Health Care Assistant - Apprenticeship in Plymouth

Are you looking to enhance your skills and knowledge and progress to a Band 3 Senior HCSW role? Or are you thinking about your future career pathways? If so, we have some exciting news!

We are looking to recruit into our HCA Level 3 Apprenticeship course with a new cohort starting in January 2027.

Interviews will be held in November 2026.

This course is delivered in partnership with a local provider.

This is an exciting opportunity to support your personal development and career progression in healthcare through a nationally recognised qualification. We can now guide you through each stage of your career, starting with a Level 3 Diploma and offering the opportunity to progress further into degree-level training through an apprenticeship, should you wish to continue.

You will be supported by a Tutor onsite and have agreed release for study sessions as well as supported time to explore other areas around our organisation.

Please be aware that your shift pattern will include, days, nights, weekends and bank holidays on a rota basis.

This is a 24-month apprenticeship, with a starting salary at Band 2 of £25,760 per annum. Upon successful completion of the training, you will progress to a Band 3 role with a corresponding salary increase.

Please note that we are unable to offer a Certificate of Sponsorship for this role, as it does not meet the eligibility criteria.

Main duties of the job

This is a 24 month long training course with a local provider. Please be aware you will be expected to do a minimum of 30 hours per week in order to be put forward for the Apprenticeship Scheme.

As part of the apprenticeship acceptance criteria we are unable to accept applications for those staff that already hold a qualification that is higher than a Level 3 unless we can demonstrate new skills.

PLEASE SEE THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FURTHER DETAILS RE THE JOB ROLE AND ELIGIBILITY.

If successful, you will be invited to attend an interview via your email address provided on this application form.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Working for our organisation

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 manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. 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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Obtain consent prior to giving care in accordance with Trust policies.

2. Competently undertake delegated duties in line with patient care plans.

3. Ability to use your knowledge and experience to undertake non-routine duties and an understanding to take decisions within your area of responsibility.

4. 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.

5. Participate in patient assessment providing high quality holistic patient care and escalating concerns about patients to other clinical staff.

6. 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.

7. Provide clinical care in accordance with the infection prevention and health and safety policies and procedures.

8. Maintain the work environment in line with Trust infection control and patient safety policies.

9. Utilising skills to actively facilitate self-care and independence with patients.

10. Promote health education specific to the clinical area and in line with national and local policies.

11. 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.

12. Ensuring equipment and stores are well maintained, taking appropriate action if the equipment is faulty. This may include ordering supplies.

13. Work effectively as part of a team.

14. 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.

Person specification

Knowledge & Experience

• Enthusiasm and commitment to working within the healthcare setting

Qualifications

• Educated to Maths & English or equivalent demonstrable experience
• Demonstrate an awareness of healthcare work and policies and procedures
• Committed to providing high quality patient care

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY INCLUDING YOUR JUNK FOLDER.

If you need support with the online application process or require reasonable adjustments with the application and/or interview process please contact the Recruiting Manager for this post.

We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants about less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. We recommend contacting the manager of the role prior to applying and we commit to giving requests full consideration.

We welcome and encourage applicants who identify with all protected characteristics to apply for our roles. We believe that diversity strengthens our teams and improves our patients' experience. At UHP we aim to create an inclusive workplace and hospital where everyone feels they belong and included .

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. Providing false information is an offence & could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal/police action if an applicant is successful.

Please note that if you are successful in your application & accept the position you agree that the Staff Health and Wellbeing Department can access your health records from your current/previous employer in order to check the status of your inoculations & screening tests. This is an automated process & the information will only be used for these purposes prior to your taking up the position with us.

For Doctors Roles:

Unsolicited CVs and Candidate Profiles/Details
University Hospitals Plymouth has a commitment to sourcing candidates directly and as such we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies.

We do, however, work with a defined list of preferred HTE Framework suppliers who may be invited to support us in sourcing candidates for particular roles.

In line with our preferred supplier list, we only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place and an agency has been instructed by a member of the Trust’s Medical Workforce team.

We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to the Trust or Trust employees by any other means than the official route above. Where this is not observed the Trust reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and initiate discussions without payment of any agency fee.

Any candidate details (whether written or spoken) or CVs that are referred directly will not constitute an introduction. The Trust will under no circumstances be responsible for any recruitment fees in relation to these contacts.

Submission of any unsolicited CVs, candidate’s details and/or proposals to the Trust will not be considered further and will be deemed evidence of full and unlimited acceptance of this Agency Protocol.

In order to establish and maintain good working relationships with the Trust’s agency suppliers, we ask that this Protocol is adhered to and thank you for your co-operation.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

We’d love to hear from you if you feel you’re a great fit for the role - and that the role is right for you.Below, you’ll find more information about our recruitment process and what happens once you’ve submitted your application.

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