Job summary
- Main area
- Operating Department
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Shifts including nights and weekends)
- Job ref
- 249-7266408-2
- Employer
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Great Western Hospital
- Town
- swindon
- Salary
- £24,465 - £26,598 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Healthcare Support Worker
NHS AfC: Band 3
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.
Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.
We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.
The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.
Job overview
PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY
A Senior Health Care Support Worker (SHCSW) is a core member of the Perioperative team delivering care to patients and supporting registered practitioners to deliver high quality, compassionate health care to people in accordance with assessed needs and a care plan.
You will carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical healthcare tasks, under the direct or indirect supervision of the registered healthcare practitioner, in accordance with the Trust values and the competencies outlined for the role.
There will be opportunities to develop your knowledge and skills, specific to your needs. Training will be provided to ensure you have the required core skills and skills set specific to your area of work. You will also be supported to obtain your care certificate if you do not have this qualification as well as completion of your competencies.
Main duties of the job
- Obtain consent prior to giving care in accordance with Trust policies.
- Duties are delegated according to an agreed plan of care in association with the patient and in accordance with instructions from all members of the multidisciplinary team and training received.
- Not all duties are routine, and you will need to use your knowledge, experience and understanding to take decisions within your area of responsibility / work area.
Working for our organisation
Our STAR values – Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect – are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To carry out a range of clinical duties with minimal / no supervision, in which a competency has been assessed and recorded specific to the care environment, such as positioning of the patient to prevent pressure injury during surgery, application of surgical apparatus / devices as required for the surgery (e.g. diathermy grounding pad, mechanical VTE prophylactic devices), 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.
- To carry out a range of non-clinical duties with minimal / no supervision, in which a competency has been assessed and recorded specific to the care environment, such as preparing the perioperative area, pre-emptive actions to ensure the patient needs and those of perioperative team are met during surgery (e.g. additional instruments, emergency equipment etc) and identifying / retrieving appropriate clinical equipment (including instruments and consumables) to meet the need of the operating session.
- Participate in patient assessment providing high quality holistic patient care and escalating concerns about patients to other clinical staff
- Practice safe standards of care to patients following Trust guidelines and policies and policies and be able to concentrate for periods throughout the day with occasional interruptions.
Please see the attached job description for full information
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Care certificate (with evidence of completion)
- Level 3 (SCQF - 6) - City and Guilds
- NVQ 3
- BTEC National Diploma or experience equivalent
- Level 2 Functional Skills in English and maths or equivalent
Desirable criteria
- Completion of Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support (that maps to the Apprenticeship standard for Senior Health Care Support Worker)
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of ability to work as a member of a team
- Experience of working in healthcare and ability to demonstrate best practice and act as a role model
Desirable criteria
- Prior experience as a support worker
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Stacey Vallance
- Job title
- Lead Practitioner
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01793607197
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