Job summary
Health Care Assistant - Recruitment Event
Department: Children's Services
Band 2/3 (starting salary£24,465 - £26,598 per annum)
Opportunities to start at Band 2 and progress to Band 3
**Please be advised you must have an NHS Care Certificate to be Band 3. You will be Band 2 until you pass this and your probation**
Hours: 37.5 hours per week over a variety of shifts.
(All MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working)
Welcome to the Children's Nursing Team at MKUH.
We are looking for a motivated, caring and dedicated individual to join our established Children's Nursing teams on Ward 4 (Paediatric Assessment Unit) and Ward 5 (Acute Children's Ward)
You will work collaboratively with the wider multi-disciplinary team helping to deliver family centred care for a cohort of babies, children and young people requiring admission to an acute hospital setting.
You will require patience, understanding, creativity and most of all a sense of fun to ensure that our patients cope well with their treatments and time in hospital.
We also work very closely with Neonatal Unit and our Children's Emergency Department, helping to staff these areas if needed.
If this role interests you, and would want an informal visit please contact:
Philippa (Pip) Cullen- Prince, Ward 5 Manager
Email: Philippa.CullenPrince@mkuh.nhs.uk
OR
Wadzanai (Elizabeth) Muchopa, Ward 4 Manager
Email: Wadzanai.muchopa@mkuh.nhs.uk
Interview date: 22nd December 2025
This role can not be sponsored.
Main duties of the job
We offer support for educational needs to ensure competence and continued development through access to both courses (relevant to the role) and day to day supervised 'learning on the job'.
Further training available includes: Basic Life Support and various skills training sessions such as venepuncture.
Children services at MKUH consist of the following:
Ward 4: Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) Ward 4 is open 24 hours a day, has 16 PAU beds that flexes capacity to meet the ever-changing needs of our children. We offer access to expert, evidence based and family centred assessment, treatment, and care.
Paediatric Day Surgery Unit:
6 bedded area open Monday to Friday, specific for day surgery cases, including dental, urology ENT, T&O and ophthalmology. Provides care to children all ages, from pre-op assessment, supporting children and families from admission to discharge.
Ward 5:
Ward 5 is a 22 bedded acute paediatric inpatient ward caring for acutely unwell babies, children and young people across a range of specialities.
Milton Mouse Unit:
Paediatric Outpatients:
Delivers specialist consultant and nurse led clinics for children that require long, and short term follow up of care.
Paediatric Day Care Unit
Provides planned infusions, transfusions and ongoing care to children and young people who do not require an overnight stay.
About us
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards - and the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Job description
Job responsibilities
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
''NHS Survey, 2024''94% feel that their role makes a difference to patience and service users.
Patient Care
Establish and maintain an open and sensitive communicative manner withchildren, relatives and staff.
Display friendly, helpful and respectful attention to everyone.
Assist visitors to the department as necessary.
Report any complaints or untoward incidents to the nurse in charge of theshift.
Answer the telephone, take accurate messages and relay as necessary.
Accompany children and parents to other departments when requested by nurse in charge, i.e. X-ray Department.
Domestic/Environmental
Assist the staff to keep the ward environment clean and tidy. To include the cleaning and re-stocking of cupboards, sluice, clean utility room, storerooms, treatment rooms.
Maintain a safe environment by ensuring visitor beds are safely packed up during the day and access to the bedspace is free from hazards.
Report any faulty equipment, to EBME and inform the nurse in charge of the shift promptly.
Record temperature of fridges daily in kitchen, drug room, and cubicles where appropriate and take action if temperature outside limits.
General Duties
Undertake tasks as may be required within scope of practice and skillset.
Deal with urgent dispatches of specimens as necessary.
Perform tasks as may be considered relevant by senior sister / Nurse in charge.
Contribute to the effective use of resources.
Use the relevant hospital IT systems and attend regular hospital IT training
Personnel
Demonstrate a professional approach to patients, relatives and colleagues
Comply with all Trust policies and procedures
Develop appropriate nursing skills for the provision of care.
Highlight any identified training needs to senior sister or paediatric practicefacilitator.
Patient Care
Escort/chaperone parents and children as directed by nursing or medical staff.
Maintain childrens position and safety in bed or chair, using manual handling equipment (once trained).
Help children to mobilise within the constraints of their illness, using appropriate mobility aids (once trained).
Carry out toileting needs at the right time and maintain privacy at all times.
Summary of key duties:
Keeping departments tidy and ensuring equipment is clean and stocked, ready to use.
Taking basic observations and updating patient records
1:1 care/supervision for unaccompanied children, children who require mental health support and those with additional needs.
Support with feeding and nutritional needs, including assisting with meals bottle feeding and breastfeeding support for mothers.
Assist with personal cares
Making sure patients are comfortable
Helping patients move around
Helping to serve meals
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
''NHS Survey, 2024''94% feel that their role makes a difference to patience and service users.
Patient Care
Establish and maintain an open and sensitive communicative manner withchildren, relatives and staff.
Display friendly, helpful and respectful attention to everyone.
Assist visitors to the department as necessary.
Report any complaints or untoward incidents to the nurse in charge of theshift.
Answer the telephone, take accurate messages and relay as necessary.
Accompany children and parents to other departments when requested by nurse in charge, i.e. X-ray Department.
Domestic/Environmental
Assist the staff to keep the ward environment clean and tidy. To include the cleaning and re-stocking of cupboards, sluice, clean utility room, storerooms, treatment rooms.
Maintain a safe environment by ensuring visitor beds are safely packed up during the day and access to the bedspace is free from hazards.
Report any faulty equipment, to EBME and inform the nurse in charge of the shift promptly.
Record temperature of fridges daily in kitchen, drug room, and cubicles where appropriate and take action if temperature outside limits.
General Duties
Undertake tasks as may be required within scope of practice and skillset.
Deal with urgent dispatches of specimens as necessary.
Perform tasks as may be considered relevant by senior sister / Nurse in charge.
Contribute to the effective use of resources.
Use the relevant hospital IT systems and attend regular hospital IT training
Personnel
Demonstrate a professional approach to patients, relatives and colleagues
Comply with all Trust policies and procedures
Develop appropriate nursing skills for the provision of care.
Highlight any identified training needs to senior sister or paediatric practicefacilitator.
Patient Care
Escort/chaperone parents and children as directed by nursing or medical staff.
Maintain childrens position and safety in bed or chair, using manual handling equipment (once trained).
Help children to mobilise within the constraints of their illness, using appropriate mobility aids (once trained).
Carry out toileting needs at the right time and maintain privacy at all times.
Summary of key duties:
Keeping departments tidy and ensuring equipment is clean and stocked, ready to use.
Taking basic observations and updating patient records
1:1 care/supervision for unaccompanied children, children who require mental health support and those with additional needs.
Support with feeding and nutritional needs, including assisting with meals bottle feeding and breastfeeding support for mothers.
Assist with personal cares
Making sure patients are comfortable
Helping patients move around
Helping to serve meals
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- GCSE level or Functional Skills in Maths & English or equivalent knowledge
- Working knowledge of CRS and ICE system
- NHS CARE Certificate
- Awareness of importance of infection prevention & control
- Understanding of the role of a Healthcare Assistant
- NVQ level 3 or significant proven experience of phlebotomy / venepuncture
- Knowledge of personal care and activities of daily living
- Understanding of the importance of safe working practices
Desirable
- Studying Nursing or Midwifery or similar at university
- Awareness of NHS policies
- Assessors training/certificate
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a clinical setting with babies, children or young people
- Proven venepuncture skills using needle and syringe or evacuated system.
Desirable
- Experience as a Healthcare Assistant in an acute environment
- Familiar with pathology test repertoire and sample requirements.
- Interest in Health Service, Pathology and Sciences.
Skills
Essential
- Clinical skills such as able to undertake ECG's, height and weight children, undertake urine testing, management of outpatient clinics under indirect supervision
- Able to follow written and verbal instructions implicitly.
- Good practical skills, dexterous.
- Well organised.
- Good communication skills
- Able to work flexibly to meet the requirements of the post
Personal and people development
Essential
- Evidence of ability to work effectively within a Team
- Must be able to cope with a busy environment
- Confident, pleasant and understanding toward children and families
Communication
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
- Proven ability to communicate sensitively and in pressured circumstances in a sensitive manner to a variety of people across different ages from young children to adults
- Able to show care, empathy and respect to patients and their families
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- GCSE level or Functional Skills in Maths & English or equivalent knowledge
- Working knowledge of CRS and ICE system
- NHS CARE Certificate
- Awareness of importance of infection prevention & control
- Understanding of the role of a Healthcare Assistant
- NVQ level 3 or significant proven experience of phlebotomy / venepuncture
- Knowledge of personal care and activities of daily living
- Understanding of the importance of safe working practices
Desirable
- Studying Nursing or Midwifery or similar at university
- Awareness of NHS policies
- Assessors training/certificate
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a clinical setting with babies, children or young people
- Proven venepuncture skills using needle and syringe or evacuated system.
Desirable
- Experience as a Healthcare Assistant in an acute environment
- Familiar with pathology test repertoire and sample requirements.
- Interest in Health Service, Pathology and Sciences.
Skills
Essential
- Clinical skills such as able to undertake ECG's, height and weight children, undertake urine testing, management of outpatient clinics under indirect supervision
- Able to follow written and verbal instructions implicitly.
- Good practical skills, dexterous.
- Well organised.
- Good communication skills
- Able to work flexibly to meet the requirements of the post
Personal and people development
Essential
- Evidence of ability to work effectively within a Team
- Must be able to cope with a busy environment
- Confident, pleasant and understanding toward children and families
Communication
Essential
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
- Proven ability to communicate sensitively and in pressured circumstances in a sensitive manner to a variety of people across different ages from young children to adults
- Able to show care, empathy and respect to patients and their families
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
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.
