Are you compassionate, caring and communicative? Would you like to be the best you can be or grow your career in a world-class teaching hospital? Have you been considering a change of occupation and looking for secure and rewarding employment?
We believe our Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) role offers this opportunity and our tailored training programme supports you to develop in your career.
We are excited to offer an opportunity for healthcare assistants to join our Emergency Department at University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS).
As a large teaching hospital and Major Trauma Centre, we are committed to providing exceptional care for both adults and children. We continually assess and improve our approach to major trauma care. As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we provide numerous learning and development opportunities to help you achieve your career goals.
If you are looking to start your journey within healthcare, then we would love to hear from you. We offer continuous training and development opportunities to help you reach your potential. You'll start your career with us by following a 1-week full-time and in-depth induction.
Here at UHS, we recognise that Healthcare Support Workers from different employment backgrounds can bring a breadth of knowledge and new ideas.
What You Will Do
This role is diverse and will involve essential emergency skills such as applying plaster casts, venepuncture, and cannulation. You will be responsible for patient assessments and meeting care needs, while also contributing to improved nursing quality, including initiatives related to dementia and mental health.
What We're Looking For
We seek a caring and compassionate healthcare assistant who thrives in a busy and rewarding environment. Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach to delivering high-quality care to all patients in the emergency department are essential.
The Emergency Department operates 24/7, so some flexibility will be required to meet service needs. Our department is known for its innovative approach and is increasingly recognized for its clinical academic work in emergency care, enabling us to deliver expert care, education, and support to patients with complex needs during their most critical moments.
Applicants that have applied and been unsuccessful in the last 6 months, do not need to re-apply or submit another application.
A Healthcare Support Worker at UHS is not just a job, it's a career opportunity that can start your exciting journey within healthcare. Our HCSW's receive top industry training and development, with a tailored career programme and amazing links to support nursing or higher healthcare apprenticeships. We lead the way in benefits too – our HCSWs receive:
A minimum of 35 days paid holiday
A two-week intensive induction to set you up for success in your new role
Guaranteed contracted hours
Access to extra shifts and overtime pay for those who want it
A mentoring team that is dedicated to our HCSWs, who will help you with emotional, personal, and professional support
A central hospital location with great transport links and reduced fares for UHS staff
Continued professional development
A generous pension scheme and life insurance
Access to national and local NHS discounts including popular high street and online retailers
Onsite subsidised restaurants, cafes and high-street shops
Financial awards through our refer a friend scheme
An internal mover process which allows you to transfer wards every six months if you wish
Support with flexible working requests which are regularly reviewed against the service need
We are only considering Full-Time applications at this time, but you MUST be able to work a variety of shifts and days of the week as UHS operates a 24 hours a day service, 365 days of the year.
Unfortunately, we cannot currently offer set shifts e.g. nights only.
As a Healthcare Support Worker, you will work under the guidance of a Registered Nurse or healthcare professional within the Emergency Department. You will help our nurses and doctors at UHS, by offering the highest standards of personal care and support to our patients.
Your main day-to-day duties will include:
Washing and dressing patients and aiding in their personal hygiene
Assisting patients to access and use toilet facilities
Serving meals and helping to feed patients
Helping patients to safely move around
Assisting with bed making, cleaning tasks, errands, or general duties
Collecting pathological specimens e.g., Urine, faeces, sputum
Making patients and their families feel comfortable
Development
Be able to work a variety of shifts as part of your work roster. You will cover some mornings (shifts could start from 7am ending around 3pm), short days & long days (shifts are generally 8 – 12 hours long and occur between 7am and 8pm), evenings (till around 8pm) and nights (from around 7pm to 7am the next day)
Be available to work any day from Monday to Sunday depending on your shift pattern, including bank holidays
Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Are happy to carry out a variety of tasks - including personal hygiene care to patients of all ages and backgrounds
If you're the kind of person who believes in putting patients first, is always looking to improve and are a team player, then we'd love to hear from you
Please note: This vacancy does not meet the Home Office threshold for sponsorship and requires candidates to complete a 9-month training period. We are therefore unable to accept applications from candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK or where candidates do not have at least 9 months remaining on their visa from the start date of the new role.