Job summary
Please note that we are unable to provide Sponsorship for our Healthcare Support Worker roles.

This is a great opportunity to begin a rewarding career in healthcare and take your first step towards becoming a registered nursing professional.

Join us as a Band 2 Healthcare Support Worker, where you'll receive comprehensive training, support, and hands-on experience to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence within your role.

These roles are based at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, across a range of areas.

If you're passionate about delivering outstanding patient care, eager to learn, and looking for a clear pathway to advance your healthcare career, we'd love to hear from you. This is an excellent opportunity to build your skills, make a real difference to patients' lives, and take the next step towards a future in nursing.

Main duties of the job
Healthcare Support Workers undertake fundamental personal care duties including: bathing; toileting; dressing; support with meals and assist with the patients appearance.

About us
We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 695,000 people.

Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'.

We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Closing date: 11 November 2026
Location: William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, TN24 0LZ
Salary: £25,272 a year per annum (pro rata if applicable)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 344-HCSW1126-WHH

Person Specification
Qualifications & Training

• Essential: Holds GCSE grades D-G or level 1 equivalent in Maths and English
• Desirable: Has GCSE or level 2 equivalent maths and English
• Desirable: Completed Care Certificate
• Desirable: Holds a level 2 qualification in Health & Social Care

Skills and Experience

• Essential: Basic understanding of patients' needs
• Essential: Working with people, ideally in a frontline customer service role.
• Essential: Knowledge of personal care and related procedures
• Essential: Basic computer/keyboard skills

Governance

• Essential: Adheres to Trust policies
• Essential: Will comply with the Data Protection Act, CNORIS, Caldicott Guidelines and local policies regarding confidentiality and access to medical records.
• Essential: Act on the responsibilities placed upon them under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, to ensure that the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees.

Personal & Professional Attributes

• Essential: Effective communication and organisational skills
• Essential: Kind, compassionate and caring
• Essential: Demonstrates patient focused approach
• Essential: Ability to work as part of a team
• Essential: Respects equality and diversity
• Desirable: Keen to develop knowledge and skills for personal and professional fulfilment

Other

• Essential: Flexibility and openness to working in a range of areas.
• Essential: Flexibility with shift/working patterns to meet the service.
• Essential: To be aware of and adhere to the Trust's Values

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.

Employer details
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, TN24 0LZ, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/

Contact for questions about the job
Emily Farris, Resourcing Team Leader
emily.farris@nhs.net
01227866450