Elmbridge, Spelthorne, Runnymede, Walton and Weybridge.
Our specialist care is based on the belief that each person is more than their illness, and that each individual has unique physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. We therefore respond to the needs of each individual to achieve the best possible quality of life.
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Key facts:
•In the UK, one person in three has been touched by hospice care since the first modern hospice was founded in 1967.
•We have to raise £4 out of every £5 from voluntary income to remain operational.
•Through our doctors, in-patient care and our community team we provide care and support 24 hours each day, every day of the year.
•Each year we look after approximately 1,400 patients both in our hospice and in their own homes, where over 70% of our care is delivered, enabling patient choice and the best quality of life.
•Our day care unit provides patients with opportunities for social interaction, regular assessments and access to our specialist team of nurses, doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. It also provides respite for relatives and carers.
•Patients attending day care can also access complementary therapies such as massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and relaxation techniques, which can all help control symptoms and improve wellbeing.
Our Care - Medical
Our team of doctors, along with our Clinical Services team, plays a leading and integral role not only in individual patient care, but also in the on-going development of patient centred medical practices and innovation, and in the strategic direction of the hospice. Our doctors see both in-patients and out-patients wherever they are.
They are also closely involved during patient referrals, assessing and advising on patient treatments and endeavouring to ensure patients are in the best location to receive their care.
Working in collaboration with the hospice, the doctors ensure that specialist out-of-hours advice can be sought 24-hours a day, every day of the year. Our doctors work closely with others in the healthcare sector including the medical teams of local Acute Trusts.
They also provide training for General Practitioners and Registrars who wish to specialise in palliative medicine and, have extended their reach internationally including having developed a close relationship with Maastricht University.
During the year Woking & Sam Beare Hospices welcomes several GPs in training from the University on secondment, receiving thanks for the ‘invaluable contribution’ the hospice have made to develop their expertise in palliative care.
As part of the ‘revalidation’ process, our doctors are undergoing regular appraisals and are being revalidated in line with the General Medical Council (GMC) schedule. This is a process that should be renewed every five year to ensure that our healthcare professionals are complying with relevant standards.
Our Care - Community Team
Our Community team of highly trained Clinical Nurse Specialists, who are supported by our Consultants, specialist doctors and therapists, delivering care to patients in their homes and support to their relatives and carers. The team works closely with GPs, District Nurses, hospital teams and community services to ensure appropriate care is provided.
Our two teams in Weybridge and Woking attend over 1,400 patients during the year across North West Surrey.
Our community team are often seen as the ‘invisible’ face of the hospice and yet they are usually referred to as our patients and families ‘lifeline’. This is due to the specialist support, advice and reassurance our team can provide.
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Our Care - In-patient units
Woking & Sam Beare Hospices provide specialist care 24 hours a day, seven days a week for patients with life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. In the past, hospice care focussed primarily on patients with cancer. Last year around 28% of our patients were admitted having non-cancer diagnoses.
Patients are admitted for a number of different palliative care reasons including symptom control, end of life care, respite, psychosocial and spiritual distress and occasional palliative rehabilitation.
The expertise of our nursing staff is led by our Director of Nursing and our Medical Director oversees a team of doctors specialised in palliative and end of life care. Additional support for our patients is provided by our Counsellors and the Spiritual care team who are always on hand when needed.
The hospice is keen to encourage training and career development and always encouraging our current staff to broaden their skills as well as accepting new recruits.
Day Care Units
Our Bradbury wellbeing centre provides patients with opportunities for social interaction, regular assessments and the opportunity to discuss and manage their symptoms with our team of nurses, doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists who are always on hand to provide support and advice.
Additionally, our patients have access to the therapeutic bathing suites, private treatment rooms and exercise facilities designed for individual and group sessions.
The centre also provides respite for relatives and carers. Complementing the medical palliative care provided, additional treatments include massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and relaxation techniques which can all help to control symptoms, induce a sense of calm and give that great feeling of just being pampered.
Day care engenders a ‘family’ atmosphere with organised events and activities which encourage conversation and social interaction essential to a sense of wellbeing for patients and carers alike.
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Counselling
The Hospice has up to 25 counsellors and psychotherapists, the vast majority of which provide their services on a voluntary basis. All are trained to at least degree standard and they work with all those who come in contact with our care, including the bereaved, patients, carers, children, teenagers and groups. The team maintains a caseload of up to 150 adults and children receiving individual support. In addition, 25 children attend our Footsteps and Tommy D bereavement groups with around 60 adults attending adult social groups.
Our Counselling team is developing a volunteer befriending service with seven volunteers undergoing mandatory training. A pilot programme will commence during 2017 when they will meet with the ‘befriendees’ once or twice a week socially; taking them for coffee, visiting them at home or meeting in a mutually comfortable environment, such as our day care unit. Befrienders are there to listen and to empathise and simply be a good friend.
Spiritual Care
Our Spiritual Care team are fully integrated within the clinical and medical leadership of the hospice. The team provide spiritual and religious care as well as support to those patients or staff requesting it. Valuing diversity, our team provides an invaluable service meeting the diverse spiritual care needs of today’s modern society.
Therapies
Woking & Sam Beare Hospices believe all patients with life limiting illnesses should be able to benefit from a common, integrated and holistic approach to palliative care. Physiotherapy, Occupational and Complementary therapies, as part of a portfolio of care are considered beneficial to the treatment regime and support improving quality of life. Benefits of these therapy treatments in palliative care include the psychological benefits of exercise; preserving independence; work simplification; fatigue management; relieving stress from symptoms; enhancing quality of life; educating external audiences, patients and carers; symptom control; and discharge planning.
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Staff Benefits
Pension schemes
•Clinical /medical staff remain in the NHS Pension Scheme subject to eligibility criteria
•Hospice staff 5% contributory pension scheme
Annual Leave
Clinical/Medical staff:
•27 days plus bank holidays on appointment
•29 days plus bank holidays after five years continuous service
•30 days plus bank holidays after ten years continuous service Hospice staff:
•25 days plus bank holidays on appointment
•27 days after two years continuous service
•28 days after five years continuous service
Additional benefits:
•Training and development opportunities including professional development
•Flexible working arrangements
•Children Vouchers
•Cycle to work schemeEmployee counselling
•Schwartz Rounds
•Clinical supervision
•Staff changing rooms and showers
•On site café
•Free on-site parking
•Staff benefit discount websiteStaff introductory fee scheme
•Staff wellbeing complementary
therapies
•Staff discounts at local shops, including hairdressers and dry cleaners
•Friendly working environment
HR Department direct line: 01483 742682
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