When it comes to local charities Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice always holds a special place in the hearts of Peterborough people. But if you're in a caring profession looking for a new role, could you play your part in the organisation? Our local hospice is looking for more people to join their amazing team offering palliative care at home. It could be just the rewarding role you’re looking for…
In the hope of challenging misconceptions of palliative care and encouraging more people to work in the industry to deliver end of life care in people’s homes, nursing assistants from Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice at Home team in Peterborough are sharing their experiences.
Senior Nursing Assistants, Debbie Roberts and Lauren Keane and Sue Ryder Nurse, Emma Needham hope by opening the door to give a glimpse of delivering palliative care at home they can encourage more nursing and care assistants into the profession.
And the team says there has never been a more important time to join Sue Ryder to provide expert and compassionate palliative care. In the past year the team has joined forces with partners Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in response to the pandemic. Together the partners are helping to rapidly transform and expand end of life care being delivered in people’s homes to those eligible for Continuing Healthcare Fast-Track Funding, helping to keep them out of hospital.
“Providing palliative care at home is more personal and as care givers it helps us see the bigger picture. We see the family, their home and this helps us get a good feel of their life and their wishes,” shares Debbie (pictured left).
“Helping people to stay at home means an awful lot to families too. If their loved one has decided they want to be at home when they die we try to make this possible and make it as comfortable as possible.
"It is a real honour to help people keep their final wishes to each other.”
These are words echoed by Lauren who shares what she loves most about giving palliative care at home - “Making patients comfortable in their own home and environment, which can have a huge positive effect on their wellbeing.”
Emma agrees. “What I love most about giving palliative care in the community is the one to one aspect of being able to spend time with patients at what is such a difficult and challenging time to try and make a difference to them.
“To help someone at the end of life is such a privilege and being able to support them in this point in time in their home is a huge privilege.”
But the Sue Ryder team say when they tell people about the job they love they often get the same reaction.
“People think the job must be all doom and gloom, but it can be so uplifting,” shares Debbie.
While Lauren shares since moving to Sue Ryder her parents have been telling everyone what she does. “My parents are very proud and love telling people what I do too,” she added.
Although their jobs can be emotional, the trio say they receive great support from the rest of the team, hospice management and from specialist teams in the hospice too.
“To anyone considering a career in palliative care, I would say go for it! It is a very rewarding role being able to support patients at the end of their life and make a real difference,” adds Emma (pictured left).
“Sue Ryder is a fantastic organisation and there are also plenty of opportunities for training and lots of support given.”
Together, the team are directly appealing to any care assistants, healthcare assistants, nursing assistants or domiciliary care assistants in Peterborough and east Cambridgeshire to consider a career in palliative care with Sue Ryder.
“I used to work in an office and when I look back then I would never have believed I could do something like this. I thought I would never be able to cope. But working in palliative care has been the best move I ever made. I go home every day with so much job satisfaction,” adds Debbie.
Emma wants people to know the team are really welcoming too, “When I joined I had huge support from the existing team members, who helped me integrate into the team. Everyone was really welcoming.”
Lauren added after a career break she wasn’t sure if she wanted to work in care again, but she says she is so glad she decided to move back into the industry with Sue Ryder. “After thinking about it, this is what I know and I am good at it so I went for it and I am so happy I have. The welcome into Sue Ryder has been excellent.”
And with research* from Sue Ryder in 2022 finding almost three quarters - 74% - of people who knew they were able to make a choice about where they died saying they would like to die at home, the team hope anyone interested in making the switch to palliative care will get in touch to they can give more care to more people.
“By joining our team you will be helping people fulfil their final wishes to each other if they want to receive end-of-life care at home and that is something truly amazing to help make happen. To anyone working in care right now that is tempted about making the move into palliative care please come and speak to us to find out more about what Sue Ryder is all about. You can email recruitment@sueryder.org to arrange a chat,” Emma adds.
“To be able to come into work every day and love what you do is really important. Working at Sue Ryder is so patient-focused, rewarding and a privilege.”
Currently, Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice at Home team has vacancies for Senior Nursing Assistants and a Senior Nurse and the charity is calling for people interested in a career with them to get in touch.
Alongside roles in its Hospice at Home team, Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice also has a number of exciting and rewarding job vacancies across other services, including its inpatient unit and fundraising team. To find out more about the opportunities currently available email recruitment@sueryder.org
For more information on what it’s like working in palliative care with Sue Ryder visit www.sueryder.org/palliativecareers
*Research undertaken by Sue Ryder in March 2022