Qualified or Trainee Ambulance Care Assistants

Job details

• Job reference: 261346
• Salary: Band 3 (£29,103 - £31,409)
• Job closing date: 15/10/2026
• Job Type: Ambulance Services
• Location: Various locations within North Region
• Employment type: Permanent
• Hours Per Week: Various
• Job posted date: 02/10/2026
• Employer (NHS Board): Scottish Ambulance Service
• Department: Patient Transport Service

Applications are now invited for individuals to join the Scottish Ambulance Service as a Qualified or Trainee Ambulance Care Assistant (ACA) at the following stations in the North Region

• Golspie

· Kinlochbervie (Part Time, 2 posts @ 18 hours per week)

· Inverness

It is expected that the start date for successful trainee applicants will be during January 27, depending on training course availability. The start date for successful qualified applicants will be dependent on previous experience and will be agreed at the time of offer.

The Role

As an ACA, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality care and safe transportation for non-emergency patients from their homes to hospital and clinic appointments. This may involve a variety of shift times and could involve working at other stations than your base station. The posts being recruited to are a mix of part time and full time.

You must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, be a team player and have the ability to deal with a range of people who are often at their most vulnerable. This is a really important role within the Service and offers a vital service to the people of Scotland.

The Training

If you are a Trainee, you will be an employee of the Service from your start date and will be enrolled on our bespoke clinical and driving programme. The programme takes approximately 6 months, the initial four weeks of which will be carried out at one of the Service’s Regional Training Centres, then at your allocated Ambulance Station.

Any Qualified ACA may just require orientation or update training.

The Person

This is a hugely varied role, each day and each patient is different. As a result, you will need to have excellent interpersonal skills as well as an ability to communicate effectively. You will need to demonstrate flexibility and the ability to make effective and safe decisions.

We welcome applications from a range of backgrounds, however previous experience in a healthcare role or a healthcare related qualification would be an advantage. Volunteer work or working with your community would also be beneficial.

All candidates will be required to satisfy the following minimum entry requirements:

• Evidence of successful study at SCQF Level 4 (or equivalent) or above in Maths and English.
• Full UK driving licence with no more than 4 penalty points.

Candidates must possess C1 on their driving licence at least 6 weeks prior to the course start date.

If you are shortlisted, you will be required to bring copies and originals of the above documents to your fitness test/interview.

Candidates will also be required to successfully complete the following selection elements;

• Occupational Fitness Test
• Competency and Values Based Interview
• Occupational Health Screening
• Satisfactory application to the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (Disclosure Scotland)
• Reference process

The starting salary for Trainee Care Assistants is £23,556 per annum, rising to £29,103 per annum on successful completion of the Service’s training programme. This will increase in increments to £31,409 per annum.

If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to attend a fitness test and interview which will be held on the same day.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

Please note that The Scottish Ambulance Service is NOT licensed to issue certificates of sponsorship under current UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship to work with us.

Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes.