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Job summary

Main area
Various Departments
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 3
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (7 day a week shifts, days and nights, weekdays and weekends)
Job ref
193-HCA-Feb2026
Employer
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Town
Reading
Salary
£24,937 - £26,598 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/02/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust logo

Healthcare Assistant

NHS AfC: Band 3

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”

Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements.  The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.  

We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions

We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate

We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live

We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.

Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us.  We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.  

Job overview

Start Your NHS Career With Us — Your Future Begins at Royal Berkshire Hospital

If you’re passionate about helping others and ready to take your first step into a meaningful, longterm career, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust wants to hear from you. We’re looking for enthusiastic, caring and motivated individuals to join us as Healthcare Assistants — and to grow with us through our exceptional apprenticeship pathways.

This is more than a job. It’s your opportunity to gain highly valued NHS experience, develop clinical skills, and build a career you can be proud of. Our Healthcare Assistants can go on to become Nursing Associates and Registered Nurses through our apprenticeship programmes  -your journey could start right here.

Please note we are currently recruiting candidates who are able to work full time (37.5hours per week) on a rota basis, 7 days a week (including bank holidays) on day and night shifts.

We are an approved sponsoring organisation. however please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and requirements on the government website.

Main duties of the job

  • Why begin your career with us

    ·       A supportive environment where your learning and development truly matter

    ·       Opportunities to apply for apprenticeship routes after probation, including:

    **The Nursing Associate Apprenticeship and the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship

    ·       Structured progression for those who want to build a longterm future in healthcare

    ·       Handson experience in a busy acute hospital — the perfect foundation for a clinical career

    ·       A team that values compassion, communication and a willingness to learn

    What we’re looking for

    You don’t need previous healthcare experience — just the right values. If you’re caring, reliable, eager to learn and committed to making a difference, you’ll fit right in. Good communication skills and a compassionate approach are essential.

    Please note: this role requires fulltime working (37.5 hours per week) on a rota covering days, nights, weekends and bank holidays.

    We are an approved sponsoring organisation, though not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. Please check the government website for eligible roles and requirements.

Working for our organisation

We are one of the largest hospital foundation trusts in the country, and currently touch the lives of half a million patients in the west of Berkshire every year by providing high quality acute medical and surgical services for our local communities.  The Trust strives to provide high quality, compassionate care for our patients and their families. 

Our values:

  • Compassionate
  • Aspirational
  • Resourceful
  • Excellent

The town of Reading sits on the River Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford, and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work, and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.

The CQC rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as good.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • What you’ll be doing

    As a Healthcare Assistant, you’ll play a vital role in delivering highquality care under the supervision of Registered Practitioners. Your responsibilities will include:

    ·       Always acting in the patients best interests

    ·       Supporting patients with dignity, compassion and respect

    ·       Providing personalised care to people from all backgrounds

    ·       Noticing and reporting any changes in a patient’s condition

    ·       Learning and performing clinical skills once trained, such as venepuncture and cannulation

    ·       Offering enhanced support to patients who need closer supervision

    ·       Guiding and supporting junior or less experienced colleagues

    If you’re ready to start a career with purpose — one that offers real progression, nationally recognised qualifications and the chance to make a difference every day — we’d love you to join our team.

    **To be eligible to apply for Nursing apprenticeships, you must meet the university’s academic entry requirements, and the relevant apprenticeship rules.

Person specification

Experience

Desirable criteria
  • Previous care experience

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly and effectively
  • Demonstrates the ability to place the patient at the centre of care
  • Information technology literate

Education

Essential criteria
  • Able to evidence a general level of education
Desirable criteria
  • Care Certificate
  • QCF level 3 in Health or Health and Social Care
  • TLevel in Health

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Florence Nightingale FoundationNational Preceptorship for Nursing Quality Mark 2024

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

Candidates to be capped at 25 applications per 1WTE position to be recruited

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Sydney Cavannagh
Job title
Recruitment Team Leader
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0118 322 8783
Additional information

Alternatively you can email Kerry Breadmore, Recruitment Coordinator on kerry.breadmore@royalberkshire,nhs.uk

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