Healthcare Support Workers

Podiatry assistants are sometimes known as footcare assistants and treat people of all ages with a variety of conditions. For example:

• children with lower limb pain or problems walking
• diabetes sufferers with circulation problems who may be at risk of amputation
• elderly people
• people with sports injuries
• dancers whose long hours of rehearsing and performing put stress on their feet causing injury
• people needing minor procedures such as nail surgery or laser treatment, using local anaesthetic
• people wanting advice about footwear or foot health

As a podiatry assistant, your work will include:

• cutting, filing and drilling toenails
• applying dressings and treatments
• booking appointments and other admin work
• taking insole templates
• advising patients and their carers on foot health and footwear

Where will I work?

In the NHS, you will work in hospital departments, clinics, health centres or GPs surgeries. Some podiatry assistants visit clients who cannot leave home or are in a nursing home.

There are no set entry requirements to become a podiatry assistant. You will need good literacy and numeracy and may ask for GCSEs, or equivalent.  Some roles may ask for an NVQ, BTEC or equivalent qualification in health and social care or healthcare.

Training and development

You will get the training you need to work as a podiatry assistant. This includes:

• diseases and conditions of the skin and nails
• anatomy and physiology
• conditions of the feet and legs
• nail operations

You may also have the opportunity to do an apprenticeship.

Some podiatry assistants join the College of Podiatrists as associate members. They runs courses, conferences and seminars where podiatry assistants can update their skills and network with others doing similar work. You could apply to train as a podiatrist.

Pay and benefits

Your standard working week will be around 37.5 hours and may include a mix of shifts, such as nights, early starts, evenings and weekends. You’ll be paid on the Agenda for Change (AFC) pay system, typically starting on band 2 or 3.

You’ll also have access to our generous pension scheme and health service discounts, as well as 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, which increases the longer you’re in service.

Healthcare assistants make sure the patient experience is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. It can also be the stepping stone into many other NHS roles. 

Working life

You’ll work under the guidance of a healthcare professional such as a nurse and your job will vary depending on where you’re based. For example, in a hospital you may:

• wash and dress patients
• serve meals and help to feed patients
• help people to move around
• make beds
• make patients feel comfortable
• monitor patients’ conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight

In a health centres and GP surgery, you may

• sterilise equipment
• do health checks
• restock consulting rooms
• process lab samples
• take blood samples
• do health promotion or health education work

As well as nurses, HCAs work with doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals. They have a lot of contact with patients.

Entry requirements 

There are no set entry requirements to become a healthcare assistant. You will need good literacy and numeracy and we may ask for GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths. Some roles may also ask for a healthcare qualification, such as BTEC or NVQ.

We do expect you to have some experience of healthcare or care work. This could be from paid or voluntary work. There are sometimes apprenticeships in healthcare that can give you experience to apply for HCA posts.

If you’re applying for a role in the NHS, you’ll be asked to show how you think the NHS values apply in your everyday work. 

Skills and personal characteristics needed 

To be a healthcare assistant, you’ll need to be

• caring and kind
• cheerful and friendly
• willing to be hands-on with patients
• willing to do personal care tasks (washing, toileting, etc)
• able to follow instructions and procedures
• able to work in a team but use their own initiative

You’ll also need

• communication skills, including listening
• organisation skills
• observational skills

Training and development

Your training as a healthcare assistant will include basic nursing skills and you’ll work towards the Care Certificate, developed by Skills for Care, Skills for Health and Health Education England and launched in 2015.

Find out more about the Care Certificate

You may also be offered the chance to study for qualifications through an apprenticeships such as:

• the NCFE CACHE level 2 Certificate in Healthcare Support Services
• the NCFE CACHE level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support

With experience and further training, you could become a senior healthcare assistant. You could then apply to train as an assistant practitioner or nursing associate. With the appropriate qualifications/evidence of academic ability, you could also train as one of the many degree-level healthcare professionals such as a nurse, podiatrist, midwife or occupational therapist.

Pay and benefits

Your standard working week will be around 37.5 hours and may include a mix of shifts, such as nights, early starts, evenings and weekends. As a healthcare assistant, you’ll be paid on the Agenda for Change (AFC) pay system, typically starting on band 2.

You’ll also have access to our generous pension scheme and health service discounts, as well as 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, which increases the longer you’re in service.

Working life

As a housekeeper, you will lead ward services such as catering, cleaning, equipment and supplies. The work can include:

• talking to and reassuring patients
• ordering non-clinical supplies
• keeping the ward clean and tidy 
• serving and clearing away meals
• preparing snacks and drinks
• reporting faults
• clerical and admin tasks
• ordering patient transport
• receiving visitors

With additional training, you may work with patients, taking on some of the duties of a healthcare assistant such as feeding patients, taking and recording blood pressure, temperature.

Where will I work?

You may work in any part of a hospital or trust including:

• minor injuries and illness units (MIIUs)
• community hospitals
• medical or surgical wards
• specialised units such as those for people with learning disabilities or mental health needs

Who will I work with?

Housekeepers are part of the ward team. You will work under the direction of the senior nurse or ward manager. You’ll work closely with domestic services, catering and linen services staff as well as nursing staff and clinical support staff.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements. You will need a good standard of numeracy and literacy. We may ask for GCSEs in English and maths. Some roles may also ask for relevant qualifications such as an NVQ in hotel services or healthcare.

Skills needed

Housekeepers need to be:

• physically fit for moving, lifting and cleaning
• able to work as part of a team
• friendly and caring
• understanding of patients’ needs
• able to take responsibility for their own work
• health and safety aware
• flexible and adaptable
• able to follow instructions and procedures

You’ll also need

• good organisational skills
• good communication skills with staff and patients

Training and development 

When you start work as a housekeeper you will get the training you need to do the job. This includes an introduction to the department and the ward and its systems and procedures. You will also have training in health and safety and manual handling. You may be encouraged to take a qualification in housekeeping which could be via an apprenticeship.

Pay and conditions

Housekeepers working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. You would typically start on AfC band 2. With further training and experience, you could apply for more senior positions such as domestic services team manager or senior housekeeper at band 3. Housekeepers usually work standard hours of around 37.5 a week. They may work shifts, which, in some departments, could involve nights, early starts, evenings and weekends.

Porters are the heartbeat of NHS hospitals, making sure crucial goods and items are delivered where they are needed most. They are also make sure patients are at the right place at the right time to get the treatment they need.

Working life

As a porter, you could be moving

• patients on trolleys or in wheelchairs
• stores and equipment
• samples of patients’ blood
• linens
• post and parcels
• waste
• cylinders of gas
• trolleys of food and drink

Depending on where you work in a hospital, you may have other duties including

• cleaning and tidying outside areas and gritting in cold weather
• cleaning indoors
• replacing curtains round beds in wards

Your job title will usually reflect your duties, for example

• catering services porter
• security/porter
• dirty linen and waste porter
• operating theatre porter
• kitchen porter
• assistant housekeeper

Some porters may drive an NHS vehicle around an NHS site or between sites.

Who will I work with?

You’ll usually be a part of the portering services team within an estates department and will have contact with clinical and non-clinical staff. Depending on you are are based, and your precise role, you could work with nurses, practitioners, corporate services staff, healthcare assistants, housekeepers, security staff or catering staff.

Entry requirements 

There are no set entry requirements. You will need a good standard of numeracy and literacy. We may ask for qualifications such as GCSEs in English and maths. We usually expect porters to have some relevant healthcare experience. This could be from voluntary or paid work in, for example, care work. Customer service skills are useful  and some employers may ask for a driving licence.

Must have skills

Porters must be 

• ​friendly and helpful
• calm and reassuring
• physically fit for lifting, walking, pushing, etc
• reliable
• willing to work with staff and patients of all ages and from all walks of life
• health and safety aware
• able to follow instructions carefully
• communication skills
• organisational skills

Training and development

There are no formal training courses/programme but most porters will have an induction course. This generally covers information about the hospital, health and safety, lifting techniques etc. Further training is then given on the job. 

With experience, you could move into a specialist porter role  with more responsibility and working in a particular department,. You could become a team leader, supervising the work of other porters. With further experience, you could become a manager, responsible for portering and other services across an NHS site or trust.

You may be able to move into other areas such as estates.

Pay and conditions

Porters working in the NHS are paid on the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. You would typically start on AfC band 2. Team leaders of porters are typically on AfC band 3. Porters work standard hours of around 37.5 a week. Some may work shifts including early starts, evenings, nights and weekends.

You’ll also have access to our generous pension scheme and health service discounts, as well as 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.