Senior Health Care Assistant
Closing date: 22 January 2026
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Health Care Assistant at Charlton Lane Hospital. Willow Ward is a 16‑bedded ward for predominantly older adults with an organic mental illness.
It would be desirable for the post holder to have experience in caring for elderly, facilitation of positive engagement and activities with people with dementia. The successful candidate would be supported by the unit manager in taking mandatory, statutory and dementia training. Upon commencing your post, you will participate in a comprehensive trust and unit induction which ensures that you feel skilled and supported to undertake this challenging job.
The posts are funded at 37.5 hours per week (full time) and involve a 7.5‑hour rotational shift system. Flexible working arrangements will be considered; any request will be set against genuine operational requirements and limitations and it is not obligatory for a manager to accede to the request.
If you do not hear from us within three weeks of the closing date you have probably not been shortlisted. We are sorry we are unable to let you know the outcome of your application.
Main duties of the job
As a Health Care Assistant / Support Worker you will be responsible for participating and assisting in the delivery of care services to patients and service users within a Mental Health and Social Care Health Service. You will follow the guidance set out in the Code of Conduct for Health Care Assistants / Health Care Support Workers to provide safe and compassionate care of a high standard, and to challenge others who are not. You will receive direct supervision and partake in reflective practice / training on a regular basis and be required to meet the Care Certificate standards. All successful applicants will also have the opportunity to discuss the prospect of undertaking a Level 3 Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship alongside their substantive post. This apprenticeship would include the Level 3 Diploma in Clinical Healthcare.
About us
We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5,000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services across 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust. Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question. 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region. 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%. This high‑level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. We also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top‑quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.
Job responsibilities
* On a daily basis assist qualified staff in the provision of care as detailed in individual care plans and undertake tasks that facilitate the smooth running of the ward, as directed by qualified staff, and liaise with other departments to ensure the ward environment is safe and welcoming (e.g. Hotel Services).
* Assist with the giving of medication and medical dressings; holding the pagers for first response; preparing for admissions; escort and driving duties.
* Provide necessary physical care to patients to help them complete daily living activities: personal hygiene, diet and fluid intake, clothing and laundry, personal environment, maintaining rest and sleep and activity, physical observations.
* Initiate, coordinate and run ward and community‑based social and recreational activities for ward patients, including individual and group activities.
* Undertake and accurately record physical observations such as temperature, pulse, blood pressure and general and special visual observations.
* Periodically collect fluid, sputum and faecal samples as required and ensure a range of social and recreational activities are always available in the unit/ward for patients.
* Successfully initiate and develop rapport with patients to enable balance of activity, socialisation and rest, and liaise effectively with nursing staff, multi‑disciplinary teams and other allied health professionals.
* Actively participate in team handovers, providing verbal reports as required or making presentations to the immediate team or the wider multi‑disciplinary team.
The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS
* NVQ Level 3 or equivalent level of competency‑based training in a relevant health or social care area.
* European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL).
LENGTH AND / OR NATURE OF EXPERIENCE
* Significant experience of working in a mental health or social care setting.
* Significant experience of working in a team and independently.
* Experience in the assessment of patients.
* Experience of lone working and decision making.
* Experience of providing social and recreational activities.
PROFESSIONAL / MANAGERIAL / SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE
* Knowledge of mental illness or learning disabilities and its impact on the individual.
* Knowledge of how mental illness has an impact on motivation, social skills and activities and on the individual and their families.
* Knowledge and understanding of risk assessment and management obtained through formal in‑house training course.
* Knowledge and understanding of the Care Pathway Approach (CPA).
* Awareness of issues surrounding diversity and anti‑discriminatory practice.
* Understanding of the basic principles of infection control.
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.
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
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