NHS - Senior Healthcare Support Worker

Senior Healthcare Support Workers help registered practitioners deliver healthcare services to people1. As an experienced support worker, you carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare or therapeutic tasks, under the direct or indirect supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner. You provide high quality, compassionate healthcare, following standards, policies or protocols and always acting within the limits of your competence. You may work in a range of services eg hospital, community, health or day case unit, birth centre or midwifery led unit, someone’s home, operating theatre, nursing or care home, assessment centre, hospice, school, prison, GP surgery, charity or voluntary organisation; working in partnership with individuals, families, carers and other service providers. Duties are delegated to you in line with care plans. Not all duties are routine and you will need to use your knowledge, experience and understanding to take decisions within your area of responsibility. You are accountable for your work and for reviewing the effectiveness of your actions. The role is undertaken following a period of experience in healthcare so you are able to demonstrate best practice and act as a role model. You may supervise or guide the less experienced staff in your team. You follow the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers.

Show enthusiasm for working in the health sector
• Have basic literacy, numeracy and communication skills on which the apprenticeship will build
• Have a suitable level of physical fitness to perform some aspects of the job roles (eg assisting in moving and handling of people)
• Be willing to undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks (this is needed as apprentices are likely to work with children, young people or vulnerable adults)
• Be flexible as there may be a requirement to work shifts

City & Guilds

On successful completion of this course you may wish to consider studying for the Bridging Skills in HE course - which prepares you to study HE courses at University There is the option of studying for Apprenticeships at a higer level such as the Nursing Associate, Assistant Practitioner and the Degree Nurse.