Healthcare Support Worker Careers

The Role of the Healthcare Support Worker

Integrated Care Northamptonshire have produced a selection of Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) videos that showcase the role and responsibilities across a variety of settings.

These videos have been developed to:

Raise the profile of HCSW roles and attract new to care candidates to meet increased demand for HCSWs.
Provide helpful insights into the daily roles and responsibilities to improve the candidate’s understanding of the role and to manage expectations prior to commencing in post.
Efficiently recruit the right people for the role and to reduce risk of early on attrition through improved information from the outset.
Take potential candidates on a journey and help them understand what type of HCSW roles are available in Northants, the key areas of the roles, the most rewarding and the most challenging parts of the role.
Use as a recruitment and attraction resource, supporting vacancy information, using as an engagement resource with talent pipelines.

Mandy Staples – ICB’s Director of Nursing takes you on an interactive journey using graphics and interviews with our caring and compassionate healthcare support workers across all our settings.

Message from Mandy:

I am delighted to be part of a series of videos we have released as part of our recruitment and retention programme for Healthcare Support Workers. We hope you take a moment to view these videos which gives a full flavour of the role across all settings and take advantage of using them in your own recruitment activity.

Healthcare Support Workers

Meet our Healthcare Support Workers

Here, we take you on an interactive journey of a family that requires health and care intervention from our compassionate and caring Healthcare Support Workers. Each professional walks you through their role, why they love it, the support available and career opportunities.

Would you like to start your health or care career with us?

Healthcare Support Workers - Acute (Hospital)

EJ is a Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) from Northampton General Hospital, part of University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.

EJ talk us through the role and responsibilities of a HCSW within a hospital setting.

Healthcare Support Workers - Adult Social Care

Here you will meet a group of Healthcare Support Workers from Adult Social Care; Gloria, Ashleigh, Amani, Nya, James and Paul.

They all talk us through why they become a HCSW, why they chose Adult Social care, what they love about the job and what opportunities for development they have had and the career pathways available.

Healthcare Support Workers - Mental Health

Dean, is a Senior Healthcare Support Worker at St Andrews Healthcare a charity based in Northampton.

Dean tells us all about his role, why he loves what he does and how he makes a difference to his clients everyday.

Healthcare Support Workers - Midwifery

Anita and Tracy are Midwifery Support Workers from Northampton General Hospital, part of the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.

Anita and Tracy share why they became Midwifery Support Workers, what the role is all about, how the role works closely with Midwives and the development opportunities.

Healthcare Support Workers - Primary Care

Lisa is a Healthcare Support Worker at Monksfield Surgery, Northamptonshire.

Lisa tells us all about the HCSW role in Primary Care (GP practices), why she loves her role and the support she gets from her team.

Why become a Healthcare Support Worker?

As a healthcare support worker, you'll be the at the heart of the patient's journey, and you play a vital role in keeping health and care running smoothly.

You'll support patients hands-on and could be doing everything from blood taking, to helping them feel comfortable, changing beds, assisting with toileting etc.

You'll work in a vast and diverse environment and there are many support roles you can choose from across primary, secondary and social care.

No two days are the same, it's a really special role with unlimited development opportunities.

What matters most is that you are caring and compassionate about what you do, that you are passionate about helping others and that you enjoy working as part of a team.

Where can the Healthcare Support Worker role take me?

Beginning your career as a Healthcare Support Worker is a great starting point. The role will give you a flavour of what's it's like working in a health or care environment and with patients. From here you'll gain the experience and exposure to different roles that may lead you into thinking about development opportunities.

If you start in the Healthcare Support Worker role you can work towards other support worker roles in other departments such as; dietetics or physio. Alternatively, you could become a Nursing Associate or a Registered Nurse.

The opportunities are endless.

What if I have no experience?

It really doesn't matter if you're just leaving school, college, looking for a career change or you haven't worked in a while, you probably have a lot of the skills that we're looking for and the rest will come with experience and training.

All we ask is that you have the right values.

That you care, have good communication skills and that you can adapt quickly to changing environments. Being a good problem-solver is key along with being compassionate and resilient.

Think you've got what it takes? APPLY NOW

Ready to apply?

If you feel you have the skills and qualities we're looking for and you have a good understanding of the Healthcare Support Worker role; you've viewed our videos and supporting information, then you may be ready to apply.

We always recommend where possible, that you gain some hands-on experience in a health or care environment before you step into a clinical position. You can gain experience through volunteering or work experience.

This supports your knowledge, makes you stand out on job applications and enables you to identify whether you like the role or not before you apply and commit.