Job overview
We are looking for enthusiastic and dynamic people to join our team of Theatre Support Workers at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. You must have excellent communication skills as you will be working alongside our qualified theatre staff to provide direct support to patients undergoing surgery, checking them in, attaching monitoring and completing documentation.
Inside theatre you will be an integral part of the team, circulating during procedures and assisting with counts. You will help to clean the theatre between cases and keep it stocked up ready for the next list. This is a physical role that involves the transferring of patients on beds, trolleys and wheelchairs around the hospital. This position includes weekend and night working.
Full training will be provided, and there are excellent opportunities for career progression for the right candidates.
Main duties of the job
Tunbridge Wells at Pembury Hospital is the Trust ‘Hot site’ and runs both an elective and emergency service. It comprises of 11 theatres covering a wide range of specialties: Orthopaedics (Elective & Trauma), CEPOD, Gynaecology, Lower GI & Day case Upper GI, Urology, Breast, Obstetrics, Ophthalmic, ENT and Paediatric Orthopaedics & ENT.
Working for our organisation
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.
We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.
Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.
Looking for flexible working?
We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.
to hear what our staff say.
Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:
1. At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
2. Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
3. Blue Light card eligibility
4. And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We’ve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children).
All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date had been agreed.
Following your Corporate Induction you will be expected to attend the Trusts Clinical Induction Programme for Clinical Support Workers (which starts on the first day of employment). The programme is full-time (please contact the CSW Induction Programme Lead if this is going to be problematic: ),lasts for two weeks and will involve travelling to both Trust sites. The programme includes 2 supernumerary shifts in the clinical area (an early and a late shift),all of the other days are classroom-based and run from 9am to 5pm.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
5. Functional skills English and maths level 1 or GCSE English and maths grade G/1 or above.
6. NVQ/Diploma level 2 in Healthcare (competencies assessed in a healthcare environment) or equivalent healthcare qualification, e.g. successful completion of a level 2 Healthcare Support Worker apprenticeship.
Desirable criteria
7. Functional skills English and maths level 2 or GCSE English and maths grades A*/9 – C/4.
8. The Care Certificate
Experience
Essential criteria
9. Full- time equivalent experience as a healthcare support worker or trainee in a care setting
10. Insight into role and responsibilities of post.
11. Able to describe the importance of delivering high quality care to patients.
12. Knowledge of the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers (2013).
Desirable criteria
13. NHS experience
14. Knowledge of current healthcare issues
Skills
Essential criteria
15. Ability to work within the multidisciplinary team
16. Demonstrates ability to use own initiative
17. Effective & concise communication skills demonstrated.
18. Reliability and flexibility
19. Can understand and communicate factual information correctly
20. Good interpersonal skills
21. Basic information and communications technology (ICT) skills.
22. Ability to prioritise workload with supervision.
Desirable criteria
23. Organisational skills
24. Experience to take delegated responsibility