Job summary
We are looking for individuals with or without experience to work in healthcare, to join the NHS family helping people from your local community. Healthcare Assistant opportunities are available in our Chelmer ward at Basildon Hospital.

No experience? No problem. We will teach you everything you need to know. To us, it is more important that you are a caring and kind person with a genuine desire to help and support patients and their families. If this sounds like you, then you already have the skills that make a great Health Care Support Worker.

Right from the time you join us, you will have access to learning, development and training opportunities. As you progress in your NHS career you will acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to provide safe and compassionate patient care.

Mid and South Essex is a great place to work, offering a working environment with an inclusive culture that looks after and values our people and creates a sense of belonging. We encourage applications from people who embrace our values and who will enable us to expand our diverse workforce.

The Healthcare Assistant role can also lead to a range of career opportunities. With the right support, those who want to can undertake the necessary training to become our future nurses, nursing associates and midwives.

Main duties of the job
As a Healthcare Assistant, you will be a hugely valuable support to our Nursing and Midwifery teams providing care to our patients. Every day will be different and you will work alongside the rest of the team carrying out a wide range of tasks and assisting with care to support the needs of the patients and their families.

Examples of what you may do as part of your role

• Washing and dressing patients
• Serving meals and feeding patients
• Helping patients to move around
• Making beds
• Talking to patients and their families
• Monitoring patient condition

Skills and personal attributes needed

• Caring and kind
• Cheerful and friendly
• Keen to support patients with their personal needs including washing and toileting
• Able to follow direct instructions
• Happy to work in a team but also able to use own initiative
• Have good listening and communication skills
• Be well organised

Full time and part time positions are available, and we are open to discuss flexible working arrangements. This opportunity is available for candidates who have the right to work in the UK. Applications from underrepresented groups including LGBT+, Ethnic Minority or disabled people are particularly welcome.

About us
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and wellbeing of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Details
Date posted: 05 November 2026
Closing date: 08 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 2
Salary: £25,272 a year Per Annum (Pro Rota for Part Time)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 390-NR-DoM-BA-9733
Job locations: Basildon, Nethermayne, Basildon, SS16 5NL, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
For more information on this varied and rewarding role, please see the attached Job Description. We look forward to your application! Please be aware that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should a high number of applications be received. Unfortunately, there is no Visa Sponsorship available for this role. Whilst we are able to employ candidates on a graduate Visa, we are unable to offer sponsorship once the graduate visa expires.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Vocational qualification at Level 2 or equivalent experience
• Standard computer skills
• Good literacy skills, demonstrated through minimal spelling and grammatical errors in the application form

Desirable

• Care Certificate

Knowledge & Experience
Essential

• Range of routine work procedures requiring job training
• Knowledge or personal care and related procedures
• Experience of being in a demanding environment with changing priorities

Desirable

• Experience of working in a healthcare setting

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
Employer name: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Employer's website: https://www.mse.nhs.uk

Contact
Ward Manager: Eugenie Benedicto, e.benedicto@nhs.net, 03004433944

Apply through our website