Apprentice health care support worker and health care support worker

Pennine Care Nhs Foundation Trust; Stockport; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading mental health organization as an Apprentice Health Care Support Worker. This full-time role involves supporting patients in inpatient settings, working various shifts, and completing a care certificate. Opportunities for career progression are available.

Qualifications

• GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Maths required.
• Experience of working with diverse groups of people.

Responsibilities

• Support and care for patients with mental health conditions.
• Engage with patients on a 1-1 basis or in groups.
• Participate in a multidisciplinary ward-based team.

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Communication

Basic IT Skills

Education

GCSE in English

GCSE in Maths

Job description

Job summary

Main area: Mental Health

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 3

Contract: 15 months (On successful completion of all learning requirements within your contracted period, your contract will be made permanent. Progress to complete learning requirements will be monitored throughout your fixed term contract, and failure to achieve these may result in a decision being made on your continued employment. However, where there are evidenced extenuating circumstances outside of your control that mean you are unable to complete your programme by the end of your initial fixed term contract, the Trust will review your case and endeavour to support you in completing your studies where possible.)

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (You will be expected to work days, nights, long days, weekends, bank holidays, early starts and late finishes.)

Job ref: 311-H771-25

Employer: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

Employer type: NHS

Site: CAMHS inpatient unit (Bury) and Arden Ward (Stockport)

Town: Bury and Stockport

Salary: £14,119.80 - £25,674 per annum, pro rata. (See advert for further details).

Closing date: 13/04/2025 23:59

Interview date: 22/04/2025

Employer heading

NHS AfC: Band 3

#PennineCarePeople

Job overview

We are looking for people like you to join us to support and care for our patients who are suffering from a wide range of mental health conditions, that have required them to have an inpatient hospital stay on our mental health units.

1. Apprentice Health Care Support Worker: successful completion of the care certificate, Level 2 apprenticeship in care (to include your end point assessment) and if required, functional skills Level 2 in English and Maths.

2. Health Care Support Worker

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Main duties of the job

When you join us you will spend the first six weeks on our HCSW induction programme which will help you develop initial skills that you need to do the role, giving you the confidence to join your ward based team and care for our patients.

You will be supported, nurtured, and developed along the way by our dedicated education team. Once you have completed your initial 6 weeks training, and believe us it will fly by, you will then join your inpatient ward-based teams.

Our inpatient wards don’t close, so as you would expect, we do work on a shift basis – our patients need our care and attention 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year; so everyone gets involved working different shifts to ensure our patients receive the very best, this can include, but not limited to earlies, lates, afternoons, long days, short days, nights, weekends, bank holidays.

You will be an active, inclusive member of our multidisciplinary ward based team. You will have the most direct patient contact out of staff on the ward & engage with the patients on a 1-1 basis or in groups. You will take the time to get to know our patients and engage them in their own care.

You will champion lifelong learning & engage in learning and development opportunities and grow through self reflection.

From health care support worker, you may then want to progress on to our Trainee Nurse associate (TNA) programme & from there on to our Registered nurse degree apprenticeship (RNDA). The NHS is your oyster!

Working for our organisation

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Important information

The apprenticeship post will be paid under Annex 21 Arrangements for pay and banding of trainees.

In your first year of your apprenticeship, your salary will be £14,119.80 per annum. This is paid at the apprentice rate.

In year two your salary will be £19,255.50 per annum, pro rata.

£24,625 per annum pro rata.

If you have already achieved your level 3 vocational qualification in care, along with English and maths GCSE at Grade E or above, annex 21 will not apply and you will commence on Band 3 £24,625 per annum pro rata.

Due to UK apprenticeship funding eligibility guidelines, you need to have been a resident in the UK for more than 3 years in order to commence on the apprenticeship programme.

This role does not meet the salary requirements for sponsorship, therefore we will be unable to offer sponsorship. You must have valid right to work in the UK.

Hints and Tips!

When completing your application form, read the attached job description and person specification, which can be found in the documents to download section below.

Use your supporting information section of your application to give examples of how you demonstrate each of the essential and where possible the desirable criteria, as this is ultimately what you'll be shortlisted against.

You must have as a minimum, GCSE (or equivalent if studied outside UK) with grade E (2/3) or above in English and Maths or functional skills level 1 to be eligible for shortlisting. You will be asked to provide your certificates at interview.

Where will I be working?

Applicants must be 18 years and over to work on our inpatient units.

Vacancies are in the below two locations only.

Arden Ward.

Please research the ward, patient group and the role of a support worker within mental health inpatient wards prior to applying.

Please only apply if you have the motivation to work with the patient type and in the locations specified above.

Assessment Centre Details

An assessment centre will take place on 22nd April 2025 only. No alternative dates are available. Candidates who wish to apply for this role must make sure they are available on this day

The start date for successful applicants is Monday 7th July 2025. We request that no annual leave is taken during the first 6 weeks of training. Training is delivered at Horton House Oldham, Outram Road Dukinfield.

Person specification

Qualifications

• GCSE (or equivalent level of education) with grade D/E (2/3) or above in English and Maths or functional skills level 1.

Desirable criteria

• For Band 3: Vocational (or equivalent) Qualification at level 3 in Care or demonstrable equivalent relevant experience to this level

Experience

• Experience of working with diverse groups of people developing a range of basic care skills
• Experience of how to build up trust and rapport with people

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of working in a care setting as a nursing assistant/healthcare support worker developing competencies in basic clinical care
• Experience of being able to plan and prioritise own work under the direction of a qualified member of staff
• Previous experience with people with Mental Health or Learning Disabilities or experience in a clinical setting related to mental health
• Experience of carrying out clinical observations
• Range of work procedures and practices, base level of theoretical knowledge

Skills and abilities

• Basic IT skills – ability to use MS Outlook, Word, and willing and able to be trained to use Trust IT systems and applications such as Electronic Patient Records or PARIS
• Can demonstrate good interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills
• Good command of the English language both written and in spoken word
• Ability to treat people with respect and dignity.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of care and related procedures, clinical observations, relevant legislation
• Awareness of Mental Health and Mental Illness, its effects on the individual, family and friends. Working knowledge of the Mental Health Act with willingness to learn
• Awareness of the effects of illicit drug use.
• Able to recognise changes in a patient’s mental and physical condition and act appropriately by alerting the qualified practitioner or nurse in charge
• An awareness of stigma and discrimination of people with mental health issues
• Awareness of ward procedures and clinical observations

Sponsorship - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship.

What happens after your application has been received?

You will be informed about the progress of your application following shortlisting via email. Only applicants who clearly demonstrate the criteria listed in the person specification will be shortlisted for interview. Interview invites will be sent out via email.

What happens if I am offered the position after interview?

The hiring manager will make contact with you to verbally offer you the position. The hiring manager will then inform Recruitment of the decision and provide relevant paperwork. You will be sent a formal conditional offer via email.

What pre-employment checks will I need to complete?

By conducting pre-employment checks, the recruitment team will verify that you meet the pre-conditions of the role you have been offered. Pre-employment checks will be carried out according to NHS Employment Check Standards. The checks are:

• Identity verification
• Right to work check
• Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
• Professional registration and/or qualification check
• Occupational health assessment
• Employment history and reference validation

All applicants external to NHS will be required to provide to cover the most recent three years. This information will be used to validate employment history and references as part of pre-employment checks. HMRC employment history

If you are offered a position and you require sponsorship to support your right to work, we will review your eligibility in line with government guidance. If the role you have been offered is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not able to evidence your right to work, your conditional offer could be withdrawn.

What happens when pre-employment checks are complete?

Recruitment will liaise with you and the hiring manager to arrange a start date for your new position. You will then be booked on to a Trust Welcome Session and be sent your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.

Other important information

• We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and recognise the importance of ensuring our diverse service user population is reflected within our workforce. We welcome applications from people from diverse communities to help us grow, learn, be better and consider the brilliant innovation diverse people bring.
• If you would like to be considered under the disability confident scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria on the person specification for the post.
• If you require reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process please contact us at earliest opportunity. We will support you to complete your application.
• We have a strict policy on unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Please do not contact our hiring managers directly.

We reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date if a sufficient number of applications have been received. To ensure your application is considered, please submit it at the earliest opportunity.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.