Healthcare Assistant

Southend University Hospital NHS Trust; Southend-on-Sea; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A health care organization in Southend-on-Sea seeks a Health Care Assistant to provide high-quality care under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. Responsibilities include assisting with patient care, implementing care plans, and monitoring vital signs. Successful candidates can benefit from additional training and support through the HCA Academy. This position offers an opportunity to grow within the healthcare field.

Benefits

HCA Academy support

Development opportunities

Staff rewards

Qualifications

• Ability to demonstrate a variety of communication skills in accordance with the client group.
• Experience or willingness to assist with personal hygiene and basic patient care.
• Competence in recording vital signs and patient data accurately.

Responsibilities

• Implement patient care plans as instructed by a Registered Nurse.
• Assist in the admission process and personal hygiene of patients.
• Test blood sugars and urine specimens; record results accurately.

Job description

The Health Care Assistant will function as part of the multi-disciplinary team within the ward or department to provide a seamless service & high quality care to patients under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse.

The HCA is expected to undertake care to meet the needs of the patients, working within the Trust’s policies and procedures and the philosophy of the ward. Working collaboratively as part of the ward team, it is expected that the Health Care Assistant will continue to develop their own capabilities and knowledge of nursing tasks in line with the Trust’s career pathway.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate a variety of communications skills in accordance with the client group
• Implement patient care plans as instructed by a Registered Nurse
• Assist in the admission process
• Assist patients with personal hygiene
• Assist patients with eating and drinking
• Enable patients to access appropriate toilet facilities, collecting and disposing of body waste
• Testing blood sugars and urine specimens & accurately record results
• Preparing equipment for aseptic procedures as instructed
• Taking of vital signs, pain scores and monitoring of wound sites on instruction from the Registered Nurse. Accurately recording the results and reporting significant findings

About the HCA Academy

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) brings together key health, care, community, and voluntary sector organisations from across our area. Our aim is to work together in partnership to join up health and care services, improving our populations health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. One such example of this collaborative work is the launch of our HCA Academy, an ICS initiative between Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) to support the incoming Health Care assistant (HCA) workforce. The academy models a ‘one workforce’ cross system approach to the onboarding, induction, education, and experience of Healthcare Assistants.

Successful candidates to this role will be able to access the additional support provided by the HCA Academy following their induction with MSEFT. This includes development opportunities, pastoral support, staff rewards and access to HCA exclusive resources such as HCA App.

For more information regarding the role, please refer to our job description.

We look forward to your application.

This advert closes on Wednesday 22 Oct 2025