Healthcare Support Worker - Discharge Lounge

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust; Huddersfield; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a motivated individual to join the Discharge Lounge at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. The post involves patient-centered care during discharge, working in a busy, multidisciplinary team with strong IT and communication skills.

The role requires adaptability, initiative, and the ability to work under pressure while maintaining high standards of care. DBS checks may be required and informal visits can be arranged via the vacancy contact.

Qualifications

• English and Maths GCSE grade 9-2 (A*-E) or equivalent or high level of literacy and numeracy skills demonstrated within application
• Competence based level 2 Qualification e.g. NVQ or Diploma in Care or The Care Certificate issued by an employer
• Willingness to undertake any training or development relevant to the role
• Moving and Handling
• Infection Control
• Customer Care
• Competent / able to evidence the completion of Health Care Assistant core competencies
• Competence based level 3 Qualification e.g. NVQ or Diploma in Healthcare Support

Responsibilities

• Supporting patients with personal care needs including hygiene, nutrition, hydration and mobility
• Assessing patients' needs and wellbeing and implementing discharge plans
• Providing reassurance and support to patients and families throughout discharge
• Completing and maintaining accurate patient documentation
• Using IT systems to access patient information and arrange services
• Communicating with patients, families, care homes and multidisciplinary colleagues
• Coordinating discharge arrangements including transport and referrals

Skills

English & Maths GCSE

Communication skills

IT literacy

Moving & Handling

Infection Control

Customer Care

Health Care Assistant core competences

Health Care Assistant Level 3 qual.

Education

Health Care Assistant qual. (NVQ/Diploma)

GCSE English & Maths

Job description

NHS AfC: Band 2

Main area Discharge Lounge Grade NHS AfC: Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (up to 37.5 hours per week) Job ref 372-HCSW214

Employer Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Huddersfield Royal Infirmary Town Huddersfield Salary £25,272 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 13/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 24/11/2026

Job overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to join our team within the Discharge Lounge at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

The successful candidate will be adaptable, proactive, and able to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills are essential, along with a good standard of computer literacy.

The Discharge Lounge is a busy and fast-paced environment that supports the timely discharge of patients from hospital. As such, the role requires an individual who can work efficiently under pressure, respond positively to changing priorities, and provide a high standard of care and support to a diverse patient population.

For further information or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Sister Katherine Stubbington.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will play a key role in supporting patients throughout their discharge journey. Patients are received from a variety of hospital departments on the day of discharge, and the successful candidate will be responsible for providing high-quality, patient-centred care within the Discharge Lounge.

Key duties will include:

• Supporting patients with their personal care needs, including hygiene, nutrition, hydration, and mobility.
• Assessing patients' needs, monitoring their wellbeing, and implementing agreed discharge plans to ensure a safe and effective transition from hospital.
• Providing reassurance and support to patients and their families throughout the discharge process.
• Completing and maintaining accurate patient documentation and records in line with Trust policies.
• Utilising a range of IT systems to access patient information, update records, gather relevant clinical information, and arrange services such as patient transport.
• Communicating effectively with patients, families, care homes, community teams, and multidisciplinary colleagues, both verbally and electronically.
• Coordinating discharge arrangements, including booking transport, liaising with community services, facilitating onward referrals, and ensuring appropriate safety-netting measures are in place

The role requires excellent communication, organisational, and IT skills, together with the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining a high standard of patient care.

Working for our organisation

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients’ homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children’s and young people’s services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS– yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members – patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the job description and person specification below for full details about the role.

Please contact the vacancy lead listed in the “ Further details / informal visits” section.

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

• English and Math GCSE grade 9-2 (A*-E) or equivalent or high level of literacy and numeracy skills demonstrated within application
• Competence based level 2 Qualification e.g. NVQ or Diploma in Care or The Care Certificate issued by an employer
• Willingness to undertake any training or development relevant to the role
• Moving and Handling
• Infection Control
• Customer Care
• Competent / able to evidence the completion of Health Care Assistant core competencies
• Competence based level 3 Qualification e.g. NVQ or Diploma in Healthcare Support

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

• Previous employment with a healthcare setting (18 months)
• Insight into the roles of responsibilities of the post
• Demonstrate a commitment to a caring profession
• Understand the importance of record keeping
• Literacy Skills
• Experience of record keeping

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Ability to work as a team member
• Ability to work in a busy environment
• Able to use own initiative
• Aware of own limitations/ level of competence
• Good communication Skills

If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

You may be required to undertake a DBS. The Trust will administer the DBS check on your behalf and will recover the cost (Enhanced £46.40, Standard £25.40 or Basic £25.40) from your salary when you commence in post (including Internal staff). You will also be required to participate in the DBS Update Service and pay the £15 cost per year. This is a condition of your employment.

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.

At Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, we are excited to offer a range of volunteering roles, providing rewarding personal and professional opportunities for people from all backgrounds across a wide age range from our local communities, ensuring our volunteers are representative of our service users.