Healthcare Assistant

Transformation Unit; Gateshead; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an NHS AfC Band 3 Healthcare Assistant to support patients across hospital and community settings. The role involves providing care to enable activities of daily living, recording observations, and working with a multidisciplinary team of nurses, therapists, social workers and doctors.

The post is full-time (37.5 hours) with shift work including nights. Salary ranges from £25,760 to £27,476 per annum, with DBS costs applicable where required, and

Qualifications

• English qualification GCSE or equivalent
• Vocational qualification in health and social care (e.g. care certificate; level 2/3 diploma)

Responsibilities

• Undertakes a range of delegated clinical care duties in hospital, community, or other settings
• Records patient observations and changes to patient clinical conditions
• Carries out limited clinical care duties
• Builds and maintains safe and effective therapeutic relationships
• Assists with care/support/recovery plans and documents relevant information in an electronic record
• Supports individuals to express their needs and participate in their daily activities
• Contributes to health promotion and safeguarding responsibilities

Education

GCSE English or equivalent

Care certificate / level 2-3 health and social care diploma

Job description

Main area Healthcare assistant Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent: Fixed Term until August 2027 Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shift work over 7 days and will include night duty) Job ref 297-8281274

Employer Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Queen Elizabeth hospital Town Gateshead Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 13/10/2026 23:59

NHS AfC: Band 3

In the event of excessive applications being received this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date, you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible

IMPORTANT NOTE ON COMPLETION OF REFERENCE SECTION OF APPLICATION FORM

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and MUST cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

All new entrants to the NHS will be appointed on the minimum of the pay scale in line with Terms & Conditions.

PLEASE NOTE it is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their DBS certificate if a check is required for the post. This will be done through deduction from your monthly pay over a maximum of three months. It is also a requirement that all successful applicants register or are registered with the DBS update service where a DBS is required.

Job overview

As a support worker you will be working closely with individuals, providing care to enable them complete activities of daily living in Hospital / Home / Care setting with support from a Multi-Disciplinary team of nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers and doctors.

1. Undertakes a range of delegated clinical care duties in hospital, community, or other settings

2. Records patient observations and changes to patient clinical conditions

3. Carries out limited clinical care duties

Main duties of the job

Each individual has different needs however the list below outlines just some of the practical duties that the post holder will undertake, support and enable people to/with:

• Using appropriate assessment tools under supervision to assist the registered practitioner in assessment of the patients’ health and wellbeing needs. Initiate emergency action when required e.g cardiac arrest, fire
• Identify/contribute to their own goals to improve their quality of life
• Participate in clinical skills as trained in line with role e.g recording ECG’s
• Contribute to their own care/support/recovery plans
• Support individuals to express their needs and wishes Promote their personal hygiene and physical health.
• Actively engage in health promotion
• Engage in meaningful and enjoyable activity
• To support individuals with external activities/appointments under indirect supervision
• May have responsibility for patient monies/valuables which need to be handled within GHFT guidelines
• Assist individuals with activities of daily living encouraging active participation and independence

Working for our organisation

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the ‘golden thread’ which runs through everything we do – they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women’s Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our ‘Balance’ programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To abide by trust policies and procedures
• Build and maintain safe and effective therapeutic relationships
• Support individuals to contribute to collaborative care/support/recovery plans
• Support the named nurse to develop collaborative individual, patient centred care plans and implement them creatively using initiative.
• Communicate effectively with a wide range of people using a range of preferred methods
• Contribute to monitoring, observing and engaging with individuals, communicating outcomes and conclusions with the rest of the team
• Gain an understanding of a person’s experiences in relation to their mental health, learning disability and/or dementia.
• Understand a person’s coping strategies and strengths and support people to use these at times of distress or difficulty
• Contribute to reflective practice and encourage compassion and understanding
• Be able to recognise increasing risk and alert significant others and the team to respond as needed
• Undertake a range of practical tasks and duties in support of the Team and individual needs.
• Follow principles of diffusion and de-escalation and where physical interventions or restraint are required, to approach in line with approved techniques considering the safety and dignity of the individual throughout.
• To feel confident to be able to report untoward incidents and areas of concern as soon as they arise
• To document any relevant information in an electronic record following relevant policy and legislation
• Contribute to individual reviews and team meetings

Qualifications

• English qualification GCSE or equivalent
• Vocational qualification in health and social care (e.g. care certificate; level 2/3 diploma)

Experience

• NHS experience relevant for the role
• Experience of working with people in a healthcare setting with mental illness, learning disability and/or dementia
• Effective communication and listening skills

Applicants who have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date are to assume that their application has been unsuccessful.

Applications from job seekers who require Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications where the post is eligible. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

Candidates who require sponsorship are strongly advised to visit the UK Border Agency website and familiarise themselves with what is required. There is a facility on this site to access the points based calculator and work through an example which should assist candidates in their understanding of the process.

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.