Apprentice Healthcare Support Worker

Summary

Start your career as an Apprentice Health Care Support Worker (HCSW) at University Hospital Bristol and Weston (UHBW)! No experience needed—train to become a Senior HCSW. Join a caring community that values hard work and offers career growth. If you share our Trust Values—Supportive, Respectful, Innovative & Collaborative—apply now.

Wage

£23,615 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course

Senior healthcare support worker (level 3)

Hours

Shift patterns will vary each week

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 1 September 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Develop the skills to obtain consent prior to giving care in accordance with Trust policies.
Under supervision, follow individual patient care plans and report any changes immediately to the Registered Nurse/Assistant Practitioner.
Participate in basic patient assessment whilst providing personal care and feeding back to the registered nurse to ensure high standards of care, in particular relating to skin integrity and the alertness of the patient
Practice safe standards of care to patients following Trust guidelines and policies and be able to concentrate for periods throughout the day with occasional interruptions.
Ensure care is given in accordance with the infection prevention and health and safety policies and procedures.
Ensure that the patients bed space is clean, tidy, and accessible and that the person has what they need within easy reach.
Develop the skills to actively facilitate self-care and independence with patients.
Promote health education specific to the clinical area and in line with national and local policies
Develop the skills to maintain effective record keeping and communication with patients, relatives, and members of the Multidisciplinary team regarding all aspects of care
demonstrating a range of appropriate communication skills.
Ensuring equipment and stores are well maintained, taking appropriate action if the equipment is faulty
Work effectively as part of a team

Where you'll work

Bristol Royal Infirmary
Marlborough Street
Bristol
BS2 8HW

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Your training course

Senior healthcare support worker (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Core: Work in line with legislation, policies, standards, local ways of working and codes of conduct that apply to own role.
Core: Work within the scope of practice, the limits of own knowledge and skills, escalating and reporting to others when needed.
Core: Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide safe and non-discriminatory person-centred care and support with individuals’ established consent.
Core: Implement a duty of care, recognising and responding to safeguarding and protection concerns and acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm.
Core: Support individuals to make informed and positive lifestyle choices.
Core: Actively seek out and act on opportunities to support individuals to maximise their health, well-being and positive lifestyle choices.
Core: Recognise and respond to changes in an individual’s health and wellbeing.
Core: Recognise and respond to the signs and symptoms that an individual is in pain, distress or discomfort to maximise comfort and well-being.
Core: Promote and monitor access to fluids and nutrition in line with an individual’s care plan.
Core: Communicate with individuals, their families, carers and others in the workplace using techniques designed to facilitate understanding.
Core: Recognise and respond to limitations in an individual’s mental capacity.
Core: Maintain a safe and healthy working environment, using infection prevention and control techniques including hand washing, sanitisation, disinfection and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Core: Maintain the safe supply, storage, use and disposal of supplies and equipment.
Core: Move and handle equipment or other items safely and assist individuals.
Core: Take appropriate action in response to concerns, risks, incidents or errors and near misses arising in the workplace.
Core: Perform basic life support techniques.
Core: Recognise and respond to potential conflict, challenging behaviour or an escalating situation.
Core: Undertake own training and development activities and contribute to the training and development of others.
Core: Participate in appraisal to support professional development.
Core: Reflect on and develop your own practice.
Core: Record and store information related to individuals securely, including the safe use of technology.
Core: Report and share information related to individuals securely and in line with local and national policies, maintaining confidentiality, duty of confidence and disclosure.
Core: Participate in and support others with quality improvement activities in the workplace.
Core: Use investigatory techniques to source evidence to validate and improve the delivery of care and support within own scope of practice.
Core: Critically appraise sources of information and apply to practice.
Core: Provide leadership and act as a role model for others within the scope of own role.
Core: Contribute to mentoring and supervision of others in the workplace within the scope of own role.
Core: Undertake physiological measurements, selecting and using the correct tools or equipment.
Options 1 and 5: Adult nursing support and children and young people support: Support individuals with activities of daily living to develop and maintain their independence in line with their desired. outcomes and plan of care.
Options 1, 2 and 5: Adult nursing support, maternity support and children and young people support: Assist with tissue viability risk assessments and manage pressure areas.
Options 1 and 5: Adult nursing support and children and young people support: Assist with wound care in line with the care plan.
Options 1, 2 and 5: Adult nursing support, maternity support and children and young people support: Obtain and test specimens in line with the care plan.
Options 1, 2 and 5: Adult nursing support, maternity support and children and young people support: Provide care and support for individuals and their family during the end-of-life phase.
Options 1, 2, 5 and 6: Adult nursing support, maternity support, children and young people support and allied health professional therapy support: Contribute to signposting to relevant agencies and, discharge or transfer of individuals between services, in line with their care plan.
Options 1, 2, 4 and 5: Adult nursing support, maternity support, mental health support and children and young people support: Recognise and respond to deteriorations in physical health, mental health and wellbeing.
Option 1: Adult nursing support: Support adults to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing and for managing their own condition.
Option 2: Maternity support: Assist the midwife with teaching, feeding and hygiene needs of babies-parenting skills and antenatal and postnatal exercise.
Option 2: Maternity support: Assist health care professionals with antenatal and newborn screening and provide information to parents about immunisation activities.
Option 2: Maternity support: Provide support to the maternity team by maintaining the supply of resources, instruments and equipment.
Option 2: Maternity support: Support personal care such as providing care for women with urethral catheters.
Option 2: Maternity support: Identify the baby and provide wristband or label in line with local security procedures.
Option 2: Maternity support: Care for the physical needs of babies by undertaking routine healthy baby observations and reporting any abnormalities.
Option 2: Maternity support: Support parents and carers to meet the developmental, nutritional and hygiene needs of babies.
Option 2: Maternity support: Work in partnership with families and other support services to support individuals in difficult circumstances, bereavement and loss.
Option 2: Maternity support: Provide support to the midwife and others in the multi-disciplinary team in an emergency situation during pregnancy, labour, birth or the postnatal period.
Option 3: Theatre support: Complete pre- and post-operative checklists.
Option 3: Theatre support: Support the surgical team to maintain the sterile field.
Option 3: Theatre support: Participate in team briefing, patient sign in, timeout, sign out and debriefing.
Option 3: Theatre support: Support and monitor the pre-medicated, sedated and unconscious individual.
Option 3: Theatre support: Measure and record an individual’s body fluid balance.
Option 3: Theatre support: Move, position and transport individuals and specialist equipment before, during and after surgery.
Option 3: Theatre support: Prepare the clinical environment and provide surgical instrumentation and supplementary items for the surgical team.
Option 3: Theatre support: Carry out counts for swabs, sharps, instruments and disposable items and take action if something is missing.
Option 3: Theatre support: Assist in receiving, handling and dispatching clinical specimens or blood products.
Option 4: Mental health support: Use strategies and tools to promote mental wellbeing and to support individuals with mental ill health.
Option 4: Mental health support: Observe, record and report changes and barriers, using proactive approaches to manage behaviour which challenges.
Option 4: Mental health support: Take an active approach in supporting individuals to manage their condition.
Option 4: Mental health support: Build, monitor and sustain therapeutic relationships with individuals, carers and their families.
Option 4: Mental health support: Promote a recovery-based approach that enables the individual to manage their condition.
Option 4: Mental health support: Enable and empower individuals to actively participate in society and recognise the impact of mental health on them and others.
Option 4: Mental health support: Identify situations of risk to yourself or others and take action including seeking support.
Option 4: Mental health support: Involve the individual, carers and family members in risk management processes.
Option 4: Mental health support: Review and promote your own mental health and wellbeing.
Option 5: Children and young people support: Support the development of children and young people through therapeutic play and learning.
Option 5: Children and young people support: Support children and young people through transitions by enabling shared or independent decision making.
Option 5: Children and young people support: Support parents, families and carers to meet the needs of children and young people.
Option 5: Children and young people support: Support children and young people before, during or after diagnostic, clinical or therapeutic procedures.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Provide therapeutic support in line with care plans to encourage independence, self-management and skills for everyday life.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Assist with undertaking clinical risk assessments and management plans.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Recognise the impact of mental or physical capacity, health condition, learning disability or overall wellbeing on the therapeutic or clinical task or intervention and when to adapt.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Enable individuals to meet optimum potential.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Facilitate group sessions to support health and well-being of individuals or communities.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Support people to engage in the community and access activities or resources in line with their treatment goals.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Identify, order or fit therapeutic equipment and resources in line with the individual’s care plan.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Use equipment and resources therapeutically in a safe way in line with local policy and procedure.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Demonstrate and teach the safe and appropriate use of therapeutic equipment and resources.
Option 6: Allied health professional therapy support: Complete safety checks for therapeutic equipment and resources, following protocols to report issues or make adaptations if appropriate.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Assist and support the multi-disciplinary team in the safe and effective operation and maintenance of the imaging environment.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Support the multi-disciplinary team in the safe flow of individuals through the imaging environment, recognising and complying with current legislation and best practice.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Prepare individuals for imaging procedures, including those that maybe pre-medicated, sedated or unconscious.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Support and position individuals during imaging procedures, including those that maybe pre-medicated, sedated or unconscious.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Support practitioners with the preparation and administration of medicines and contrast agents within the scope of own role.
Option 7: Diagnostic Imaging Support: Administer medicines supplied by a registered practitioner within the scope of own role.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Insert, flush and remove cannulas in line with local protocols and within the scope of own role.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Provide after care for individuals following imaging procedures.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Assist practitioners in setting up and maintaining aseptic or clean area in the imaging environment.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Support the multi-disciplinary team in the safe delivery of an imaging service.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Review and promote the health and wellbeing of self and others, including mental health.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Participate in team briefing, patient sign in, timeout, sign out and debriefing.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Assist with undertaking clinical risk assessments and management plans.
Option 7: Diagnostic imaging support: Recognise the impact of mental or physical capacity, health condition, learning disability or overall wellbeing on the therapeutic or clinical task or intervention and when to adapt.
Core: Work in line with legislation, policies, standards, local ways of working and codes of conduct that apply to own role.
Core: Work within the scope of practice, the limits of own knowledge and skills, escalating and reporting to others when needed.
Core: Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide safe and non-discriminatory person-centred care and support with individuals’ established consent.
Core: Implement a duty of care, recognising and responding to safeguarding and protection concerns and acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm.
Core: Support individuals to make informed and positive lifestyle choices.
Core: Actively seek out and act on opportunities to support individuals to maximise their health, well-being and positive lifestyle choices.
Core: Recognise and respond to changes in an individual’s health and wellbeing.
Core: Recognise and respond to the signs and symptoms that an individual is in pain, distress or discomfort to maximise comfort and well-being.
Core: Promote and monitor access to fluids and nutrition in line with an individual’s care plan.
Core: Communicate with individuals, their families, carers and others in the workplace using techniques designed to facilitate understanding.
Core: Recognise and respond to limitations in an individual’s mental capacity.
Core: Maintain a safe and healthy working environment, using infection prevention and control techniques including hand washing, sanitisation, disinfection and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Core: Maintain the safe supply, storage, use and disposal of supplies and equipment.
Core: Move and handle equipment or other items safely and assist individuals.
Core: Take appropriate action in response to concerns, risks, incidents or errors and near misses arising in the workplace.
Core: Perform basic life support techniques.
Core: Recognise and respond to potential conflict, challenging behaviour or an escalating situation.
Core: Undertake own training and development activities and contribute to the training and development of others.
Core: Participate in appraisal to support professional development.
Core: Reflect on and develop your own practice.
Core: Record and store information related to individuals securely, including the safe use of technology.
Core: Report and share information related to individuals securely and in line with local and national policies, maintaining confidentiality, duty of confidence and disclosure.
Core: Participate in and support others with quality improvement activities in the workplace.
Core: Use investigatory techniques to source evidence to validate and improve the delivery of care and support within own scope of practice.
Core: Critically appraise sources of information and apply to practice.
Core: Provide leadership and act as a role model for others within the scope of own role.
Core: Contribute to mentoring and supervision of others in the workplace within the scope of own role.
Core: Undertake physiological measurements, selecting and using the correct tools or equipment.

Your training plan

You will be pursuing a Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard as a Healthcare Support Worker, through Weston College
As part of this program, you will attend Weston College as instructed, for workshops
An assessor will conduct on-site observations to evaluate your progress, as well as supporting you in college throughout your apprenticeship
At the conclusion of your programme, your qualification will be assessed through an Apprenticeship Assessment

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4/C+)
Maths (grade 4/C+)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Initiative
Patience

Other requirements

Please be aware that this vacancy may close early if a high number of applicants are found and the start date may be subject to change.

About this company

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 15,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Company benefits

- Workplace wellbeing support - Wagestream (wage tracker) - Health service discounts

After this apprenticeship

Possible employment after completion

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WESTON COLLEGE OF FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Weston College Apprenticeships Team

apprenticeships@weston.ac.uk

01934411594

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000329110.

Apply now

Closes in 13 days (Friday 18 July 2025)

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