Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for Health Care Support Workers to join the newly formed Durban ward located at Clacton and District Community Hospital. Durban ward is a 26 bedded until which will provide Community step up and step down to patients who have a North East Essex GP.

Community Hospital wards within North East Essex provide care for patients who do not require acute nursing intervention and who needs cannot be met at home. They also provide palliative or end of life care, recovery from acute illness, rehabilitation and IVABs.

Durban ward is planned to open in November 2026 to help support flow during seasonal pressures. Due to the trusts ambition to support a "home First" approach, the ward has potential to transition after the inter period to a Same Day Assessment Unit, providing rapid assessment, diagnostics, and treatment for appropriate patients, reducing avoidable admissions to the Colchester acute site.

We welcome applications from individuals with prior NHS/healthcare experience.

As a Healthcare Support Worker, you are required to work a rota pattern. You must be able to work a variety of shifts, including days, nights and weekends including Bank Holidays such as Christmas Day. 

NHS Care Certificate is required for this role - if you do not have a care certificate but have care experience you maybe suitable for a band 2 role.

Main duties of the job

To assist the Registered Nurses to care for the patient to ensure their physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs are met

To assist the patient to perform activities of daily living in accordance with their plan of care, e.g. personal hygiene, dressing, toileting, feeding, oral hydration, positioning, mouth-care etc

To perform and accurately record clinical observations as required and report changes to the Registered Nurse immediately

To be responsible for ensuring own infection control practice is in line with Trust Infection Control policies, including approved hand-washing technique.

To ensure that all communication and care provision maintains the dignity and respect of all patients and their carers/relatives

To clean and prepare areas for new admissions/transfers  

Working for our organisation

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes. 

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff. 

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options. 

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services. 

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.   

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients. 

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.   

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A