Community Healthcare Assistant

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust; Downham Market; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust is looking for a Community Healthcare Assistant to deliver patient-centred care across patients homes, clinics, and community settings. The role involves assessments, planning, implementing and evaluating care with a flexible, team-based approach.

You will perform basic observations, wound care, venepuncture and support insulin administration, while maintaining records and working to the service’s competency framework.

Qualifications

• NVQ 2 Health and Social Care or equivalent knowledge and experience demonstrated in application.
• NVQ 3 Health and Social Care
• Experience in healthcare setting.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to delivery of care packages for patients, including long-term conditions and rehabilitation needs.
• Work with the integrated team to facilitate early hospital discharge.
• Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Collaborate with other health and care professionals to provide a seamless service.
• Apply basic treatment techniques under supervision and document visits.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Highly motivated

High standards of care

Tact & diplomacy

Empathy & sensitivity

Initiative

Observation & reporting

Stress management

Team player

Flexibility

Communication barriers

Basic IT skills

Physical ability

Technology awareness

Education

NVQ 2 Health and Social Care

NVQ 3 Health and Social Care

Job description

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust

Community Healthcare Assistant

The closing date is 23 November 2026

This is an exciting opportunity for a Healthcare Assistant to join the Fens and Brecks Primary Care Network; a community team made up of Community Nurses, Therapists and Community Matrons.

The role requires someone to deliver high standards of health care to patients within their own homes, care homes, the travelling community and in clinics, by assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating packages of care.

Applicants should be good communicators, have obtained some experience of working within a healthcare setting, be caring, compassionate and deliver a high-standard of patient centred care.

Main duties of the job

A typical day involves:

• 1. Undertaking basic observations including blood pressure, oxygen saturation, blood glucose monitoring, pulse and respiration rates.
• 2. Supporting administration of insulin for diabetic patients.
• 3. Undertaking basic wound care, including dressing changes and simple wound assessment.
• 4. Provision of basic pressure relieving equipment and pressure ulcer risk assessment and advice.
• 5. Venepuncture
• 6. Simple catheter care
• 7. Ability to organise your day, adopt flexibility to different patient needs and that of the service.

The ability to work as part of the team and to have a flexible approach to work is essential. There is clear competency and training programme in place to support you to obtain the skills required for this role.

The service operates between 8.00am - 6.00pm, seven days a week, and you will be required to work shifts between these times.

About us

Unfortunately, this role does not meet the criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa routes. Applications from candidates requiring sponsorship to work in the UK cannot be considered.

Please note, the selection processes at East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills.

Job responsibilities

Key Areas of Responsibility

To contribute to the delivery of care packages for patients, for patients with long term conditions, palliative care and rehabilitation needs, to achieve quality of life and independence where possible.

To work within the integrated team to facilitate early discharge from hospital

To work within the integrated team to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital

To work with all health care professionals, and statutory/non statutory agencies to provide a seamless, integrated service to our service users.

Job description

The post holder will:

Apply competency based treatment techniques/care to patients with specific conditions under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, following a prescribed treatment.

Plan and prioritise own visits to delegated patients and ensure these are documented in personal work diary.

Ensure patient held records are completed for each visit and that SystmOne inputting is completed on a daily basis.

Make basic judgements on patients response to prescribed treatment/care plans, and report findings to a qualified practitioner.

Liaise with other healthcare professionals as required.

Communicate with patients/carers by exchanging factual information, reassurance, tact and empathy.

Establish and maintain appropriate working relationships with colleagues, patients, carers and other health care professionals.

Demonstrate dexterity and coordination when undertaking treatment of patients where accuracy is important, e.g. taking blood sugars

Additional responsibilities

Venepuncture, supervising, transfers and passive exercises.

Be responsible for ensuring equipment is used safely, following relevant training and that it is maintained appropriately.

Contribute to the requisitioning of supplies and equipment through electronic ordering systems.

Work with qualified practitioners with group work/clinics as required.

Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of consent and gain consent as appropriate following organisational policies.

Share responsibility of indirect patient contact tasks such as answering telephones, arranging appointments, processing referrals and inputting activity data.

Undertake health promotion / education as required, e.g. smoking cessation, falls etc.

Will be exposed to bodily fluids, infected material, blood products on a daily basis, therefore must utilise universal precautions and adhere to infection control policies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ 2 Health and Social Care or equivalent knowledge and experience demonstrated in application.
• NVQ 3 Health and Social Care

Experience

• Experience of working within a care setting.

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

• Able to communicate effectively using the English Language in both Verbal and Written forms.
• Good interpersonal skills
• Highly motivated
• Able to provide high standards of care
• Tact & diplomacy
• Empathy and sensitivity
• Ability to use own initiative
• Good observational and reporting skills
• Ability to manage stressful situations
• Be a team player
• Work flexibly to accommodate patient/service needs
• Overcome barriers to understanding, e.g. patient with hearing or cognitive impairment.
• Have basic IT and standard keyboard skills.
• Be able to kneel, bend and stoop and work in cramped environments.
• Be able to manoeuvre limbs of around 5-6kg
• Be able to manoeuvre patients using handling aids.
• Awareness of technology.

Communication

• Tact & Diplomacy
• Empathy & Sensitivity
• Ability to use own initiative.

Personal and People Development

• Ability to manage stressful situations
• A team player

Personal Attributes / Behaviours

• Must hold a full and valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle.

Other

• Able to communicate effectively using the English language in both verbal and written forms

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.

Employer name

East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust