Senior Healthcare Assistant (Bank) in Lewes

Are you passionate about delivering compassionate, personalised care—and looking for a role where every shift truly makes a difference? As a Bank Senior Healthcare Assistant, you’ll play a vital part in making that possible. Our vision is a community where people live and die well, supported with dignity, respect and compassion.

As a Bank Senior Healthcare Assistant, you’ll provide exceptional, holistic care on the In‑Patient Unit or out in the community, supporting patients and the people important to them when they need it most.

Location: St Peter & St James Hospice, BN8 4ED

Contract Type: Bank

What you’ll be doing:

• Deliver compassionate, person‑centred care: Support patients with personal care, nutrition, hydration and mobility needs; Take and record observations, promptly reporting any concerns; Provide gentle emotional support to patients and families, including through end‑of‑life care and bereavement; Ensure patient dignity, comfort and individual needs are always prioritised.
• Use and develop extended clinical skills: (Competency‑based training provided) Catheter and bowel care; Phlebotomy and blood glucose sampling; Drug checking; Supporting care plans and risk assessments.
• Support the smooth running of care across Community & IPU teams: Accurately maintain patient records using SystmOne; Assist with admissions and discharges, including gathering observations, preparing packs and liaising with external services; Support referral processes and coordination of transport; Participate in MDT meetings to ensure truly holistic care; Help maintain safe, well‑organised clinical environments.
• Lead, guide and support others: Provide supervision and guidance to Healthcare Assistants (Band 2); Assist with induction, teaching and day‑to‑day support for colleagues and students; Contribute to audits and continuous improvement activity.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience in a similar healthcare setting, ideally within a multidisciplinary team.
• A caring, empathetic approach and commitment to high‑quality palliative care.
• Good literacy, numeracy and IT confidence (including SystmOne).
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work sensitively with patients and families.
• A calm, adaptable nature—comfortable working across both community and IPU settings.
• Motivation to grow your skills, attend training and develop within the role.
• The ability to work flexibly, including day and night shifts, according to patient needs.
• Shifts that suit your lifestyle.
• A welcoming, compassionate working environment.
• Training and development opportunities, including extended clinical competencies.
• The chance to make a genuine difference to patients and families during the most important moments of their lives.

The Benefits:

• 27 days holiday.
• Enhanced maternity/adoption pay.
• Monthly occupational health clinics.
• 20% discount in charity shops.

We will be shortlisting and interviewing as applications are received, so early applications are encouraged.

Our people: Working here, I’ve learned that the smallest actions can create the biggest changes in people’s lives. We value diversity and inclusion and encourage applications from everyone regardless of race, national origin, sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability or age.

Contact: If you would like more information about the role, please contact Kaylee Teager, Community Nurse Leader (kteager@stpjhospice.org).

Equal Opportunities: Our organisation encourages applications from everyone, regardless of race, national origin, sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability or age.

Practical Information: Please ensure you have your own means of transport as the hospice is not accessible by bus and is located on a main road without public footpath. The precise location can be found at https://stpjhospice.org/contact-us/. If you have any questions about this vacancy or require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please contact hr@stpjhospice.org.

Offers of employment are subject to satisfactory results from pre‑employment checks (right to work, references, occupational health and DBS if applicable).