Job summary
- Main area
- Healthcare Assistant
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 364-A-9151
- Employer
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Gosfield Ward, The Lakes
- Town
- Colchester
- Salary
- £24,625 - £25,674 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 11/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Healthcare Assistant - Gosfield Ward
Band 3
About Us
EPUT provides community health, mental health and learning disability services to support more than 3.2 million people living across Bedfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. Also:
- We are among the largest employers in the in the East of England region, with more than 10,000 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- We run the COVID-19 vaccination programme across mid and south Essex and Suffolk and north east Essex.
EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 following the merger of North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT). A new leadership team was established at the Trust in 2020.
Our vision and values
Our Vision
“To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care”.
Our Purpose
“We care for people every day. What we do together, matters”.
Our Values
- We Care
- We Learn
- We Empower
Our strategic objectives
- We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
- We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
- We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
- We will help our communities to thrive.
Our services
- Mental Health Services
- Community Health Services
- Learning Disabilities Services
- Social Care
Find out more about the services we offer in our service directory.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 3 Health Care Assistant to join our team on Gosfield Ward, an acute adult inpatient service at The Lakes, Colchester.
You will be responsible for assisting the professional team in providing care for patients in an inpatient environment. Under supervision of qualified team members, you will also implement and assist with the evaluation of individual plans of care.
You will be expected to work collaboratively with key partner organisations, service users, carers, clinicians and other practitioners within the multi-disciplinary team in delivering services; providing a 7 day a week, 24 hours a day service for 365 days a year working shifts as appropriate and as rostered.
Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all of our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately your application form be rejected from the process.
Please note this vacancy requires a face to face interview with the Recruiting Manager. Applicants that are unable to attend a face to face interview need not apply.
Main duties of the job
- To fulfill the role of Co-Worker under the supervision of a qualified nurse/clinician.
- To deliver planned care to service users identified by the nominated professional.
- Assist qualified staff in the physical monitoring of a patient's health, including monitoring of blood pressure, pulse , temperature, respiration, weight, drug and alcohol screening (after appropriate training).
- Assist senior staff in the planning and delivery of therapeutic and social activities for patients in the clinical area.
- To participate, where appropriate, in the initial assessment of the service user's problems, planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions, as required, ensuring that the service users physical, psychological and social needs are taken into account at all times.
- To deliver effective individualised care in response to service user's needs under the supervision of the nominated professional, providing a range of supportive interventions
- To ensure clear and concise documentation of individual service user care in all service user's files and that these are stored according to local policy.
- Observe and report changes in the service user's physical condition or mental health to the nominated professional.
- Contribute to the management and support of patients who exhibit challenging behaviour.
Working for our organisation
EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;
- Season Ticket Loans
- NHS discounts for staff
- Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
- Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
- The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
- Day One Flexible Employer
The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment
Join our Staff bank
What is Staff Bank?
Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.
All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.
If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be responsible for assisting the professional team in providing care for patients in an inpatient environment. Working from time to time without direct supervision but under the supervision of qualified team member, you will implement and assist with the evaluation of individual plans of care for patients and in their management and care under the guidance of the ward manager.
You will be expected to work collaboratively with key partner organisations, service users, carers, clinicians and other practitioners within the multi-disciplinary team in delivering services; providing a 7 day a week, 24 hours a day service for 365 days a year working shifts as appropriate and as rostered.
In delivering your duties you are expected to display behaviours that are aligned with the Trust values and as required in accordance with the NHS Constitution at all times.
- Monitor supplies of laundry, emergency clothing and toiletries
- Report and document incidents as required
- Report all malfunctions, shortage and inadequacies of equipment and supplies to senior staff.
- Co-operate with senior staff to report and investigate incidents such as complaints and accidents and ensure that appropriate documentation is completed.
- Take part in service development and review
- Ensure the service meets the agreed performance / contractual targets and adheres to local and government initiatives
- Undertake and complete training relevant to the national Care Certificate competency framework
In addition to the above duties you will also be expected to perform the below key activities in line with your job role;
- Complete mandatory training in line with Trust policy and procedures
- To participate in the staff appraisal process and to undertake for any staff you manage
- To keep yourself updated on all matters relating to Trust policy
- To provide management supervision where appropriate
HCA Academy
The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) brings together key health, care, community, and voluntary sector organisations from across our area. Our aim is to work together in partnership to join up health and care services, improving our population’s health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. One such example of this collaborative work is the launch of our HCA Academy, an ICS initiative between Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) to support the incoming Health Care assistant (HCA) workforce. The academy models a ‘one workforce’ cross system approach to the onboarding, induction, education and experience of Healthcare Assistants.
To support this ‘one workforce model’ the successful candidate for this post will be required to attend our 5 day (Monday to Friday) face to face Induction Programme at our MSE ICS Education Hub at Brentwood Community Hospital. Your start date will therefore fall on one of two of the HCA Academy induction dates across the month, which will be discussed and agreed during the recruitment process.
Our HCA Academy Induction programme has been designed to train and support the successful candidate through the early stages of their employment at EPUT and will provide opportunities to enhance skills, knowledge and experience.
Further information will be provided post interview.
This will be followed by an additional 5 day (Monday to Friday) EPUT corporate / mandatory training welcome. (EPUT Welcome will be varied between face to face and virtual delivery).
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria
- Educated to GCSE grade c or above in English & Maths
- Demonstrated a commitment for further learning
- Willingness to complete Health & Social Care Level 2/3 apprenticeship
Desirable criteria
- Previous NHS experience
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Awareness of safeguarding
- Awareness of confidentiality
Desirable criteria
- Basic understanding of legislation relating to care.
- Awareness of NICE guidance
Skills & Experience
Essential criteria
- Effective Communication skills
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in a team
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Jacqueline McCormack
- Job title
- Ward Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01206 228714
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