Apprentice Health Care Support Worker - COVID-19 in Bradford

We are always looking for enterprising and innovative approaches to the way we provide our services. We are a national centre for telemedicine and introduced telehealth to the UK offender healthcare sector and also provide the service to patients in their care homes. Community matters to us and we are supported by 400 dedicated volunteers and have strong links with Bradford University, Craven College and Leeds City College to ensure we inspire the workforce of the future.

We want to attract staff who embrace our ‘Right Care’ behaviours of compassion, a commitment to quality of care and working together for patients – we want to make these part of our DNA.

This is an exciting opportunity to take a first step into a career in healthcare with an award winning acute hospital trust working in partnership with an outstanding college of further education.

We are now looking to recruit a number of caring, compassionate and motivated individuals to join our next apprentice healthcare support worker programme leading to a permanent healthcare support worker post upon satisfactory completion of the apprenticeship.

We expect you to:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have good numeracy and literacy skills
• Have excellent communication skills
• Be able to demonstrate a caring and compassionate disposition and the commitment to work in a challenging but rewarding health care environment

As an apprentice, you can expect from us:

• Full training by:
  • Working with experienced staff
  • Learning job-specific skills
  • Attending weekly classroom based teaching sessions at Airedale Hospital provided by Keighley College
  • Achieving the “Fundamentals of Care Certificate” (Care Certificate) within 3 months of commencement
  • Achieving a Level 2/3 (depending upon previous qualifications) vocational qualification as a Health Care Support Worker within 18 months of commencement
  • Support for functional skills training in English & Maths if required
• All of your training will be paid for in full
• Subject to the satisfactory completion of your apprenticeship, we will offer you a permanent Health Care Support Worker post at the Trust
• We will pay you during your apprenticeship which will last between 12 and 18 months:
  • Initially, the national apprentice wage (current rates are available from the .gov website) until you have completed the Care Certificate; this usually takes 3 months.
  • From completion of the Care Certificate until you have completed 12 months in post you will be paid at least £5.90 per hour
  • After 12 months you will be paid at agenda for change Band 2 rates of pay.
• On satisfactory completion of your apprenticeship you will be offered a permanent Band 2 HCSW post (current rates can be found by following the same link above)

During the first 3 months you will be expected to work your hours between 07:00-17:30 Monday to Friday (the exact hours will depend upon the clinical area you are assigned to). After you have achieved the Care Certificate you may be expected to work any shifts Monday to Sunday between 07:00-20:30 (again depending upon the clinical area you are assigned to). After 6-8 months and at the discretion of your manager, you may also be asked to start working night shifts. Unsocial hours pay enhancements will be paid in accordance with Agenda for Change pay scales. Once in a permanent post, you will be expected to work the normal shift patterns associated with that post; this may include weekends, bank holidays and nights.

There are some eligibility criteria for government funded Apprenticeships schemes that apply to these posts along with some locally determined criteria. Applicants must therefore be aged 18 or over at the expected start date; have been resident in the UK/EU for the last three years; must not hold a degree or level four qualification (or above) in a health related subject; apprentices will normally be offered an 37.5 hrs per week (full time) contract inclusive of college days.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 20th September 2020. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an assessment process at Keighley College on Friday 2nd October 2020 (please keep this date free in your diary). Due to the current situation with the Coronavirus Pandemic and social distancing rules at present, we may need to do these assessments remotely – therefore it would be helpful if you have access to a computer/laptop. Please let us know if this is a problem so we can support you accordingly. Successful candidates will be invited for a remote interview with Airedale NHS Foundation Trust and Keighley College Friday 9th October 2020 (please keep this date free in your diary). The apprenticeships are expected to commence employment on Monday 7th December 2020.