Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Healthcare Support Worker

The closing date is 29 December 2025

Job summary

We are very excited to be advertising this Band 3 Healthcare Support Worker post working with people with dementia. You will be working alongside nursing staff and consultant to aid with the overall day to day activities ensuring the care and safety of patients at our acute in-patient ward in Worthing. This is a particularly exciting time to be joining our team, as we have recently reorganised our West Sussex in-patient dementia services which are now all housed within our specialist unit; The Forget Me Not Unit in Worthing.

This is a challenging but hugely rewarding role with lots of progression available to the right person.

The post-holder will work as part of the dedicated MDT supporting women with dementia in our 10 bedded dementia ward. The successful candidate will join a friendly, highly-skilled, enthusiastic and supportive multi-disciplinary team. We will be taking a keen interest in helping you to develop the wide range of skills important to this role so experience is desirable but not essential. You will receive regular managerial and clinical supervision.

Main duties of the job

As a Healthcare Support Worker, your main responsibilities will be to work with the multi-disciplinary team to establish and deliver a therapeutic programme of care for service users.

You will be required to communicate with patients, relatives and carers and assisting with clinical duties, including personal care and ensuring infection prevention and control standards are maintained.

You will also undertake personal care duties for service users in hospital, report patient's conditions to qualified staff and document care delivery in patients notes.

You will need to use your strong communication skills, attention to detail and motivation to provide quality care for service users.

About us

The Forget Me Not Unit aims to reduce distress caused to people with dementia or those at risk of dementia who need to be treated in and acute hospital bed. The unit provides a calm, dementia friendly environment with patients being cared for by staff who are competent to meet their needs.

NHS staff discounts to so many shops, restaurant and gyms
Support in career development
Care certificate completion

We'd love you to join our Trust, rated 'good' overall and 'outstanding' for caring by the CQC. Our staff agree, in our recent staff survey 82% told us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.

Other key survey results:

79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work in their team
77% identifying opportunities to show initiative in their roles

Date posted

17 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum / pro rata for part time

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

354-AN-20921

Job locations

Forget Me Not Unit, Swandean

Arundel Road

Worthing

BN13 3EP

Job description

Job responsibilities

In order to be a successful Healthcare Assistant in our team you will:

Essential

Have a recognised qualification in an area related to the workplace or equivalent technical/life skills (transferable skills)
Be fit to undertake any duties related to the role including physical interventions for the management of violence and aggression
Have experience working as part of a team
Have excellent communication skills
Have evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning
Have a professional and friendly demeanour

It would also be advantageous if you:

Have experience working within a mental health setting
NVQ Level 2 in care

Person Specification EXPERIENCE Essential

Experience of working as part of a team
Good communication skills

Desirable

NVQ Level 2 in Care

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Job description

Job responsibilities

In order to be a successful Healthcare Assistant in our team you will:

Essential

Have a recognised qualification in an area related to the workplace or equivalent technical/life skills (transferable skills)
Be fit to undertake any duties related to the role including physical interventions for the management of violence and aggression
Have experience working as part of a team
Have excellent communication skills
Have evidence of a commitment to lifelong learning
Have a professional and friendly demeanour

It would also be advantageous if you:

Have experience working within a mental health setting
NVQ Level 2 in care

Person Specification EXPERIENCE Essential

Experience of working as part of a team
Good communication skills

Desirable

NVQ Level 2 in Care

See attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.

Person Specification

- Knowledge/Experience

Essential

Experience of working as part of a team
Good communication skills
dementia care experience

Person Specification

- Knowledge/Experience

Essential

Experience of working as part of a team
Good communication skills
dementia care experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.