Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Healthcare Support Worker
The closing date is 19 November 2026

Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated Healthcare Support Worker to join our team at St Michael's Hospital. We expect you to demonstrate excellent organisational skills, to enjoy working as part of a team and be passionate about maintaining patients respect and dignity.

Ward 78 is a 22 bedded inpatient ward which specialises in gynae-oncology, early pregnancy complications up to 20 weeks gestation, palliative care and symptom management, management of emergency gynaecology conditions, and management of termination care. Working alongside the multi-disciplinary team, you will be assisting patients with activities of daily living including personal care. You will support and assess patients using vital observations, ECG, bladder scanning, venepuncture and maintain patient health and safety using Trust approved risk assessments. This post also includes the exciting opportunity to gain experience in the Early Pregnancy Clinic, supporting their services during weekends.

Main duties of the job

• Practice safe standards of care to patients following UHBW guidelines and policies and within the scope of the Healthcare Support Worker role
• Participate in patient assessment (with supervision) to deliver high standards of care
• Practice area specific competencies as identified by clinical area
• Under supervision follow individual patient care plans, and report any changes immediately to the Registered Nurse
• Advocate for patients needs, ensure adequate nutrition and hydration for patients
• Provide personal care for patients, supporting with washing and dressing, monitoring skin changes and escalating concerns of pressure or moisture damage to Registered Nurse
• Become a champion for patient care, and work with identified link nurse to expand knowledge and understanding on ward of chosen topic
• Execute clinical skills including: vital observations, blood glucose monitoring, ECG, bladder scan, venepuncture and cannulation
• Urine dip analysis and pregnancy test analysis
• Compassionate care and bereavement support for patients experiencing bad news
• Chaperone during clinical examinations
• Provide clear written documentation, and computer literate for electronic processes
• Support Early Pregnancy Clinic during Major Take weekends
• Implementing infection control protocols including: good hand hygiene, cleaning of clinical equipment, refresh and changing of bed linens

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Details
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 3
Salary: £25,760 to £27,476 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 387-WC3309-GW

Job description
The Healthcare Support Worker is a member of the direct care team who supports practitioners to meet patient needs. The Healthcare support worker (HCSW) is responsible for providing care and therapy to patients as delegated by the Registered Nurse and directed by the appropriate team leader.

A Healthcare Support Worker will be expected to undertake a range of duties with direct supervision and will be required to report back on those delegated duties to a Registered Nurse.

The Healthcare Support Worker will be competent to provide compassionate care to agreed quality standards. HCSW roles will continue to develop through the development of further skills, knowledge and competencies that will be determined within the clinical teams through assessment

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications

• Essential: One of the following: NVQ Level 3, BTEC National Diploma Level 3 (SCQF-6): City & Guilds 3 or equivalent experience
• Essential: Level 2 Functional skills in English and Maths or equivalent
• Essential: Level 3 diploma in healthcare support (that maps to the apprenticeship standard for Senior Healthcare Support Worker) or equivalent experience

Experience

• Essential: Hospital/Secondary care work experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Essential: Effective and appropriate communication skills both written and verbal
• Essential: Able to complete appropriate documentation accurately
• Essential: Demonstrate an awareness of healthcare work including policies and procedures
• Essential: Committed to providing high quality patient care
• Essential: Ability to work with minimum supervision to a high standard
• Essential: Flexible and adaptable to change, able to work a range of shifts and moving across wards/unit dependent on clinical need
• Essential: Able to demonstrate calm, caring patient manner/attitude
• Essential: Enthusiasm and commitment to working within the healthcare setting
• Essential: Able to meet the physical and developmental demands of the role
• Desirable: Awareness of Sepsis pathway, Martha's Rule and Oliver McGowan initiatives.

Personal Qualities

• Essential: Be able to work as a member of a team
• Essential: Experience of time management skills and prioritising work
• Essential: Understand and committing to a caring approach to patients and relatives

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details
Employer name: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Address: St Michaels Hospital, Southwell Street, Bristol, BS2 8EG, United Kingdom

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Supervisory Sister Catriona Findlay, catriona.findlay@uhbw.nhs.uk, 01173421801

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Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.