Overview
Do you enjoy working in a team to provide high standards of care to children and young adults? Do you understand and enjoy the unique challenges associated with delivering paediatric nursing care? Are you looking for a career opportunity within an organisation rated as 'outstanding' for caring? Are you able to be flexible in your approach to work to meet the needs of patients whilst achieving a work‑life balance? If so then this could be the opportunity for you. Paediatrics services at QE Gateshead encompasses a number of varied care settings including an emergency assessment and 24 hour short stay area within ECC (peapod), a children's day unit and children's outpatients services including general paediatrics, community paediatrics and specialist clinics. The service has a clear patient focus and a reputation for quality and excellence within the Business Unit.
Main Duties of the Job
We are seeking to appoint a dynamic, highly motivated, enthusiastic individual to join us in working as part of the paediatric team at QE Gateshead. The post holder will work as part of the nursing team within the pea pod, day unit and outpatient area to ensure high quality care is delivered to children and their families. It will be expected that the successful applicant will undertake any additional study and training that is required of them. In addition to internal shift pattern rotation, the successful applicant is expected to undertake a rotation between the departments. The main duties of the job will include:
* Ensuring the department is clean, tidy and well stocked
* Supporting nursing staff with patient care and treatments
* Taking and recording digital observations and measurements on patients
* Supporting children and their families through stressful procedures including blood tests
* Providing opportunities for play and distraction to improve the child's hospital experience
* Supporting parents/carers throughout their child's hospital experience
* Setting up and ensuring the smooth running of outpatient clinics
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to work both independently and as a team member will be essential
About Us
Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead. Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients. We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region. Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do – they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement. We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D‑Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks. The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme (balancegateshead.com) to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.
Details
* Date posted: 03 February 2026
* Pay scheme: Agenda for change
* Band: 3
* Salary: £24,937 to £26,598 a year PA
* Contract: Permanent
* Working pattern: Part‑time
* Reference number: 297‑7699208
* Job locations: Paediatrics Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, NE9 6SX
* Job title: Health Care Assistant
* Directorate: Trust Wide
* Accountable To: Ward Manager
* Location: Gateshead Health
* Pay Band: 3
Job Responsibilities
To support all members of the Multi‑Disciplinary Team to deliver high quality, safe patient care. To ensure a safe, clean and well stocked working environment. To assist the registered staff to care for and provide treatment to unwell and injured children. To support children and families throughout their hospital experience. Communicates information to staff, patients, relatives and carers. Communicates information in an empathetic and reassuring way where there may be barriers to communication/understanding i.e. speech/language/hearing difficulties. Communicates with patients, clients, relatives and staff whose first language may not be English. Is able to communicate effectively using written and oral skills. Establishes and maintains effective relationships with patients, relatives and colleagues. Provides and receives routine information requiring tact or persuasive skills; barriers to understanding.
Communications and Relationships
Exchanges factual information with patients using persuasion, reassurance, tact, empathy, may overcome barriers to understanding e.g. patient has physical or mental disabilities. Is able to communicate effectively using written and oral skills.
Essential
* Experience of having worked with children and families
* Excellent communication and organisational skills
* Team working skills
* Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workload
* Work as part of MDT
* IT skills/knowledge appropriate to the role
* Courses and skills that demonstrate transferable skills, previous care experience preferably in a health care setting
* Experience of working and communicating with people
* Minimum of level 2 functional skills in mathematics
* Minimum of level 2 functional skills in English
* Ability to work flexibly as service needs dictate. This includes weekend and bank holiday work
* Experience in using I.T.
* Experience of working in a team
* Knowledge of personal care and related procedures
* Knowledge of information governance including data protection and confidentiality
Desirable
* Recent relevant experience
* Level 3 NVQ in maths and English or evidence of GCSE maths and English
* Experience of undertaking and recording vital signs
* Experience working with children
* Experience working in an acute or outpatient setting
Person Specification
* Experience working with children or families – basic understanding of child development
* Experience working within the health care setting – functional maths/English qualification
* Experience working with children – experience undertaking and recording vital signs
* Experience working in an acute or outpatient setting
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Employer Details
* Employer name: Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
* Address: Paediatrics Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, NE9 6SX
* Employer's website: https://www.qegateshead.nhs.uk
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