Trainee Healthcare Support Worker

Job Introduction

Looking to kickstart a career with the NHS?

You can, through our Healthcare Support Worker Development (HCSWD) programme.

Acting as your entry point into the NHS, you will receive the training, support, and supervision you need to become a Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) or more commonly known as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA).

Achieve this all whilst receiving weekly pay, paid annual leave and all the other great benefits NHS Professionals offers our bank members. Once you have successfully completed the programme you will be able to work flexibly at any of our partner Trusts.

Pay Rates:

• Days: £9.50
• Saturdays/Nights: £13.40
• Sunday/Bank Hols: £17.39

About the Trust

We have a unique opportunity to learn on the job at Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (Prospect Park Hospital - Reading) over a 6-month paid supervised placement programme.

There are acute wards who provide care to adults with mental health conditions such as bipolar affective disorder, depression, and schizophrenia as well as a ward that provides care for older adults with functional mental health conditions and a specialist ward that provides care for dementia patients.

Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (BHFT), a community and mental health trust, are rated ‘Outstanding’ in their most recent CQC report as well as being recognised as a Global Digital Exemplar. In this role you will be located in and working across an area with all the benefits of country living with the convenience of big city life.

What the programme involves…

During our programme you will work through the 15 Standards of the Care Certificate, learning how to meet the daily living needs of your patients as well as being a part of the NHS healthcare team. This includes supporting registered Nurses and other healthcare practitioners in providing patient care, from hygiene to personal and physical comfort.

Benefits of joining

By joining, you can receive some exciting benefits:

• Career Progression – Achieve a Care Certificate and begin your journey with the NHS.
• Weekly pay – Work this week, get paid next week.
• Paid annual leave – Build holiday allowance.
• Provide patient care – Provide care, safety, and welfare for patients.
• Join the NHS family – Become part of a healthcare team.
• Dedicated training and supervised shifts – Support from your ward / area and skilled mentors.

Main Responsibilities

Typical duties will involve but not limited to:

• Provide and maintain a high standard of care

• Develop and maintain a good working relationship with patients through regular contact and ensure their safety and well-being.

• Carry out assigned tasks under the direction of a qualified nurse or the supervision of a more senior grade support worker.  This includes assisting the patients in all aspects of personal care and life skills

• To report changes, observations and relevant information to qualified staff.

• Be involved in discussion on the development of patient centred programmes

• To assist in the running of ward groups.

• Be familiar with the ward routines and programmes, and carry them out effectively.

The Ideal Candidate

Who we are looking for…

For this opportunity, candidates do not need any previous healthcare experience.

We are looking for someone who has a passion for care as well as following the six enduring values that underpin ‘compassion in practice’. The 6Cs are defined as: Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, and Commitment.

Please note that we require:

• You must be over the age of 18 or turning 18 before the planned classroom training week.
• You work at least 30 hours a week across earlies, lates and nights during the programme. This is a total of 780 hours over 6 months.

What’s next?

• Attendance of Assessment Day – Planned for 21st February 2023
• Attendance of FREE classroom training – Planned for 21st - 23rd March 2023
• Attend an Induction week (37.5 hours supervised placement) – Planned for March 2023

After the programme

Once you have completed your placement and the Care Certificate 15 Standards, you can work as a HCSW or HCA for the Trust at any of their locations, and at any of our NHS Professionals partner Trusts, through the bank.

As your first step in healthcare with the NHS, this could provide you with the opportunity to progress your career by accessing further training outside of the programme. In time, you could become a Senior Healthcare Assistant. After that, you could then apply to train as an Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate, enabling further career avenues such as a Nurse.

Apply

Apply to the HCSWD programme today and if successful, you will be placed onto at least a 6-month full time placement.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

As an equal opportunities organisation, NHSP is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective bank members and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender reassignment, or marriage and civil partnership. We believe there is a strong case for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda and we strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a range of backgrounds to apply.

Disclaimer

Please note, you will be contacted by email throughout the recruitment process, so please check your emails, including your junk/spam regularly. We regret we cannot contact everyone who is not selected for an interview, therefore if you do not hear from us within 21 days after submitting your application, please assume you have not been successful on this occasion.