Healthcare Assistant

About the role

At [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal], we're looking for compassionate individuals with a strong commitment to supporting children and young people with complex needs. You'll ideally hold a relevant care qualification (e.g., NVQ Level 3) and have experience in care settings, particularly with children with complex health needs and previous NHS experience.

You'll be confident in supporting daily living tasks such as personal care, feeding, and dressing, and ready to develop skills in clinical areas like medication administration, gastrostomy/jejunostomy care, tracheostomy and associated airway care. A willingness to learn and a practical, hands-on approach are essential, as is the ability to contribute to rehabilitation goals and structured care plans.

Strong communication skills and a collaborative spirit are key – you'll work closely with families and professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team. You'll be expected to understand professional boundaries, safeguard vulnerable children, and champion equality and inclusion in everything you do.

This is a flexible role, requiring shift work including nights and weekends, and the ability to travel to site is essential. Public transport is available but limited; being a car driver is desirable.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Qualifications in children/care work such as NVQ Level 3 or equivalent (Essential)
• Care Certificate completion (Desirable)

Experience

• Experience in an aspect of care work (Essential)
• Experience working with children (Essential)
• Experience with children who have complex health needs (Desirable)
• NHS care experience (Desirable)

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to work in partnership with families and children (Essential)
• Able to meet child's daily living needs (dressing, washing, feeding) (Essential)
• Willingness to develop knowledge and skills (Essential)
• Able to learn medication administration, gastrostomy feeds, and other clinical skills (Essential)
• Able to carry out rehabilitation programmes and goal setting (Essential)
• Written and verbal communication skills (Essential)
• Ability to work as part of a team and wider multi-professional team (Essential)
• Able to undertake primary HCA role for a child (Essential)
• Able to demonstrate competency in medication and gastrostomy feeding (Essential)
• Proven ability to carry out rehabilitation/social programmes (Desirable)

Other Requirements

• Awareness of safeguarding vulnerable children (Essential)
• Understanding of work-related boundaries (Essential)
• Ability to work shifts including weekends and nights (Essential)
• Ability to travel to site (Essential)
• Car driver (Desirable)
• Understanding of equal opportunities and social model of disability (Essential)

Additional Information

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] is the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. Our values - Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence - guide everything we do. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust.

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Employer Details

Employer: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]
Address: Chailey Clinical Services, Beggars Wood Road, North Chailey, BN8 4EF
Website: https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/

Contact: Lauren Mundy, Specialist Nursing Team Lead – [contact hidden] – [contact hidden]