Health Care Support Worker: Head and Neck Unit/Critical Care Unit

Transformationunitgm; East Grinstead; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Health Care Support Worker to join the Head and Neck or Critical Care Units at Queen Victoria Hospital. The role involves supporting patients and nursing staff, with potential for training for candidates not meeting all criteria. This position offers full-time hours within a dedicated and caring environment.

Benefits

Tailored personal development programs

Flexible working arrangements

Dedicated reward programme with discounts

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths required.
• NVQ Level 3 in Health Care support preferred.
• Experience in a Health or Social Care environment is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support patients with daily living activities.
• Assist nursing staff with clinical duties.
• Take routine patient observations.

Skills

Communication

Team Working

Basic IT Skills

Education

GCSE English and Maths Grade 4 or equivalent

NVQ Level 3 in Health Care support

Care Certificate

Job description

Main area Head and Neck Unit Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Nights, weekends and Bank Holidays may be required) Job ref 273-7180990-Afc

Employer Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Queen Victoria Hospital Town East Grinstead Salary £24,071 to £25,674 Dependant on experience Closing 11/06/2025 23:59

Health Care Support Worker: Head and Neck Unit/Critical Care Unit

NHS AfC: Band 3

Welcome to Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and thank you for your interest.

In addition to receiving tertiary referrals from across the South East of England, we have a network of ‘spoke’ sites at district general hospitals enabling our consultants to offer their expertise with routine treatments and consultations as close to patients’ homes as is possible. With the recent addition of video led ‘virtual’ consultations we also enable patients who have some distance to travel to avoid the additional stress and worry of a long journey.

Working at QVH combines the excitement, challenge and career opportunities of many larger organisations with the satisfaction of delivering excellent patient care that really does re-build our patients’ lives.

We also offer attractive benefits such as

• tailored personal development to support career aspirations, including accredited clinical and management development programmes
• flexible working arrangements for a work-life balance that suits you and your needs
• a dedicated reward programme, offering a range of national and local discounts, cashback and tax relief schemes

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Sustainability

At Queen Victoria Hospital we want to be the first Net Zero Hospital in England, and to achieve that wants every member of staff to be a green champion. The way in which the Trust works has a significant impact on the organisation’s carbon footprint and that of our patients. From the heat, light and power supplies within the hospital to avoiding unnecessary patient journeys, the Trust is empowering all staff to create a sustainable health and care environment for future generations. The Trust expects all staff to reuse and recycle more, to use energy and water efficiently, to walk or cycle to work if you can, and to have a focus on sustainability in the workplace.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic individual with an interest in pursuing a career in healthcare, to join the Head and Neck or Critical Care Units at the Queen Victoria Hospital. Applicants will be considered to work on one of these units which are located side by side and work closely together caring for a shared patient group.

Here at QVH we fully support our staff members in their career progression. Training could be provided for the right candidate if they are unable to meet the criteria, however this would be at Band 2 level for six months or until the required competencies had been met.

Interviews will be held jointly for both roles

Main duties of the job

Support patients with the activities of daily living

Support nursing staff with carrying out relevant duties

Taking routine patient observations

Assist with providing emergency care

Undertaking basic medical tests

Communicate effectively and document accurately

Adhere to infection control policies and procedures

Routine cleaning of patient equipment and the ward environment

Ensure clinical areas are well stocked.

Working for our organisation

Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.

We specialise in conditions of the eyes (corneoplastics), hands, head and neck cancer and skin cancer, reconstructive breast surgery, maxillofacial surgery and prosthetics, providing regional and national services in these areas of clinical expertise.Our world-leading clinical teams also treat more common conditions of the eyes, hands, skin, and teeth for the people of East Grinstead and the surrounding areas. In addition, QVH provides a minor injuries unit, expert therapies, a sleep service, and a growing portfolio of community-based services.Patients consistently rate QVH amongst the top hospitals in the country for quality of care.

Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Head and Neck Unit is a small 8 bedded unit, specialising in the pre and post-operative care of maxillo-facial patients. We are situated at Location 56, adjacent to Critical Care.

We admit elective surgical patients from a large catchment area throughout the South-East of England. We treat a range of conditions from Head and Neck cancer and ear nose and throat (ENT) procedures to reconstructive surgery for facial anomalies. We work closely with the Critical Care Unit and step down patients from there that have had major surgery including facial reconstruction, free flaps, enteral feeding tubes, tracheostomy and laryngectomy.

Our nursing staff work closely with a multi-disciplinary team including Speech and Language Therapist, Nutrition Nurse, Dietitian and Mouth Care nurses, to support the needs of the patient. The Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialists for Head and Neck Cancer are also located within the unit.

The Clinical Support Worker; Higher Level will work as part of the team with minimal supervision of registered practitioners to provide effective and safe patient centred care with the additional responsibility of undertaking a range of delegated clinical care duties, such as basic observations, blood glucose monitoring and phlebotomy .

They are required to contribute to the development of the care environment with a positive, professional attitude.

In addition they will contribute to the maintenance of daily provision of service and care, to meet the individual needs of patients and department. They will support the smooth running of the department and ensure that service users are treated in a friendly and efficient manner.

Person specification

Experience and skills

• GCSE English and Maths Grade 4 or equivalent
• NVQ Level 3 in Health Care support
• Care Certificate
• Basic IT skills
• Experience in a Health or Social Care environment
• Experience of team working

The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.