Healthcare Support Worker - Band 3

Job overview

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.

Essential Requirements

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.

Required Competencies

• 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

Reapplication Policy

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.

Main duties of the job

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.

Responsibilities include:

• 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.

Applicants must have:

• 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.

Development Opportunities

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

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.

Interviews

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.

Benefits to you

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 café, 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.