As a health care support worker you help professional staff to look after patients in hospitals, nursing homes or in the community. You carry out basic care tasks, working as part of a team under the supervision of a qualified nurse or another qualified health worker such as a physiotherapist.

The Work

You could be:

• making beds, and helping move patients in their bed to be more comfortable
• serving meals and helping some patients with eating meals
• helping patients bathe, shower, wash or dress themselves
• changing incontinence pads, fetching and emptying bedpans, removing soiled linen, or assisting patients to the toilet
• within the community, helping patients with conditions such as learning difficulties be more independent by accompanying them on shopping trips or outings
• assisting patients to other parts of the hospital such as x-ray
• helping other members of staff deal with emergencies and coping when a patient dies
• taking note of any changes in the condition of the patients and reporting these to the professional staff
• perhaps carrying out tasks which, in the past, only professional staff did, such as measuring blood pressure or taking urine samples.

Pay

Under NHS Agenda for Change, health care support workers start on Band 2, £17,110 to £19,470 a year. With promotion your salary would rise to Band 3, £18,292 to £21,349 a year. The current pay scales are from April 2018.

Conditions

• You work in hospital wards, hospices, nursing or residential homes.
• You work shifts and sometimes unsocial hours.
• You wear a uniform and sometimes protective clothing.
• There is heavy lifting and moving involved.
• You have to deal with bodily fluids.

Getting In

• A good general education is useful.
• You may need to sit an entrance test.
• It is useful to have done some first aid or have experience of working with people.
• You can use experience of caring at home to apply for jobs.
• You will require a satisfactory PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) check to show that you are suitable for this type of work. Contact Disclosure Scotland for details.
• You should have a good level of physical fitness.

Job Outlook Scotland

Job Outlook Scotland and UK

  Scotland

2018

35193

1.9 %

RISE

2023

35852

  United Kingdom

2018

351904

2.8 %

RISE

2023

361665

LMI data powered by EMSI UK

What Does it Take?

You should be:

• able to deal with suffering, distress and sometimes death
• a good communicator
• patient and caring
• reassuring and able to explain hospital procedures clearly
• tactful – you must treat all patients with respect
• able to remain calm in emergencies and use your initiative
• able to work well in a team.

Training

• Training is on the job.
• You would follow an induction process which is reviewed yearly. Training includes hygiene and infection control, safe moving and handling techniques, communication skills and basic life support skills.
• You would normally begin by working towards a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) at SCQF Level 6, such as Health Care Support (Clinical) or Social Services and Health Care.
• You may be able to move on to SVQs at SCQF Level 7, 8 or 9.

Getting On

• With experience and particularly if you take qualifications, you may be able to move to a higher grade, such as a senior health care support worker.
• You could move to another role such as theatre support worker.
• You could work for a private company as well as for the National Health Service (NHS).
• You might be able to study part time for the adult nursing degree at the Open University, which can lead to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Video

Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.