We are looking for caring and enthusiastic people to join our Trust as Health Care Assistants (HCAs). You will be joining our HomeFirst team, which is part of our Community Integrated Response Service, to support people to return home after a stay in hospital. You can find out more about HomeFirst on our website.
You may not think you have the necessary skills and experience but if you have been a carer for a loved one, you possibly have the skills and the right attitude to join our team. Having a valid driving licence, access to a car for work purposes is essential for this role.
If you don’t have direct caring experience, there is still an opportunity to join us, as we are also recruiting to entry level Clinical Support Workers (CSWs). If you are good with people, have patience, empathy and a desire to make a difference and improve the lives of people in our community, this could be is a great opportunity to start your career in the NHS.
- Salary: £22,383 – £24,336 per annum pro-rata.
- Hours: Full time, part time and job share.
- All the training you need is provided.
Join a team that receives great feedback
A service user and his family shared a compliment for all the staff they have met within HomeFirst:
“All have been fabulous and they could not speak highly enough.”
Another patient’s son also expressed his gratitude to the HomeFirst Team:
For the support his mum has received from the service and a particular mention to HCA, Suzanna.
A service had shared the following a compliment with the HomeFirst team:
“Very thankful and praised the HCA team on how professional they all are. He commented on how happy they all seemed which in turn made him feel happy too. He stated we have an excellent care team.”
A day in the life of a HomeFirst Health Care Assistant
This is Keith. He’s been a HCA with the Homefirst team since the service began in 2022. This is what a typical day looks like for him:
“I normally go from home to my first call. Depending upon what the patient’s needs are, I could be doing personal care ranging from a simple wash to a full shower and then to get dressed, always encouraging the patient to do as much as they can themselves to encourage independence.
I prompt the patient with food preparation which could include making the breakfast or meal depending on the time of the day. I encourage the patient to assist me as much as they can to enable independent living.
I personally find the interaction with the patient very interesting. I see it as going into their own personal space but by observation and communicating you can find out so much about them and you get to know their needs because a bond of trust builds up.”
Read more about Keith’s day in the life as a Health Care Assistant
Once I have finished with my first patient I continue to the next patient, and this continues until all my morning and lunch calls are complete.
I normally go home at the end of the morning shift and complete my report on the laptop, documenting time of arrival, length of stay and what support I gave to the patient. It’s important to be as thorough as possible because it will build up a picture of the patient’s ability and needs. This will assist in giving the patient the best care and support we can provide.
I’d normally go back out on tea and bed calls depending on what duty hours I’m working that day. At the end of the shift I go home and complete the day’s paperwork.
I know I always have the backup of the duty Reablement Officer who I can call if I have any questions, so I’m never really on my own.
What sort of things will you be doing as a Health Care Assistant?
Health Care assistants make sure the patient experience is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. It can also be the stepping stone into many other NHS roles.
Your role may include:
- washing and dressing patients
- serving meals and helping to feed patients
- helping people to move around
- making beds
- making patients feel comfortable
The above has been taken from the NHS Health Careers website.
Find out more about…
Read this guidance before your apply – how to apply for one of our roles
Completing a job application can feel daunting, so here is some guidance to make it simpler. The below covers each section of the job application questions to guide you through each one.
Education & Professional Qualifications
This section is about your qualifications. Please include all the qualifications that you have been successful in achieving, as well as any that you may currently be working towards.
- Examples of qualifications include:
GCSE, A Level, BTEC, NVQ, Undergraduate Degree.
- If you do not have the qualification/s specified on the personal specification, please do not worry. We can accept the equivalent experience/knowledge, so do not let that put you off applying!
Relevant Training Courses
- Training courses you have attended/are attending – this can be through your employer or a course you have arranged yourself. Please include the course title, the training provider and the year you passed or qualified/will pass or qualify.
Employer/activity history
- In this section, please include your employment history (a list of all the jobs you have had), beginning with the most current job.
- Please give as much information as possible in your description of duties and responsibilities, as this allows us to see what you do on a day-to-day basis.
Supporting information
The supporting information is the opportunity to sell yourself! You could include the following:
- Why would you like this job?
- What can you bring to the job? – Eg experience in a health and care setting, experience with the general public, helping to care for a family member. Provide examples of what you have done.
- Do you have transferable skills? – If you have worked with the public, in a shop, café or hairdressers for example, you probably have good customer service skills, know how to interact with others, are a good listener and can deal with difficult situations. All of these skills you could apply to a health and care setting, so tell us about what you have done!
- What would you like to get from this role? Are you interested in career progression? – Tell us what you hope to achieve and where you would like this job to take you.
The personal specification is there support you and offer guidance, please refer back to it throughout your application.
What happens after you apply?
- The advert for this vacancy will close on Sunday 4 June 2023 at midnight.
- We will review all the applications early that week.
- We will contact you by Thursday 8 June 2023 to let you know if you have been invited to interview.
- Interviews will be held on Saturday 10 June between 10.00am and 2.00pm at the Education Centre at Arrowe Park Hospital, CH49 5PE.
Career progression
You may be joining our organisation as a Clinical Support Worker or a Health Care Assistant, but if you want to progress we will support you to develop and move ahead in your career. The career path below shows what can be possible.
Who delivers the HomeFirst Service
Staff benefits
Working for the Trust
