Healthcare Support Worker

Job description

Healthcare Support WorkerClosing date: 20 May 2026

Are you compassionate, caring and communicative? Would you like to be the best you can be or grow your career in a world-class teaching hospital? Have you been considering a change of occupation and looking for secure and rewarding employment?

We believe our Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) role offers this opportunity and our tailored training programme supports you whether you have experience OR if you are new to care.

University Hospital Southampton (UHS) is one of the largest acute teaching trusts in England and provides a wide range of healthcare services to some 1.9 million people living in Southampton and South Hampshire. Our Healthcare Assistants help our nurses and doctors by offering the highest standards of personal care and support to our patients.

As a Healthcare Support Worker, you will work under the guidance of a Registered Nurse or healthcare professional on one of our busy adult or child wards or outpatient areas, offering the highest standards of personal care and support to our patients.

Here at UHS, we recognise that Healthcare Support Workers from different employment backgrounds can bring a breadth of knowledge and new ideas. We will allocate you to the area within the hospital where we have vacancies and where we feel best meets your skills and our needs following our interview process. Previous healthcare experience is desirable but NOT essential.

Applicants that have applied and been unsuccessful in the last 6 months do not need to re-apply or submit another application.

If you are looking to start your journey within healthcare, then we would love to hear from you. We offer continuous training and development opportunities to help you reach your potential. You'll start your career with us by following a 1-week full-time and in-depth induction that will enable you to complete your Care Certificate, find your feet within the hospital, and quickly embed yourself as part of our team.

Benefits

A minimum of 35 days paid holiday

A one-week intensive induction to set you up for success in your new role

Guaranteed contracted hours

Access to extra shifts and overtime pay for those who want it

A dedicated mentoring team, who will help with emotional, personal, and professional support

A central hospital location with great transport links and reduced fares for UHS staff

Continued professional development

A generous pension scheme and life insurance

Access to national and local NHS discounts including popular high‐street and online retailers

On-site subsidised restaurants, cafés and high‐street shops

Financial awards through our refer a friend scheme

An internal mover process which allows you to transfer wards every six months if you wish

Support with flexible working requests which are regularly reviewed against the service need

Job Responsibilities

Washing and dressing patients and aiding in their personal hygiene

Assisting patients to access and use toilet facilities

Serving meals and helping to feed patients

Helping patients to safely move around

Assisting with bed making, cleaning tasks, errands, or general duties

Collecting pathological specimens (e.g., urine, faeces, sputum)

Making patients and their families feel comfortable

DevelopmentAfter you have completed your 1-week foundation induction, you will attend an extended induction consisting of 1 study day per month for 5 months (total 5 study days). During this time, with the support of your line manager you will be learning the additional skills necessary to be a Senior Healthcare Assistant such as:

Taking physiological measurement

Maintaining patients skin integrity

Local specific skills such as cannulation, catheterisation and ECGs

Upon successful completion of this training and its associated competency document containing the core HCSW competencies as well as the additional competencies required for a Band 3, you will progress into a Band 3 Senior Healthcare Support Worker role.

Our remote HCSW interviews currently occur on Wednesdays over MS Teams.

Working Hours and Shift PatternsYou will be required to work a variety of shifts as part of your roster, including:

Mornings (shifts start from 7am ending around 3pm)

Short days & long days (shifts generally 8–12 hours long between 7am and 8pm)

Evenings (till around 8pm)

Nights (from around 7pm to 7am the next day)

Availability is required from Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays. We consider full-time applications and require you to be able to work multiple shift types as UHS operates a 24-hour a day service, 365 days a year. Unfortunately, we cannot currently offer set shifts e.g., nights only.

This vacancy does not meet the Home Office threshold for sponsorship and requires candidates to complete a 9-month training period. We are therefore unable to accept applications from candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK or where candidates do not have at least 9 months remaining on their visa from the start date of the new role.

Person Specification

Completed care certificate or ability to complete within 6 months of appointment

Capable of attaining NVQ level 3 in care with acute units corresponding to specialty or equivalent experience

Completed secondary education

Ability to move and handle patients and equipment

Evidence of empathy, patience and dependability

Ability to deal with a range of difficult situations

Be able to take instruction/directions and work within the confines of the role

Ability to cope with fluctuating demands and pressures of the role

Requirement to be aware of and adhere to the care certificate standards (https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/care-certificate)

Capable of completing core HCSW competencies and additional specific competencies related to area of work within 12 months of appointment

Previous experience in an acute hospital setting

Previous experience in the volunteer sector

Previous experience as a Teaching Assistant

Previous experience as a Nursing Home Carer

Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.

EmployerUniversity Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Salary£25,272 a year (per annum or per annum pro rata)

#J-18808-Ljbffr

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Southampton

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

21-05-2026

Profession type

Counselling and Social Services

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English