University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Senior Health Care Support Worker (SHCSW)
The closing date is 23 November 2026
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Job summary
An exciting, substantive opportunity has arisen within the South West Liver Unit for a Senior Health Care Assistant.

You should have attained the Level 3 qualification and have demonstrable experience of caring for acutely unwell patients in a hospital setting. You should possess good communication and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to work in a calm and methodical manner. The successful candidate will have recent, up-to-date proven evidence of development. In return our experienced team provides a friendly supportive and progressive environment with a strong commitment to continual education with excellent opportunities for personal and professional development.

The South West Liver Unit is a 23 bedded inpatient ward caring for a wide range of hepatology patients.

Please note that applications from temporary workers who have been engaged with the Trust for a minimum of 3 months are welcome.

Main duties of the job

• To assist in the delivery of care planned and assessed by the Registered Nurses.
• To carry out care / other duties under indirect supervision.
• Support care day - to - day for all patients in the clinical area under indirect supervision.
• Contribute to resource management

About us
We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Details
Date posted: 09 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 3
Salary: £25,760 to £27,476 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
Reference number: 216-EG-DD8365947
Job locations: South West Liver Unit, Derriford road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities

• Obtain consent prior to giving care in accordance with Trust policies.
• Competently undertake delegated duties in line with patient care plans.
• Ability to use your knowledge and experience to undertake non-routine duties and an understanding to take decisions within your area of responsibility.
• To carry out a range of (limited) clinical duties with minimal / no supervision, including for example, blood pressure monitoring, oxygen saturation levels, body temperature, pulse rate and respiration rate, glucose monitoring, collection and testing of urine samples / faecal samples / sputum samples and wound swabs ensuring delivery of high-quality patient care at all times. NB: this list is not exhaustive and will vary depending on area of work.
• Participate in patient assessment providing high quality holistic patient care and escalating concerns about patients to other clinical staff.
• Practice safe standards of care to patients following Trust guidelines and policies and be able to concentrate for periods throughout the day with occasional interruptions.
• Provide clinical care in accordance with the infection prevention and health and safety policies and procedures.
• Maintain the work environment in line with Trust infection control and patient safety policies.
• Utilising skills to actively facilitate self-care and independence with patients.
• Promote health education specific to the clinical area and in line with national and local policies.
• Maintain effective record keeping and communication with patients, relatives, and members of the Multidisciplinary team regarding all aspects of care demonstrating a range of appropriate communication skills, where there may be barriers to understanding.
• Ensuring equipment and stores are well maintained, taking appropriate action if the equipment is faulty. This may include ordering supplies.
• Work effectively as part of a team.
• The SHCSW is responsible for inputting information into the electronic patient record where applicable and also into patients written records. Comply with all relevant legislation and local policies regarding confidentiality and access to medical records.

For further details please see attached JD & PS.

Person Specification
Knowledge & Experience (Essential)

• Demonstrable experience of providing care in a healthcare or social setting
• Be able to work as a member of a team
• Demonstrable experience of time management and prioritising work
• Understands and committed to a caring approach to patients & relatives

Qualifications (Essential)

• One of the following: Level 3 (SCQF - 6): City and Guilds 3; NVQ 3; BTEC National Diploma; Demonstrable experience equivalent to the above qualifications
• Level 2 Functional skills in English and Maths, or equivalent
• Completion of Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support (that maps to the Apprenticeship Standard for Senior Health Care Support Worker)
• Equivalent demonstrable experience

Aptitude & Abilities (Essential)

• Able to complete appropriate documentation accurately
• Effective and appropriate communication skills both written and verbal
• Demonstrate an awareness of healthcare work and policies and procedures
• Committed to providing high quality patient care

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.

Employer details
Employer name: University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Address: South West Liver Unit, Derriford road, Plymouth, PL6 8DH, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Ward Manager, Rachael Doherty, rachael.doherty@nhs.net, 01752439093

Supporting documents
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