Published on: 29 October 2021
A shortlist is being drawn up in a recruitment campaign which will see an NHS trust offer jobs on the day of interview as it prepares for the busy winter ahead.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust is looking to fill 50 new Health Care Assistant (HCA) roles as it looks to boost its frontline teams and support existing staff who have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
Candidates with a background in customer service, as well as those with previous experience of working in the care sector, are all in the running for the roles, with transferable people skills seen as the vital ingredient required to deliver compassionate care to patients.
The new recruits will be deployed to support busy hospital wards across South Tyneside and Sunderland and other areas of the Trust and will gain valuable experience to launch their care careers.
Interviews are due to take place over two days, starting on Wednesday, November 10, with the panel to make an on-the-day decision about who will be offered a position.
Their pre-employment checks will begin straight away and when they start with the Trust, they will be given training and support as they get to know the job and settle into the organisation.
They will work towards gaining the nationally-recognised Care Certificate and offered ongoing opportunities to develop their careers.
Anthony Watson, the Trust’s Head of Nursing Workforce, said: “We are looking for people who are caring, compassionate and empathetic and have transferable skills for the nursing sector.
“We’re also asking for staff who are able to work in a team but use their own initiative and are resilient and flexible in their approach to work.
“It is a very rewarding job and we give staff the opportunity to develop in the role.
“The role of a HCA offers the chance to make a real difference every day and they play an absolutely vital part in patient care.
“There will complete the Care Certificate, build on their education and add to their competencies and we will support them through that.”
The job will see them carry out a variety of tasks as they help care for patients across the Trust’s hospitals, from support with washing and dressing, monitoring patients and make patients feel comfortable.
Applicants need a Level 2 qualifications, such as an NVQ, and previous customer services experience.
People who would like to find out more about the role of an HCA with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust can email stsft.nmahpworkforce@nhs.net
Anyone interested in joining the NHS can visit https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/ or the Trust’s own jobs page via https://www.stsft.nhs.uk/join-our-teams.uk
More about the work of HCAs can be found through https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/healthcare-support-worker/roles-healthcare-support-worker/healthcare-assistant
