What does a Health Care Assistant do?
Healthcare assistants make sure our patients visit to, or stay in hospital, is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. It can also be the steppingstone into many other NHS roles.
You will work under supervision from a senior clinical colleague, and the tasks you are given will vary depending on the team or department you are a part of. Some examples of the tasks you may be asked to complete are:
- Wash and dress patients
- Serve meals and help to feed patients
- Help patients to move around
- Make beds
- Make patients feel comfortable
- Monitor patients' conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight.
What qualifications do I need?
There are no set entry requirements to become a healthcare assistant.
Is there any training involved?
Your training as a healthcare assistant will include basic nursing skills. You will work towards earning a Care Certificate. Find out more about the Care Certificate.
You may also be offered the chance to study for qualifications through an apprenticeship such as:
- NCFE CACHE level 2 Certificate in Healthcare Support Services
- NCFE CACHE level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support.
With experience and further training, you could become a senior healthcare assistant. You could then apply to train as an assistant practitioner or nursing associate. With the appropriate qualifications/evidence of academic ability, you could also train as one of the many degree-level healthcare professionals such as a nurse, podiatrist, midwife or occupational therapist.
What will I earn and what are the benefits?
Your standard working week will be around 37.5 hours and may include a mix of shifts, such as nights, early starts, evenings and weekends. As a healthcare assistant, you’ll be paid on the Agenda for Change pay system, typically starting on band 2.
You’ll also have access to our generous pension scheme and health service discounts, as well as 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, which increases the longer you’re in service.
To discover more additional benefits unique to Liverpool University Hospitals, please visit our Staff benefits page.