Healthcare Support Worker - Surgery, Gastroenterology & Trauma

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust; Ashford; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom is seeking a Band 2 Healthcare Support Worker to support Surgery, Gastroenterology and Trauma wards. You'll receive comprehensive training and hands-on experience to develop the skills needed for patient care, with clear pathways toward nursing.

The role is based at William Harvey Hospital with opportunities to learn across key departments.

Qualifications

• Willingness to complete the National Care Certificate
• Has GCSE or level 2 equivalent maths and English
• Completed Care Certificate
• Holds a level 2 qualification in Health & Social Care

Responsibilities

• Fundamental personal care duties: bathing, toileting, dressing, meals, appearance.

Skills

Basic understanding of patients' needs

Frontline customer service

Knowledge of personal care procedures

Basic computer skills

Education

GCSE or level 2 Maths and English

Care Certificate

National Care Certificate

Level 2 Health & Social Care

Job description

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Healthcare Support Worker - Surgery, Gastroenterology & Trauma

The closing date is 03 November 2026

Please note that we are unable to provide Sponsorship for our Healthcare Support Worker roles.

This is a great opportunity to begin a rewarding career in healthcare and take your first step towards becoming a registered nursing professional.

Join us as a Band 2 Healthcare Support Worker, where you'll receive comprehensive training, support, and hands-on experience to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence within your role.

These roles are based within our Surgery, Gastroenterology, and Trauma Wards at William Harvey Hospital. We currently have vacancies in:

• Cambridge M2 - gastro
• Kings B - general surgery

If you're passionate about delivering outstanding patient care, eager to learn, and looking for a clear pathway to advance your healthcare career, we'd love to hear from you. This is an excellent opportunity to build your skills, make a real difference to patients' lives, and take the next step towards a future in nursing.

Main duties of the job

Healthcare Support Workers undertake fundamental personal care duties including: bathing; toileting; dressing; support with meals and assist with the patients appearance.

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 695,000 people.

Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'.

We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Qualifications & Training

• Willingness to complete the National Care Certificate
• Has GCSE or level 2 equivalent maths and English
• Completed Care Certificate
• Holds a level 2 qualification in Health & Social Care

Skills and Experience

• Basic understanding of patients' needs
• Working with people, ideally in a frontline customer service role.
• Knowledge of personal care and related procedures
• Basic computer/keyboard skills

Governance

• Adheres to Trust policies
• Will comply with the Data Protection Act, CNORIS, Caldicott Guidelines and local policies regarding confidentiality and access to medical records.
• Act on the responsibilities placed upon them under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees.

Personal & Professional Attributes

• Effective communication and organisational skills
• Kind, compassionate and caring
• Demonstrates patient focused approach
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Respects equality and diversity
• Keen to develop knowledge and skills for personal and professional fulfilment

Other

• Flexibility and openness to working in a range of areas.
• Flexibility with shift/working patterns to meet the service.
• To be aware of and adhere to the Trust's Values

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

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

£25,272 a yearper annum (pro rata if applicable)