Job summary
The newly opened Respiratory Diagnostic Suite is seeking an enthusiastic, skilled full-time Senior Healthcare Support Worker to work within their small team. The unit currently operates 5 days a week providing pleural diagnostics and clinics for West Northamptonshire.

The Senior Healthcare Support Worker will be an integral member of the Respiratory Diagnostic team working through close supervision of a registered practitioner.

The Senior Healthcare Support Worker is responsible for providing personal and clinical care, undertaking clinical observations and other interventions as delegated by the registered practitioner and in accordance with existing competencies.

The Senior Healthcare Support Worker will ensure that their practice is guided by standard operating procedures and established policies and guidelines. They will demonstrate self-directed development, recognising own limitations, and work within the scope of their role always.

The Senior Healthcare Support Worker will contribute to supporting and developing other colleagues.

The Senior Healthcare Support Worker will act in a manner that upholds privacy, dignity, respect and confidentiality for patients and colleagues.

Main duties of the job

• Report any observed changes or concerns in the patient's physical or psychological needs to the registered practitioner.
• Provide support to the registered practitioner, and where appropriate, other members of the ward/department clinical team as required.
• Initiate and participate with emergencies i.e., cardiac arrest, patient falls and patients with a rapidly deteriorating condition.
• Perform area specific clinical duties to enhance the delivery of patient care, which may include: assisting patients in gaining access to appropriate toilet facilities and measuring and recording body waste accurately; assisting or undertaking mouth care including brushing of teeth/care of dentures; assisting in providing optimal conditions for a patient's rest and sleep; performing and recording electronically a patient's vital signs as directed, reporting findings to the registered practitioner on duty i.e. Temperature, Blood Pressure, Respiration, Oxygen Saturation, and Pulse; collect and record samples including urine and stools, reporting results to registered practitioner on duty; assist in the Last Offices for deceased patients, ensuring that all religious and cultural wishes are adhered with; ensure patient's nutritional needs are met through assisting in the preparation of patients prior to meals and beverages helping in feeding drinking where appropriate.

About us
Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close adverts once sufficient applications have been received.

We recognise that AI tools can support application writing; however, candidates are asked to keep their use to a minimum. Responses should reflect your own experience, skills and knowledge, as over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in generic answers that do not accurately represent your abilities.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) brings together Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As a group, we are committed to improving services for our communities through collaboration, modernising care delivery and striving for excellence. Working together enables us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities, and there may be a requirement to work across sites depending on service needs.

Our Excellence Values are Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage. UHN welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

Details
Closing date: 21 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 3
Salary: £25,760 to £27,476 a year per annum pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: 265-8125756-MED

Person Specification
Education, Training and Qualifications

• Essential: Educated to Vocational Qualification/NVQ Level 3 or equivalent level of education, training or experience
• Essential: Holds National Care Certificate or equivalent level of education, training or experience (e.g. able to demonstrate the skill and competency to undertake the clinical duties as described in the job description)
• Essential: Holds Functional Skills Level 2 Maths and English or education equivalent
• Desirable: Speciality specific training and competencies achieved and ongoing development

Knowledge and Experience

• Essential: Experience working as a Healthcare Assistant/Support Worker in a healthcare, social care organisation/setting or service industry requiring people contact
• Essential: Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control and Safeguarding processes
• Desirable: Experience of dealing with patient/relative verbal complaints
• Desirable: Experience of working in a healthcare team and patient settings

Skills

• Essential: Good communication and listening skills (written and verbal)
• Essential: Able to work on own initiative, following direction/close supervision by a Registered Practitioner
• Essential: Taking and recording Vital Signs and other clinical skills with evidence of appropriate training within scope of job role
• Essential: Computer/keyboard skills for entering/updating patient records

Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes

• Essential: Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service users
• Essential: Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs
• Essential: Committed to delivering high standards of patient care
• Essential: Friendly, open, empathetic, and compassionate
• Essential: Professional outlook and positive attitude

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: Northampton General Hospital
Address: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire, Northampton, NN1 5BD, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk/Home.aspx

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Respiratory Matron Joanne Loveday, joanne.loveday@nhs.net, 01604523946

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