Healthcare Assistant

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Lincoln; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Lincoln is seeking a Healthcare Assistant to deliver services in a short-term holding facility. The role involves supporting vulnerable patients, assisting with minor surgeries, and working closely with nursing staff. Applicants should have strong communication skills and an NVQ level 3. Salary ranges from £24,937 to £26,598 annually. This position does not meet the pay level for a Skilled Worker visa and requires a DBS check, with costs deducted from salary.

Qualifications

• Experience of working in a healthcare setting.
• Experience of working with IT systems.
• Experience of working with offenders.

Responsibilities

• Support GP and nurse led clinics including assisting with minor surgery.
• Undertake technical and clinical procedures following appropriate training.
• Report health abnormalities identified during general health checks.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to use medical equipment

Ability to plan and organise patient clinics

Ability to work as part of a team

Education

GCSE English and Maths or equivalent

NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience

Tools

SystmOne

Job description

Healthcare Assistant - Swinderby Unit

The closing date is 29 January 2026

Looking for something new & exciting in the NHS? Ever considered Prison healthcare?

Previous applicants need not apply.

YOU have an exciting opportunity to be a part of a new service delivering healthcare services to a small group of men within the Immigration estate. The Swinderby Residential Short-Term Holding Facility will hold up to 37 adult men for a period of up to 5 days. As part of a small team, you will offer a holistic package of care to a vulnerable group of men ensuring any immediate healthcare concerns are managed, prescribed medications are continued, and a safe discharge is facilitated. An important part of your role will be to offer emotional support to this group of men at an uncertain time in their lives.

The service provision will be seven days a week 24 hours a day and you will work in partnership with other providers to achieve high quality outcomes for the client group. We aim to provide healthcare to those detained that is equivalent to those in the community.

The successful applicant will need to pass a Counter Terrorist Check (CTC). The checks included are:

• identity, employment history (past 3 years)
• national and immigration (right to work) status
• unspent criminal record

Additionally, individuals are required to give a reasonable account of 3 years of UK addresses

Main duties of the job

As a Healthcare Assistant, you will work closely with the nursing team to support patients who are accessing Healthcare whilst at Swinderby short term holding facility.

You will be a key member of the Healthcare Team, you will contribute to a wide variety of care being delivered from initial assessment / screening for all new patients, clinical triage, emergency response, and the care of minor illness and injuries.

You will play an active role in providing a positive healthcare experience to a group of patients who are usually identified as experiencing poor health outcomes.

Please include the following in your supporting statement on your application:

What do you know about Offender Health services and your reason for applying for this type of post

About us

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons. We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity. The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Job responsibilities

Interview date will be w/c 9th February 2026.

The Offender Health Care Group is one of the largest and most successful providers of prison healthcare in the UK. The Care Group provide physical, mental health and substance misuse healthcare services in prisons across the East Midlands, Lincolnshire & Leicestershire.

The Care Group provides healthcare to 7 prisons and one Short Term Holding Facility. You are part of a large peer group of 400+ healthcare professionals with access to peer support, supervision and excellent opportunities for learning and development. We also offer services within the Personality Disorder Pathway, including Therapeutic Communities (within prisons), Community and Prison Personality Disorder services and specialist Veteran Services.

We are committed to working in partnership with prison services, national probation service other healthcare providers and our criminal justice system partners to improve health, support justice to reduce re-offending behaviour. The Offender Health Team truly believes it can make a difference to the lives of offenders by offering consistent, high-quality care in primary, mental health and substance misuse services that are equivalent to health services delivered outside of Prison.

In this role you will:

• Support GP and nurse led clinics including assisting with minor surgery.
• Support registered nurses in maintaining general and specific patient observations and record all relevant information.
• Undertake technical and clinical procedures following appropriate training and assessment, for example, venepuncture, wound assessment and care, urinalysis, ECG recording, physical observations, peak flow measurements and obtaining specimens.
• Follow protocols and patient pathways in response to patient need.
• Report health abnormalities identified during general health checks to the Senior Nurse on duty.
• To work within the offender healthcare team to undertake a range of health promotion activities, for example sexual health screening and advice, smoking cessation clinics.
• Support the registered nurse in responding to health emergencies.
• Provide health escort duty to hospital if the senior nurse has assessed it as appropriate.
• Ensure that the clinical environment is prepared and maintained according to health and safety, infection control policy and report any incidents to senior staff.
• Facilitate the monitoring and maintenance of supplies of materials and equipment within the care environment.

Please note that this post does not meet the pay level required for a Skilled worker visa.

Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria here https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths or equivalent
• NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience

Experience

• Experience of working in a healthcare setting
• Experience of working with IT systems
• Experience of working with offenders

Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to use medical equipment
• Ability to plan and organise patient clinics
• Ability to work as part of a team

Values and Behaviours

• All staff should be able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as identified within the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy and associated Equality, Diversity and Human Rights legislation
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork

Knowledge

• Good understanding and interest in Offender Health services
• Awareness of confidentiality
• Awareness of health promotion initiatives
• Familiar with SystmOne

Contractual requirements

• A full UK driving licence and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however, reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

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.

Employer name

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum (pro rata for part time)