Ambulance Care Assistant - Hampshire

South Central Ambulance Service Nhs; Eastleigh; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full training and courses

33 days holidays pro rata plus bank

NHS Pension Scheme

Career development within SCAS

Health and wellbeing support

NHS Discounts

Staff networking group

Job summary

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) is seeking Ambulance Care Assistants in Hampshire to support patients travelling to clinics and hospital appointments with dignity and compassion.

You will drive, assist with mobility, and provide high-quality care on each journey, while adhering to safety and NHS standards. This role offers training, development, and a supportive team environment across sites like Basingstoke, Eastleigh and Portsmouth.

Qualifications

• Full manual UK driving licence with no more than 3 points.
• GCSE Maths or English (or equivalent).
• Excellent communication skills in writing and speaking.
• Ability to use Terrafix and mobile devices.

Responsibilities

• Plan journeys to meet patient appointment timings.
• Drive vehicles safely with passengers and equipment.
• Perform daily vehicle checks and report issues.
• Record information accurately using systems.
• Administer basic nursing tasks as trained, including oxygen administration.
• Move patients using wheelchairs, stretchers and other equipment.
• Maintain clear communication with patients, carers and staff.
• Participate in rosters and complete required training.

Skills

Driving licence

Communication

Customer service

Manual handling

Terrafix familiarity

Education

GCSE Maths/English

Tools

Terrafix

Job description

Job overview

Ambulance Care Assistants Roles in Hampshire

Do you have the compassion to reassure a patient living with dementia on their way to a hospital appointment?
Can you stay calm and focused when traffic threatens to delay your next collection?
Are you resilient enough to support someone coping with a life-limiting illness?

If so, you could be the perfect fit for our team.

Our Ambulance Care Assistants play a vital role in patient care, ensuring every journey is safe, comfortable, and dignified. You’ll provide support and reassurance to patients travelling to and from hospital appointments, treating everyone with kindness and empathy.

This is a hands-on role that involves:

• Driving patients safely across Hampshire
• Assisting with mobility, including lifting and helping patients into vehicles
• Delivering exceptional care and customer service

You don’t need a medical background—just a genuine desire to help people, excellent communication skills, and patience. Physical fitness is essential, as lifting and moving patients is a key part of the role.

If you’re ready for a rewarding challenge and want to make a real difference every day,

Main duties of the job

The Role:

• Taking patients to and from their medical appointments and treating them with dignity.
• Moving and lifting patients who need help.
• Driving a long wheel-base vehicle with manual transmission.
• Shift Work. You’ll work a variety of shifts from 0530-midnight, both on your own and with a colleague.
• Full time role is 37.5 hours a week.

The Ambulance Care Assistant (ACA) role is a gateway into the Ambulance Service. People who join as an ACA can go on to be Team Leaders or Managers within their area or move to work in the frontline teams or one of the many supports and corporate teams.

Working for our organisation

Benefits We Offer:

• Full training and access to courses
• Holiday entitlement of upto 33 days plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• NHS Pension Scheme
• Ongoing career development within SCAS and the wider NHS
• Occupational Health and Wellbeing support
• NHS Discounts in over 200 + stores
• Ability to join our staff networking group

At South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), every role plays an important part in helping people when they need us most. Whether you work in frontline care, Emergency Operations Centres, or corporate support services, your contribution makes a real difference every day.

Our values of Caring, Professional and Honest guide everything we do. We care for our patients, communities and colleagues, act professionally with pride and commitment, and work honestly to build trust through openness, integrity and respect.

We work closely with our recognised trade unions, including Unison, Unite, GMB and RCN, which provide workplace support and representation.

SCAS is proud to be an inclusive employer, welcoming applications from people of all backgrounds. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and able to reach their full potential.

Join SCAS and help us deliver exceptional care when it matters most.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is going to be a competitive process and we strongly advise you to review the following link with detailed instructions on

It is important that you read the job description and person specification for the role before completing your application, both of which are attached.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• The post holder will be expected to plan their journeys, taking into account patient appointment timings along with the routes they should take, to ensure an efficient and effective service.
• To drive vehicles carefully with every consideration being given to the passenger, any equipment, the vehicle itself, other road users and to comply with Road Traffic Legislation.
• The post holder is required to undertake daily vehicle checks to ensure that the ambulance vehicle is roadworthy; these checks shall include for example, Oil, Water, Fuel, Tyre Pressure and tread condition, Lights, Warning Devices etc.
• To enter any vehicle defects into the vehicle defect book and record on any computerised system as required in accordance with Polices and Procedures.
• To administer ‘ambulance nursing’ to an appropriate skill level in accordance with training received. This will include the administration of Oxygen in accordance with prescribed/clinical guidelines.
• To manoeuvre patients into ambulance vehicles using either the patients wheelchair or the vehicle equipment such as stretcher, wheelchair, carry chairs and secure both patient and equipment within the vehicle using the appropriate equipment as per training received.
• To have the physical ability to use the Moving Patient equipment provided; this will include the use of all types of carrying equipment such as chairs, stretchers lifting aids etc.. This will require to risk assess the best way to undertake moving of patients taking into consideration their needs, both medical and cultural needs.
• To promote and maintain good internal and external communications links with patients, colleagues and associated services and health service colleagues to provide an efficient and effective service to the patient and customer.
• To operate any communication system supplied /fitted / operated by the Trust in accordance with its Policies and Procedures.
• To participate in the PTS Rota relating to the covering of shifts and duties as required / directed.
• To undertake and complete appropriate induction and core skill training as required to facilitate the correct level of care to the patients whilst in the care of the post holder, First Aid at Work, Core Driving, Conflict Management, Manual Handling, Child Protection, Health and Safety etc.
• To undertake all training as required by the Trust, to include core update training.
• To wear Personal Protective Equipment (Uniform etc) as supplied by the Trust. This equipment should be kept clean and tidy and worn to the required standard in accordance with the Trust’s Policies and Procedures.
• The post holder will be responsible for recording information accurately using either computerised systems or hard copy as required and submit in a timely manner.
• To accurately complete any administration information and documentation as required and ensure that it is submitted in accordance with current Standard Operation Procedures and Trust Policies and Procedures.
• To complete any incident reporting paperwork to include injury to patient, self or vehicle in accordance with Trust Policies and Procedures.
• To comply with all the Trust’s Policy’s and Procedures.
• To participate in the Trust’s response to major incidents and any such duties as directed.
• To undertake any such operational duties that may be required in order to assist in the provision of a quality service in line with the Trust’s contractual obligations
• To work with and to the standards set within the Ambulance Competency Framework culminating in the Trust’s appraisal scheme and associated continual professional development

Applicants must be able to complete an interview, and you will need to undertake a pre-employment fitness assessment.

Applicants who do not demonstrate how they meet the Person Specification within their application will not be shortlisted.

Please ensure you demonstrate how you already embrace our values in your current/previous employments or educational settings within your application.

Your supporting information is your chance to articulate why you want to work within the Ambulance Care Assistant role, and why we should be shortlisting you.

Our goal is to keep the process smooth and efficient, ensuring candidates have all the information they need and everything runs seamlessly.

If successful you will join our waitlist where we will start completing your Pre-Employment Checks. Once you meet minimum checks required, we will be in contact with you to book you onto the next available course.

If you are not successful for this opportunity, there are no deferral options available.

Station availability:

Positions currently available at Basingstoke, Eastleigh and Portsmouth. Whilst we will endeavour to place you at your preferred station, location is subject to vacancies being available and the needs of the service at that time.

This vacancy is for candidates who currently have the Right to Work in the UK (do not require a visa) as we are unable to provide sponsorship for this role.

Please see the additional information document attached to the advert for more information.

Top tips:

• Review all person specifications both essential & desirable.
• Fully consider the job you are applying for; what skills/abilities you have to offer, working in a front-line operational setting is extremely rewarding but it can also be both physically and mentally challenging.
• Demonstrate your work journey and why this is the right next step for you.
• Carefully review your application before submitting.

We are expecting this programme to be very popular and due to the limited spaces available we may close this advert early should we receive a sufficient number of applications.

Essential criteria

• Full manual UK driving licence with no more than 3 points for speeding (any offence relating to drink/drugs on the licence will be rejected)
• GCSE at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent) in Maths or English or demonstrable experience

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of self development CPD / Portfolio

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous customer service experience

Desirable criteria

• Previous patient care experience
• Previous shift working experience
• Previous NHS experience
• Basic knowledge of human anatomy and physiology (e.g. Biology Qualification)
• Geographical knowledge of operational area (Hampshire; Eastleigh/Basingstoke/Portsmouth)
• Demonstrable experience as an ACA

Skills and Aptitudes

Essential criteria

• Ability to communicate effectively: aurally, orally and in writing
• Ability to use communication and computerised systems e.g. Terrafix and mobile phones

Desirable criteria

• Previous manual handling experience in a professional capacity

We understand that some applicants may choose to use AI tools to assist with completing their application. While this is not against our guidelines, it’s important that your application remains an accurate and honest reflection of your own skills, experience, and achievements. Please ensure that any content generated or supported by AI truly represents you and your capabilities, as this will form the basis of our assessment throughout the recruitment process.

We actively welcome job applications from candidates who have a disability or who are members of the BAME, LGBTQ+ and Armed Forces community (including: Reservists, Veterans, Spouses and Cadets). Here at SCAS we are proud to have a workforce that reflects the diverse community we serve. Applicants who have a disability or are members of the armed forces community who meet the minimum shortlisting criteria for their post of interest will be invited for an interview and/or assessment (where applicable).

Please be assured that any requests for reasonable adjustments will not negatively affect your application.

As well as standard NHS benefits like generous holiday entitlement and an excellent pension scheme, we offer lots of extras for our staff.