Healthcare Assistant

Transformationunitgm; Preston; On-site; GBP 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading healthcare provider as a Healthcare Assistant, where you will play a vital role in the day-to-day needs of patients. This rewarding position offers comprehensive training, continuous support for skill development, and opportunities for career advancement within the NHS. You will work within a dedicated team to deliver the highest standard of care, with a focus on patient dignity and respect, and enjoy competitive benefits including paid holidays and a pension scheme.

Benefits

27 days paid holidays per year

Enhanced rates for weekend and bank holiday working

Opportunity to join the NHS Pension scheme

Uniform provided

Childcare vouchers

Qualifications

• Demonstrable numeracy and literacy skills in line with Level 1/Grade D.
• GCSE Maths & English grade C or above.
• Level 2 QCF diploma in healthcare / NVQ level 2 in healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Assist with personal care, meals, and mobility of patients.
• Perform medical checks such as taking temperatures and pulse.
• Provide emotional support to patients and families.

Skills

Effective communication skills

Compassion

Empathy

Team player

Education

GCSE Maths & English grade C or above

Level 2 diploma in healthcare

Job description

Main area Nursing Grade Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (Any hours up to 37.5) Job ref 438-PB3132

Employer Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Town Preston/Chorley Salary £23,615 Per Annum, Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 10/06/2025 23:59

Band 2

Job overview

New to care? We don’t care! We have confidence in the fantastic training package we have developed which will teach you everything you need to know about being one of our wonderful Healthcare Assistants. Just bring along your caring approach, supportive attitude, great communication skills and empathetic nature and you really will thrive here in our Hospitals.

You will start by spending the first few weeks on our bespoke Care Certificate training programme which will help you develop all the initial skills that you need to do the role. So then, once you have completed it and step out onto the ward/area you will work on, you can be confident in your abilities – proudly holding your Care Certificate for all to see.

In return, we offer you such an opportunity to join one of our many friendly and dedicated teams where you will learn, grow and flourish, supported all the way, nurtured and developed by our award winning Education Team.

We promise you that you will make a difference to our patients every single day and we know that’s what will really motivate you. We will be proud of you, you will be proud of you and you will be so valued here.

****Unfortunately we cannot accept those who need sponsorship to work in this role****

Main duties of the job

Being a Healthcare Assistant is a wonderful role – and we know this because our teams tell us all the time. You will play a vital role in the care of our patients, helping with the day-to-day needs of patients through the provision of help with personal care, meals and mobility, as well as performing medical checks such as taking temperatures, pulse and respiration rate.

Sometimes the role will be tough, you will see and be involved in some difficult things involving our patients, be rushed off your feet and deliver some very direct personal care. We don’t want to shy away from that and we do know that this part of the role isn’t for everyone. That is why we run such a robust interview and assessment process to make sure that you understand the role, as much as we need to assess you to check you have all those fabulous skills, attributes, resilience and the caring nature we need.

We have over 10,000 staff in our organisation, all working towards the same aim which is to ensure our patients receive the very best care. We can’t promise you will meet them all, but you will work with dozens of different people all performing different roles so you have the chance to learn so much. We offer you such an opportunity to join one of our many friendly and dedicated teams where you will learn, grow and flourish, supported all the way, nurtured and developed by our award-winning Education Team.

Working for our organisation

If you have always aspired to work for the NHS caring for our patients and working alongside highly motivated teams, then you are going to love this role. We’ll invest in you and your development by supporting you, ensuring you stay up keep up to date with all clinical competencies and from day one you will be supported to achieve Level 2 or 3 in healthcare if that’s what you want to do, as well as meet the government standards for care within the NHS.

We also proactively support you if you want to go on to become a registered nurse with opportunities to apply for nurse training at one of our partner education providers, University of Central Lancashire or University of Bolton (subject to entry requirements).

We are a teaching hospital so there is a strong educational focus here, however, we also know that some people are very content to undertake a role and thrive in it without feeling the need to undertake additional study. That is ok too, there is never any pressure on any colleagues, we are led by you and will support you in whatever way works best for you.

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 so everyone gets involved working different shifts to ensure our patients receive the best care. Typically, you would usually work a four shift system; early, late, twilight and nights.

We cannot wait to welcome you to one of our interview and assessments days to show us what you are made of!

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Sometimes the role will be tough, you will see and be involved in some difficult things involving our patients, be rushed off your feet and deliver some very direct personal care. We don’t want to shy away from that and we do know that this part of the role isn’t for everyone. That is why we run such a robust interview and assessment process to make sure that you understand the role, as much as we need to assess you to check you have all those fabulous skills, attributes, resilience and the caring nature we need.

We cannot wait to welcome you to one of our interview and assessment days to show us what you are made of!

We also proactively support you if you want to go on to become a registered nurse with opportunities to apply for nurse training at one of our partner education providers, University of Central Lancashire or University of Bolton - subject to meeting university entry requirements.

**We know you will understand how important record keeping and ability to undertake calculations are in the role, so if you do not have a Grade D or above in English and Maths we will assess your literacy and numeracy skills as part of the recruitment process.**

If you have got overseas qualification you can prove your qualification comparability to UK GCSE throughUK ENIC.

Amongst the many other benefits you can enjoy are:

27 days paid holidays per year (rising to 33 days), pro rata for part time staff in addition to 8 bank holiday

Enhanced rates of pay for weekend and bank holidays working

The opportunity to join the NHS Pension scheme

Uniform provided

Child care vouchers and preferential rates for an on-site nursery

We know our application form can seem onerous, but its so important we have as much information about you as possible to help us decide who to invite to interview. Our application video can help you understand how to complete it:APPLICATION VIDEO LINK.

We are also offering live support sessions with our advisors on the 3rd and 5th of June. We will be going through the finer details of the application form, offering support and guidance on our application form, the shortlisting process and some interview hints and tips! Spaces are booking up fast so get your space booked asap. Here is the link to book onto one of these sessions:Application Session Booking .

Person specification

Qualifications

• Demonstrable numeracy and literacy skills in line with Level 1/Grade D/Grade 3 or above
• GCSE Maths & English grade C or above / Grade 4 - 9 OR Functional skills level 2 numeracy and Functional Skills level 2 literacy skills
• Level 2 QCF diploma (Qualification Credit Framework) in healthcare / NVQ level 2 in healthcare

Knowledge & Experience

• Effective communication skills – written and verbal
• Proven ability to remain calm under pressure
• Proven ability to demonstrate compassion/empathy/help others
• Effective team player
• Demonstrable ability to follow instructions
• Effective understanding of confidentiality
• Proven ability to be flexible in your approach
• Ability to deal with people from all backgrounds
• Previous experience working in a care environment

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e-mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e-mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have themopen as you complete your application.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.

AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.

Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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.