The Breast Care Support Worker will form an integral part of the multidisciplinary team approach in caring for the physical, social and psychological needs of patients diagnosed with cancer and their carers throughout the care treatment pathway and after care support.
The Support Worker will work in close unison with the Clinical Nurse Specialists to ensure the coordination and management of patients at all points of their treatment but in particular the Support Worker will also act as a point of contact for patients who will have been prepared by their clinical team for Patient Led Follow Up (PLFU) - and will be able to sign post patients to support their self-management.
The post holder will work independently within the remit of the role but under the guidance and supervision of the Clinical Nurse Specialists:
• Work as a Health/Social Care Assistant to assist with the coordination and management of patients undergoing treatment at Walsall Manor Hospital to support patients both on and off treatment.
• Provide information to patients related to treatment/follow-up and signpost to appropriate healthcare providers within remit of role and guidance.
• Provide telephone advice and triage where appropriate, working within defined protocols and guidelines. Document and communicate outcomes as per service specification.
• Provide level 1 psychological support within own knowledge boundaries following appropriate training.
• Perform Holistic Needs Assessments using designated screening tools as appropriate
• Support CNS’s in developing and facilitating Health and Well Being Programmes/Beyond Cancer. This will involve contributing and delivering education to patient and carers, including information around health promotion, Breast Cancer information and supporting self-management.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills both verbal and written
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300, providing inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010 and the continued upgrading of existing areas ensures the Trust now has a state-of-the-art Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit facilities.
A new Urgent Emergency Care Centre was opened in March 2023. The two-storey development has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity and has provided almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.
The post holder will work independently within the remit of the role but under the guidance and supervision of the Clinical Nurse Specialists:
• Work as a Health/Social Care Assistant to assist with the coordination and management of patients undergoing treatment at Walsall Manor Hospital to support patients both on and off treatment.
• Provide information to patients related to treatment/follow-up and signpost to appropriate healthcare providers within remit of role and guidance.
• Provide telephone advice and triage where appropriate, working within defined protocols and guidelines. Document and communicate outcomes as per service specification.
• Provide level 1 psychological support within own knowledge boundaries following appropriate training.
• Perform Holistic Needs Assessments using designated screening tools as appropriate
• To participate in collating patient surveys/patient experiences surveys and develop action plans alongside the clinical nurse specialist.
• Support CNS’s in developing and facilitating Health and Well Being Programmes/Beyond Cancer. This will involve contributing and delivering education to patient and carers, including information around health promotion, Breast Cancer information and supporting self-management.
• Document all interactions both verbally and written with accuracy and in line with Trust policy and procedure.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills both verbal and written
Provide dedicated and knowledgeable support to patients receiving care and treatment at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
• Demonstrate a broad understanding of cancer treatments offered within the Cancer Services.
• Be aware of the physical and psychological needs of cancer patients, observe and listen and report any patients concerns, alerting the CNS so that any necessary treatment and/or reassurance can be given to maintain patient safety/well-being. This will involve prioritising a patient’s clinical and psychological symptoms and judging how best to action any concerns when there may not be a straightforward choice of options.
Planning and Organisational Skills
• Co-ordinate the care between teams i.e.. Referrals to Palliative Care/District Nurses/Secondary Care Providers
• Refer to other team members when appropriate and following discussion with the Clinical Nurse Specialist.
• Plan and organise own workload to ensure patient needs are prioritised. Plan and organise own day to day workload, which will also involve liaising with several other healthcare professionals and external agencies. Develop patient care plans, based on information derived from a Holistic Needs Assessment.
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy
• Assess patients using Holistic Needs Assessment Tool and document accordingly.
• Identify with the Clinical Nurse Specialist those patients requiring a Care Plan following a Holistic Needs Assessment and support those requiring Level 1-2 psychological support within own skill base
• Monitor and check appointments and diagnostic tests are booked and undertaken in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Ensure patients receive timely and appropriate information in regard to their diagnosis and treatment and signpost to appropriate supportive leaflets and literature.
• Respond to telephone queries by a model of triage and appropriate referral to CNS or other allied healthcare professional.
• Support the delivery of appropriate information to patients in consultation with the multi-disciplinary team and according to any agreed information pathways, including printing of information
Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation
• Participate in initiatives to explore patient experience and service feedback
• Assist the CNSs with the implementation of Treatment Summary Records
• Participate in the development and delivery of treatment Health and Well Being Sessions and Living with and Beyond Cancer.
Support and coordination of remote surveillance for patients on self-managed follow up (PLFU) pathways to ensure risk free survivorship:
• Communicate effectively with relevant MDTs and clinical teams to ensure that all new and migrated PLFU patients are identified for coordinated support as assessed by health professionals
Planning and Organisational Skills
• Co-ordinate the care between teams i.e.. Referrals to Palliative Care/District Nurses/Secondary Care Providers
• Refer to other team members when appropriate and following discussion with the Clinical Nurse Specialist.
• Plan and organise own workload to ensure patient needs are prioritised. Plan and organise own day to day workload, which will also involve liaising with several other healthcare professionals and external agencies. Develop patient care plans, based on information derived from a Holistic Needs Assessment.
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy
• Assess patients using Holistic Needs Assessment Tool and document accordingly.
• Identify with the Clinical Nurse Specialist those patients requiring a Care Plan following a Holistic Needs Assessment and support those requiring Level 1-2 psychological support within own skill base
• Monitor and check appointments and diagnostic tests are booked and undertaken in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Ensure patients receive timely and appropriate information in regard to their diagnosis and treatment and signpost to appropriate supportive leaflets and literature.
• Respond to telephone queries by a model of triage and appropriate referral to CNS or other allied healthcare professional.
• Support the delivery of appropriate information to patients in consultation with the multi-disciplinary team and according to any agreed information pathways, including printing of information
Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources
Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation
This advert closes on Tuesday 7 Apr 2026