Neonatal Health Care Support Worker

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Bradford; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an HCSW (NICU) to support neonatal care and family-centred services. The role requires flexibility to work across shifts including nights and weekends, to meet service needs.

Prior neonatal or paediatric care experience is beneficial and you will work within a CQC Outstanding rated team. The post is Band 3 under NHS AfC with full-time and part-time options, offering a supportive environment and ongoing professional development.

Qualifications

• Direct care experience with babies or children.
• Ability to work effectively in a team.
• Clear written communication and numeracy.

Responsibilities

• Assist with daily neonatal care tasks and feeding support.
• Record observations and communicate with nursing staff.
• Support during clinical procedures and discharge planning.

Skills

Direct care experience

Team player

IT skills

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care

Care certificate

Job description

Main area Healthcare Assistant Grade NHS AfC: Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (24/7 shift patterns - You must be able to work a full range to be considered due to service need) Job ref 389-26-8271031

Employer Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Bradford Royal Infirmary Town Bradford Salary £25,760 - £27,476 per annum (pro rata) Salary period Yearly Closing Today at 23:59 Interview date 29/09/2026

NHS AfC: Band 3

Job overview

Closing Date: 30.09.2026

Shortlisting to take place after closing date: commencing 01.10.2026

Interview expected to take place in the week following shortlisting: commencing 12.10.2026

Due to current Home Office Guidelines, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is unable to provide sponsorship for this role

This vacancy will automatically close when 60 applications are received.

NICU HCSW

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a forward thinking, dynamic and motivated HCSW with a passion to work with babies and their families to join our CQC Outstanding rated team.

Shifts are 07:30-20:00 or 19:30 - 07:30. This will include fair rotation onto weekends, Bank holidays and night duties. You must be able to work a full range of shifts to apply for this post due to service needs.

Main duties of the job

To support the nursing team in the delivery of Neonatal care and family care across the whole of the Neonatal Service. This includes NICU and TCU when necessary. Please see Job description attachment for full details.

Working for our organisation

Our People Charter outlines the behaviours we can expect from one another and what you can expect from Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust:

• We are one team

We’re keen to meet people who share these values and are passionate about delivering the highest quality of care to our patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Assisting with daily care: This includes supporting with feeding (oral and potentially nasogastric tube feeding after training), nappy and skin care.
• Observations: Taking and recording observations such as respiratory rate, temperature, pulse, blood pressure, weight, and oxygen saturations - subsequently feeding back to the nurse responsible.
• Supporting during procedures: Assisting nurses with various clinical procedures, and providing comfort and support to the baby during these times.
• Specimen collection: Obtaining and testing samples as required (e.g., urine, faeces, swabs) after appropriate training.
• Promoting family-integrated care: Actively involving and supporting parents in the care of their baby.
• Infant feeding support: Providing evidence-based support, assistance, and advice to mothers who are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, and supporting families with artificial feeding in line with policies.
• Practical support for new parents: Teaching practical skills related to newborn care and health education, helping parents gain confidence in caring for their baby both in the hospital and at home.
• Discharge preparation: Assisting with the preparation of discharge plans and providing practical support and education to families for the smooth transition from hospital to home.
• Communication: Communicating effectively and compassionately with parents, clarifying understanding, and signposting them to local and national services available.
• Emotional support: Providing emotional support to parents who may be anxious and stressed during a challenging time.
• Documentation: Ensuring all clinical documentation (written or electronic) is accurately collected, updated, stored, and filed in accordance with information governance and record-keeping policies.
• Cleanliness and stock management: Ensuring the cleanliness of equipment and clinical areas, assisting in appropriately preparing for neonatal admissions, maintaining stock supplies, and reporting any deficiencies.
• Equipment maintenance: Ensuring the working order of equipment and reporting any concerns, faults, or breakages in a timely manner.
• Incident reporting: Reporting any incidents or concerns using the local risk management system and escalating them appropriately.

Experience

• Experience in direct care of babies or children
• Experience of working as part of a team
• Experience of dealing with members of the public
• Experience, knowledge and awareness of supporting infant feeding evident in application form

Skills

• Basic IT skills
• Clear and accurate written communication/documentation
• Numeracy skills (demonstrated through qualifications or experience)
• Ability to work as a team member

  Qualifications

  • Minimum NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care or relevant health care topic at this level. Please clearly list your qualification, grade, level and date on your application. Applications where these are not clear will be discounted.
  • Care certificate (or willingness to undertake)

  Knowledge

  • Understanding of what the NHS Constitution means to you, and your responsibilities to the public, patients and colleagues.
  • Understands the limits of the job role. Has the ability to recognise situations that require reporting and demonstrates the ability to elevate to a senior person where appropriate
  • Aware of UNICEF BFI Standards

  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.