Healthcare Support Worker - Ipswich | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS foundation trust in Ipswich is seeking motivated individuals for Senior/Healthcare Support Worker positions. This role offers various career progression pathways and is open to applicants with or without prior healthcare experience. The Trust emphasizes professional growth through apprenticeship programs, flexible working, and comprehensive support. Enjoy benefits like a generous pension scheme, 27 days of annual leave, and NHS discounts. Candidates must attend an Assessment Day and meet specific residency and age requirements.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Flexible working options

27 days annual leave (pro rata)

NHS discounts

Qualifications

• Must attend an Assessment Day in Ipswich.
• Ability to work shifts including nights, must be 18 years or older.
• Must have residency status to work without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the Assessment Day to evaluate skills and experience.
• Complete an apprenticeship to deliver high-quality patient care.
• Work in various hospital and community settings.

Skills

Passion for patient care

Ability to work shifts

Commitment to professional growth

Job description

Overview

Are you passionate about patient care and looking to start or develop your career in healthcare? We are recruiting Senior/Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs) at Bands 2 & 3, offering fantastic opportunities for career progression into nursing, allied health professions, or specialist areas such as theatres.

Our recruitment approach focuses on supporting your professional growth through Apprenticeship programmes that develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviours needed to deliver high-quality patient care.

We have opportunities across all areas of the Trust, and we welcome applications from individuals with or without prior healthcare experience who are eager to build a career in the NHS.

Our assessment day is designed to establish your skills and experience, and to signpost you to the right pathway. If successful you will be offered one of the following pathways:

• Recruitment to band 3 for those with relevant previous experience and/or qualifications, and the opportunity to complete a level 3 apprenticeship


• Recruitment to band 2 to upskill you into clinical care, and the opportunity to complete either a level 3 apprenticeship, or join our level 2 HCSW Academy


• Recruitment to a band 2 in our HCSW Academy for those new to care or with little prior experience (Please see attached Apprentice Flyer)

Requirements for applicants

• Attend an Assessment Day in Ipswich - Tuesday, 6th January (Location TBC)


• HCSW Academy Starters will need to commit to a start date of Monday, 2nd March 2026


• Have residency status that allows you to work. Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for these roles.


• Meet pre employment requirements including ability to provide references to cover the last three years/satisfactory DBS check & Occupational Health requirement


• As you will be working shifts including nights you must be 18 or older at commencement

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

This advert closes on Sunday 14 Dec 2025