Health Care Assistant - Children's Community Services

NHS; Oldham; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A health care provider in Oldham is seeking a Health Care Assistant to join their Children's Community Services. In this role, you will deliver care for children with complex needs in various settings, including family homes. Candidates should have NVQ Level 3 in healthcare and possess essential care skills. This is a full-time position offering a salary range from £24,937 to £26,598 per annum. Join a dedicated team committed to making a difference in children's lives.

Benefits

Competitive annual leave allowance

Flexible working opportunities

Protected hours for health and well-being activities

Qualifications

• Must have NVQ Level 3 in Healthcare or equivalent.
• Good communication skills are essential.
• Experience in care support is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Deliver continuing care packages for children aged 0 - 19.
• Work within family homes and community settings.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Good communication (written and verbal skills)

Basic IT skills

Good organisational skills

Ability to travel

Range of care / clinical care skills

Ability to work unsupervised

Flexibility for rotating shifts

Ability to prioritise work

Full UK driving license

Range of clinical skills

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Healthcare or equivalent

Level 1 Literacy and Numeracy (GCSE English and Maths)

Care Certificate

Job description

Go back Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Health Care Assistant - Children's Community Services

The closing date is 12 February 2026

Are you a health care assistant / support worker that has a desire to work within a great team, with remarkable people, who make a difference every day? If this is you, then we would love you to come and work with us and see for yourself the difference you can make within your role.

We are looking for experienced people to join our children's long term ventilation team; this dynamic service has its footprint within the Oldham locality and is provided mainly within family homes, but also across special school sites and community-based settings.

Changes to the UK immigration policy introduced on the 9th April 2025, increased the minimum salary threshold for certificates of sponsorship applications for Health and Care Worker Visa from £23,200 (£11.90 per hour) to £25,000 (£12.82 per hour). For further information on the Health and Care Worker visa, please visit the Home Office website.

As per Agenda for Change, if you are new to the NHS your starting salary would be £24,937 (minimum Band 3 salary point from 1st April 2025 in line with National Living Wage requirements). This salary point is below the new minimum threshold, and therefore not eligible for sponsorship. For further information please check the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook on the NHS Employers website.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work alongside immediate team colleagues and external multidisciplinary partners, to deliver continuing care packages for children and young people, aged 0 - 19, who have life limiting / complex care needs and or technology dependence. The hours worked will be based within family homes and community settings across a 7 day working week and across day, evening and night shifts.

The post holder will work within the Children's Long-term Ventilation and Complex needs team but may at times utilise their skills and knowledge, by working across other areas of the wider children's community nursing service as deemed necessary and appropriate by the service lead.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we\'re always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Learn more about us in ourCandidate Information Pack (opens in existing window)

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: https://careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk/

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 in Healthcare or a Level 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship
• Level 1 Literacy and Numeracy (GCSE English and Maths Grade D-G)
• Care Certificate

Skills & Abilities

• Good communication (written and verbal skills)
• Basic IT skills
• Good organisational skills
• Ability to travel to different geographical locations across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Range of care / clinical care skills (for example medication administration including rescue medication, basic care and hygiene needs, taking / recording of clinical observations)
• Ability to work unsupervised
• Flexibility, able to rotate onto days and night duty and able to work across 7 day per week all year round.
• Ability to prioritise work and remain calm under pressure
• Full UK driving license with willingness to use own car for work purposes
• Range of clinical skills such as tracheostomy care, enteral feeding, suction, ventilation)

Knowledge, Training & Experience

• Experience of working as a Care Support Worker or equivalent in a Health or Social care setting
• Experience of working within a team
• Have the ability to demonstrate experience of supporting children
• Must be willing to undertake the training required to carry out the job, for example learn about ventilator settings, gastrostomy feeds, basic life support, suctioning, administration of medication and the use of oxygen within the home.
• Awareness of impact of disability on child and family
• Demonstrates an interest or previous experience in supporting other health care staff and learners
• Commitment to undertaking continuous professional development (CPD)
• Experience of supporting children and or young people with complex health needs

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.

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum / pro rata