Wider healthcare team

Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) are a key support to clinical staff throughout the hospitals within the Trust to provide a high level of care to our patients. The work is varied and involves direct personal care washing, dressing, monitoring and interacting with patients to ensure that they are as comfortable as possible during their time in our services. HCA roles are at the main Trust sites within General Health, Mental health, Specialist Services Directorates and Forensic Services Division.

At entry level HCAs require good levels of numeracy and literacy with GCSE or equivalent in Maths or English and an NVQ Level qualification. Some level of healthcare experience or care work is desirable and a willingness to be confident in using their initiative whilst being a team player with good communication, organisation and observation skills. Healthcare assistants work a 24-hour rota including nights, evenings and weekend working.

As part of your training and development you will work towards your Care Certificate and with further training and experience you can apply for a senior healthcare assistant role or with the required qualifications/ academic ability for the Trainee Nursing Associate training programme, and ultimately towards becoming a registered nurse should this be your aspiration.

Peer support workers have lived experience of mental health problems and recovery and are able to offer essential emotional and practical support to people experiencing similar challenges whilst building hope and inspiring relationships. Within CAMHS they will play an important role in making mental health support more visible and easily accessible for children, young people and their families. They will also actively help young people to access the right support at the right time, while also involving them in service delivery and improvements.

The ethos of peer support is to share lived experience with compassion, honesty and empathy to help other people who are going through their own struggles – epitomises recovery: we are not alone, we can live meaningful lives and we can build a better future for ourselves.

The roles are situated throughout the Trust including Highbury, Stonebridge Centre, Bracken House, Heather House and Millbrook.

At entry level the role requires a good level of education and the ability to be flexible and resourceful, demonstrating a compassionate non-judgemental approach. As part of your ongoing training you will be required to complete the peer support training course which equips trainees with the skills and techniques necessary to become a peer support worker. Trainees learn how to share their story in a way that feels safe, how to actively listen and about non-directive approaches to problem-solving.

The ward clerks are an integral part of the support function within clinical and non-clinical areas working across all directorates Adult Services, Mental Health Services, Specialist Services Directorate and Forensic Services Division.  Ward Clerks co-ordinate the comprehensive administration service to patients, carers and the ward team from booking appointments, organising patient transport, and all day to day office duties to ensure the smooth operational running of the ward.

Suitable applicants will need good literacy, numeracy, data entry and processing skills with experience in an admin or customer focused role is advantageous.  Confidence in liaising with a variety of people, being a good team player, and proficient in the use of technology is also key to working in this role.

Employment advisers (EAs) work in mental health services. They provide practical support to adults and young people who have mental health issues to help them find, retain or return to employment. The advisors work closely with clinical staff to provide 'shared care' to service users and actively engage with employers to identify jobs that meet clients’ individual aspirations. They support people to find work that is right for them and provide them with valuable support to identify their potential and to integrate within society.

EAs work closely with clients to understand their skills, background and experience, their aspirations for paid work, and any barriers they may face, as well as sourcing often ‘hidden’ job opportunities through building relationships with employers. EAs work with members of a community mental health team or within our Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service, working closely with clinical professionals in managing symptoms at work, medication reviews and supporting rehabilitation needs such as social skill development and budgeting and with local job centres housing and accommodation providers and debt counselling agencies. You will be required to monitor progress being made and make sure the support you provide is effective and maintain your knowledge of changing practice within the area of employment support and rehabilitation.

Roles within this area include Employment Advisors, Specialists and Senior Employment Advisor and are located within the IAPT teams at Nottingham, Leicester and within our Locality Mental Health Teams across Nottinghamshire County. 

Occupational therapy (OT) support workers and rehabilitation support (RS) workers under the supervision of occupational therapists. They offer practical support to help people overcome problems in carrying out day-to-day activities (occupations) of their lives. 

Illness, injury, disability or ageing can make ordinary tasks harder to do. This includes daily care (washing, dressing, eating), work or education and leisure. The OT team help people find ways to continue with activities which are important to them which may incorporate learning new ways to do things or making changes to the environment through equipment to make day to day tasks easier for our patients. OT and RS workers work with people of all ages and situations with a range of conditions which include assisting patients to adapt after major surgery, working with CAMHS to assist children with disabilities, working with dementia patients to develop strategies and people with mental health illness to provide support with their day to day tasks.

OT and RS support workers may help people to use aids and equipment, including assistive technology which helps profoundly disabled people communicate, use IT, get about and control household services and equipment (lights, TV, etc.), in addition to offering practical support to patients in their homes to enable the smooth transition from hospital back home as part of the rehabilitation process.

The RSW and OT are based at locations throughout the Trust including Lings Bar Hospital, Retford, Stapleford Care Centre, Ashfield and Forensic services sites.

At entry level OT and RS support workers need a good level numeracy and literacy and some experience or qualifications in health or social care. As an RSW or OT support worker, you need to be able to motivate our patients while showing compassionate and acceptance of patient’s lifestyle. The need to be flexible to ensure their physical and mental needs are met. You will need to be confident to talk to patients and families on care plans and equipment needs and be able to deal with patients with challenging behaviors. You will be based at a hospital within the Trust but will be required to travel within the community to assess patients and their requirements at their homes.

Nursing Associate is a relatively new role within the healthcare team. Nursing Associates (NAs) work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver care for patients and the public.

Trainee Nursing Associates (TNAs) are funded development roles, and Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust has identified a significant number of placement opportunities across all of our clinical services.  Over a two-year period, you will work clinically as a Trainee Nursing Associate and undertake day release to study for a level 5 fully funded Foundation Degree at a local University within the Trust region. This will lead to you becoming a fully registered Nursing Associate with the Trust, and potential to develop your career even further as a Registered Nurse.

As a TNA you will have a strong values base and a passion to care and support others. You will have strong relationship skills and be willing to develop your understanding within ward and hospital-based settings working across the key areas of Mental health, CAMHS and IDD.

The Trainee Nurse Associate role will appeal to those with personal ambition to embrace this new Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) regulated role and with equal commitment given to patient care and personal development. You will receive support in your academic journey from a clinical educator, work-based supervisor and academic support from the University.

The tasks and responsibilities will vary, depending on the care setting you work in. You’ll need to demonstrate the values and behaviours of the NHS Constitution and a knowledge of physical health, mental health and illness prevention. The Trainee Nursing associates placements are throughout the Trust including Highbury, Rampton, Millbrook, Bassetlaw and Arnold Lodge, and also as part of our community healthcare teams.

At entry level you will need GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in Maths and English, or Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English as a minimum. You will also need to demonstrate your ability to study to level 3 or equivalent, and commit to completing the Nursing Associate Apprenticeship programmes, to fulfill the criteria required by the University.

Phlebotomists collect blood samples from patients to help diagnose illness. The samples are examined in a laboratory and the results can be used to diagnose diseases and conditions. As a Phlebotomist you will need to ensure care and attention to the patient as all times to ensure that their quality of care is maintained, blood is collected, labelled and stored correctly to enable accurate testing of the sample.

Phlebotomists may work in hospitals, clinics or health centers across the NHS, and we have a number of roles across the county in our general health service provision.

At entry level you will require to become a trainee phlebotomist at least two GCSEs or equivalent in addition to BTEC or equivalent vocational qualification in health and social care or healthcare is desirable with relevant work experience in a health or social care setting. You will need to be compassionate and kind with nervous patients and have good communication skills to be able to explain to our patients’ procedures. You will need to be methodical and able to follow instruction and confident in using your own initiative.

If you are interested in worker as a member of staff as part of a wider healthcare team, visit our current vacancies page.