Job overview
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are pleased to be able to recruit to a Student Nursing Associate (Higher Apprenticeship) post to commence training in March 2026. The Training post will be based within the Learning Disability services care group, at Greenways Assessment & Treatment Unit in Macclesfield.
This exciting post is open to staff working within the Trust in health care or clinical based roles that have worked for CWP for a minimum of 6 months and have completed their Care Certificate.
Once qualified as a Registered Nursing Associate you will be helping to bridge the gap between a healthcare assistant and a Registered Nurse, providing you with a structured career path.
The Trust currently supports the Real Living Wage (RLW) hourly rate as set by the Living Wage Federation and will apply a pay supplement if the national A4C hourly rate falls below this
Shortlisting to commence Thursday 20th November 2025
Main duties of the job
The Nursing Associate training programme combines and integrates both academic and work-based learning through close collaboration between CWP and The University of Chester.
Some of your learning will take place at this base during the 2 years and you will also complete placements outside of this base.
At the end of the programme, the trainee Nursing Associate will be equipped with the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and behaviours relevant to employment as a Nursing Associate and will work to a nationally recognised code of conduct.
If successful you will:
Have the opportunity to study for a fully funded 2-year foundation degree.
Gain both academic and work-based learning, developing your skills and knowledge.
Undertake a number of placements across a diverse range of specialisms.
Be provided with support and line management during your practice placements and when at university.
Have the opportunity to take part in an innovative programme, offering hands on practical experience, underpinned by theoretical knowledge.
Shortlisted applicants will have a 30-minute Values Based Interview with the Trust and University of Chester representation via Microsoft Teams.
Working for our organisation
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.
We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton, Liverpool and Stockport.
Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.
As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
All new starters will commence in post on one fixed start date each month, in line with our Prepare to Care (P2C) induction programme date. P2C offers up to 3 weeks training to support you to meet the induction / initial training requirements of the role.
Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.
At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.
CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.
An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: cwp.recruitment@nhs.net or by calling 01244 393100.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above OR Grade 4 or above OR a Level 2 equivalent (e.g. Functional Skills)
* NVQ Level 3 in Care or related subject (or equivalent)
* Demonstrate potential to study at Level 4 Diploma of Higher Education Level and commit to completing the Foundation Degree programme
* Essential induction training and experience – care certificate
Desirable criteria
* Qualifications and Credit Framework Level 3 in Care or equivalent in terms of both academic attainment and previous care experience
* Completion of an HCA development programme
Knowledge & Expertise
Essential criteria
* Understanding of the scope of the role of the Nursing Associate in context of the team and the organisation, and how the role may contribute to service development
* Evidence of time management skills and ability to prioritise
* Intermediate IT skills
* Ability to communicate with members of the public and health and care providers
* Ability to deal with non-routine and unpredictable nature of the workload and individual patient contact
* Ability to move between sites working across health and social care as required by the needs of the development programme
Desirable criteria
* Understanding of evidence based practice
* Understanding of basic physiology, e.g. normal vital signs, fluid balance nutritional requirements etc.
Experience
Essential criteria
* Previous experience of working within a health/care setting
Desirable criteria
* Evidence of involvement in support/development of less experienced staff
* Evidence of recent work-based learning or self-directed learning