Job summary
Begin your NHS career with our Healthcare Support Worker Development (HCSWD) programme, where you will receive all the training, support, and supervision you need to become a Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) with Royal Devon University HealthCare NHS FT (Barnstaple) over a 6 month period.

Pay Rates
Days: £12.92, Saturdays/Nights: £18.22, Sunday/Bank Hols: £23.65

Why might this job interest you?
During your placement, you will work towards achieving the widely recognised Care Certificate with the training you need to become a Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW). Also known as Healthcare Assistant (HCA). Throughout, you will have supportive supervision from your mentor/Ward Manager.

Once you have graduated as a HCSW, you can progress your career by accessing further training. This career path may lead to potential roles such as Senior Healthcare Assistant to Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate, enabling further career avenues such as a Nurse or Midwife.

Benefits of joining
By joining, you can receive some exciting benefits:

• Career Progression: Achieve a Care Certificate and begin your journey with the NHS.
• Weekly pay: Work this week, get paid next week.
• Paid annual leave: Build holiday allowance.
• Provide patient care: Provide care, safety, and welfare for patients.
• Join the NHS family: Become part of a healthcare team.
• Dedicated training and supervised shifts: Support from your ward / area and skilled mentors.

Main duties of the job
As a trainee HCSW, you will learn key skills, such as:

• Meeting the daily living needs of your patients, from hygiene to personal and physical comfort.
• Taking basic observations, explaining treatment and updating patient records.
• Supporting patients with mobility, assisting at mealtimes, as well as speaking with patients.
• Assisting in preparing for clinical procedures and cleaning the environment afterwards.
• Working individually and as part of a team, supporting registered Nurses and other healthcare practitioners in providing patient care.
• Comply with Trust and local policies and procedures including Safeguarding, Infection Prevention and Control.

The benefits we can offer you in return
Career progression: Achieve a Care Certificate and begin your healthcare career with the NHS.
Weekly pay: Access your wages more quickly.
Join the NHS family: Become part of a respected healthcare team and provide patient care.
Dedicated training and supervised shifts: Support from your ward / area and skilled mentors.
Development opportunities via the Trust.
Webinar support: Regular monthly sessions covering the Care Certificate workbook, Conflict Management training and more.

About us
Here at NHS Professionals, we run England's largest NHS staff bank and are experts at putting people in places to care. Every year we help thousands of dedicated and highly skilled NHS workers enjoy better career opportunities, more flexible shifts, and a healthier work-life balance across our partnered Trusts.
Career Progression: access to Learning & Development opportunities, so that you can take on new roles and challenges
Work-life Balance: flexible shifts, committed shifts, wellbeing resources and build paid annual leave
Opportunity & Access: over 50 partner NHS Trusts to give you the flexibility of choice to work how and where you want

Details
Date posted: 09 November 2026
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £12.92 to £23.65 an hour
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: M0042-SQ1-09-11-26
Job locations: North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 4JB, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
What's next?

• Attendance of Assessment Day: 8th December 2026
• Attendance of 3 FREE classroom training days planned for end of December, and additional E.P.I.C training

After the programme
Once you have completed your placement and the Care Certificate 15 Standards, you can work as a HCSW or HCA for the Trust at any of their locations, and at any of our NHS Professionals partner Trusts, through the bank.
As your first step in healthcare with the NHS, this could provide you with the opportunity to progress your career by accessing further training outside of the programme. In time, you could become a Senior Healthcare Assistant. After that, you could then apply to train as an Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate, enabling further career avenues such as a Nurse, Podiatrist or Midwife.

Apply Today

Disclaimer
Please note, you will be contacted by email throughout the recruitment process, so please check your emails, including your junk/spam regularly. We regret we cannot contact everyone who is not selected for an interview, therefore if you do not hear from us within 21 days after submitting your application, please assume you have not been successful on this occasion.

Person Specification
Qualifications (Essential)
Basic English and Maths skills are required, otherwise no specific qualifications are required.

Employer details
Employer name: NHS Professionals Limited
Address: North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 4JB, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Sarah Quinn, hcswdteam@nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk

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