Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent: Full Time
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (shift working)
- Job ref
- 354-AE-21269
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Woodlands Centre For Acute Care
- Town
- Hastings
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/02/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Healthcare Support Worker
NHS AfC: Band 3
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may choose to use it to help prepare your application. We welcome innovation but ask that anything you submit reflects your own abilities, experience and voice. AI can support how you describe your skills and experience, but it should never replace your own words as we want to get to know you.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for 3 x Band 3 healthcare assistants to work at the Woodlands Centre for Acute Care, Place of Safety/Abbey ward as part of the Sussex Partnership and based in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex.
We are a busy 23-bed Acute unit split into male and female wards, which sits alongside a brand new health-based place of safety (‘136 suite’) which is scheduled to open in early 2022. We are looking for Healthcare assistants to work in both the new place of safety and on the ward.
Main duties of the job
You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and provide exceptional support to both our clients/patients and their carers and relatives whilst maintaining professional boundaries. Our Trust was recently upgraded by CQC as GOOD in every domain except CARING, which was EXCELLENT. Due to this we are now the third leading Mental Health Trust in the country. We will strive to maintain our standards and always improve where we can and you will play an important part in this.
Working for our organisation
Woodlands has undergone recent structural changes in order to provide a safe environment for both patients and staff. Current feedback from patients tells us that the provision is a great improvement and allows staff to be out in the ward environment with the patients and have the time to nurse, which has a major positive impact on patient recovery time. Patient C’s comments stated that ‘this is the best inpatient stay I have had and now I am ready to go home feeling heard and valued’.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Our patients are keen for new healthcare assistants joining the team to demonstrate empathy, time to talk and listen. We are very proud of our standards and are looking for someone who is ready to learn and keen to develop. Development within this role is available as each support worker is encouraged to champion and take an interest in something on the ward which best fits their skills. Associate nurse training is also available as well as NVQ and the mandatory care certificate. Support will be provided for these.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good General Education
- NVQ level 3 or equivalent experience
Experience/Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with people with mental health needs in a paid or voluntary capacity
- Experience of working collaboratively i.e. with colleagues, wider teams, service users etc
- An understanding of confidentiality
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Nigel Simmons
- Job title
- Ward Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0300 304 0252
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