Healthcare Support Worker - Band 3
Cambridge University Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust
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Job summary
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking compassionate Healthcare Support Workers (HCSW) at Band 3 with NHS experience. You will work alongside nurses and multidisciplinary teams to provide safe, dignified care across varied shifts, including days, nights, weekends and bank holidays.
Applicants must hold a National Care Certificate and completed practical assessments, with experience in clinical observations.
Qualifications
- Previous NHS Healthcare Support Worker experience.
- NHS-recognised Care Certificate with completed practical assessments.
- Experience delivering direct patient care.
- Experience undertaking clinical observations and basic clinical procedures.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
- A caring, compassionate and patient-centred approach.
Responsibilities
- Providing high-quality personal care.
- Supporting patients with eating and drinking.
- Undertaking and recording clinical observations, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature and urinalysis.
- Assisting patients with mobility.
- Supporting nurses and the multidisciplinary team in delivering patient care.
- Carrying out delegated clinical duties within your level of training and competence.
Skills
Education
Job description
HCSW - Band 3 (NHS Experience Essential)
At Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), our values of Together, Safe, Kind and Excellent guide everything we do. We are seeking compassionate and experienced Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs) committed to delivering high-quality patient care.
This vacancy is only open to applicants with current or previous NHS Healthcare Support Worker experience.
You will work alongside nurses, doctors and multidisciplinary teams to provide safe, effective and dignified care. Flexibility is required to work days, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Fixed shift patterns are not available.
Applicants must demonstrate:
- Previous NHS Healthcare Support Worker experience.
- Completion of an NHS-recognised National Care Certificate (NCC).
- Practical assessment against all 16 Care Certificate standards.
- Clinical competencies signed off in practice.
Please note: Online-only Care Certificate training is not accepted. Evidence of practical assessment and competency sign-off must be provided.
- Health and Safety
- Infection Prevention and Control / PPE
- Urinary catheter management and removal
- Vital signs monitoring and recording
- Manual blood pressure monitoring and recording
- Removal of an intravascular cannula
- Enhanced observations
External applicants unsuccessful for a CUH Band 3 Healthcare Support Worker role within the last six months should not reapply, as applications will not be considered.
This is a rewarding and hands-on role where you will make a real difference to patient care and experience.
Full-time and part-time opportunities are available. Applicant must be able to work flexibly across a variety of shifts, including days, nights, weekends and bank holidays.
- Providing high-quality personal care.
- Supporting patients with eating and drinking.
- Undertaking and recording clinical observations, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature and urinalysis.
- Assisting patients with mobility.
- Supporting nurses and the multidisciplinary team in delivering patient care.
- Carrying out delegated clinical duties within your level of training and competence.
- Previous experience working as a Healthcare Support Worker in an NHS hospital setting.
- An NHS-recognised Care Certificate with completed practical assessments.
- Experience delivering direct patient care.
- Experience undertaking clinical observations and basic clinical procedures.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
- A caring, compassionate and patient-centred approach.
CUH is committed to supporting career development through ongoing training, clinical skills development, Functional Skills support in English and Maths, and opportunities to progress across a range of specialist services.
Please note: Vacancy is for experienced NHS Healthcare Support Workers. Applicants without previous NHS HCSW experience will not be considered.
Come Nurse with us…
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the country. It comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital. We provide accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge and regional and national specialist services. It's a great place to nurse, work and live.
You will work on a vibrant hospital campus with a friendly community feel; we have excellent facilities to practice your skills and abilities to support your career pathway and development. Our values of Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent support the delivery of outstanding care. We have a fully electronic patient record system that is improving health‑care quality; this is transforming services, improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.
- Our values and reputation for outstanding care
- Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
- Career and development opportunities
- Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
- Research experience and opportunities
- Lovely location and quality of life
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
All appointments with a start date on or after 1 October 2026 will be subject to a 12-week probationary period. This provides a structured and supportive period to help you settle into your role, with regular reviews and feedback.
As there is a 12-week probationary period, successful candidates are expected to have the Right to Work for a period of at least 6 months from the proposed start date. Immigration and Right to Work status will be discussed with successful candidates at conditional offer. CUH will not offer sponsorship to candidates that have applied for a fee waiver.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:
- applied for a Graduate visa
- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment
We are currently recruiting across a range of adult wards. Successful candidates will be allocated to a ward based on service needs and available vacancies across the Trust.
If successful, you will be placed in a central recruitment pool for up to six months while a suitable ward or clinic placement is identified. If an allocation cannot be secured within this period, your application may be withdrawn.
All interviews for this role will be conducted face-to-face and interview dates will be confirmed to candidates successful at shortlisting. Unfortunately, virtual interviews cannot be accommodated. If you are unable to attend your scheduled interview, please contact us as soon as possible so that alternative arrangements can be considered where feasible. Failure to notify us may result in your application being withdrawn.
As part of the interview process, you will be required to complete a Functional Skills Test. A pass is required before a conditional offer can be made. This does not apply to individuals currently employed by CUH as a Support Worker.
Please note this vacancy has been capped. Once the limit is reached the vacancy will automatically close.
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague‑only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work‑life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part‑time working, job‑share, term‑time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
- Holds National Care Certificate
- Holds Functional Skills Level 1 Maths and English or GCSE equivalent or undertake and achieve a pass following completion of level 1 functional skills assessment
- Demonstrates a commitment to further learning and development
- Level 3 award in health care
- Experience of working in an environment under pressure
- Experience of working within a team
- Experience of communicating with individuals from a range of different backgrounds
- Experience of attention to detail - eg for recording in patient records
- Experience in the public sector
- Experience of working within a health care environment.
- Experience working in a healthcare, social care organisation/setting or service industry requiring people contact.
- Understands the job role and specific knowledge in relation to tasks included in the job description or be prepared to undertake training to be able to gain appropriate knowledge.
- Awareness of National and local priorities and initiatives
- Good communication skills (written and verbal).
- Able to work as a team.
- Able to carry out well defined routine tasks.
- Able to work on own initiative, following direction/supervision by a Registered Healthcare Practitioner.
- Able to relate well with patients/relatives/ visitors/colleagues/the multi-disciplinary team and wider Trust staff.
- Committed to delivering high standards of patient care.
- Friendly, open, empathetic and compassionate.
- Professional outlook and positive attitude. Able to meet the flexible needs of the role and duty roster.
- Prepared to undertake coaching role for other HCSW's.
- IT Skills
- The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Addenbrookes Hospital - Division A/B/C/D, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.cuh.nhs.uk
CUH Recruitment
Recruitment Services Department
cuh.shd-hcsw.recruitment@nhs.net
01223217038
Date posted: 08 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 3
Salary: £25,760 to £27,476 a year per annum, pro-rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full‑time, Part‑time, Flexible working
Reference number: 180-NHSB3-APR27-RE
Job locations: Addenbrookes Hospital - Division A/B/C/D, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
Privacy notice: Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)
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