Healthcare Assistant

Typical Salary

£18,005 To £24,157

Typical Hours

37 to 40 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on a rota

How To Become a Healthcare Assistant

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

College / University

You could do a college course, which may help you when looking for work. Courses include:

Level 2 Certificate in Work Preparation for Health and Social Care
Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care
Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through an intermediate apprenticeship as a healthcare support worker.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could work as a trainee care assistant in a residential or care home, and do qualifications on the job.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
sensitivity and understanding
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
the ability to work well with your hands
excellent verbal communication skills
customer service skills
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

In this role you could:

help patients shower and get dressed
help people eat
make beds
use equipment to lift and move patients
talk to patients and reassure them
help patients to use the toilet
tidy the ward or patients' homes
take patients' temperature or pulse
attend meetings with other healthcare professionals

Working Environment

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a client's home, at an adult care home or at a hospice.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career Path & Progression

With experience you could train new healthcare assistants.

With training, you could become an assistant practitioner in chiropody or podiatry, occupational therapy, radiography or physiotherapy.

You could also apply to train as a nurse, radiographer, dietitian, midwife or social worker.

Health Careers has information about careers in all areas of health.

Volunteering Opportunities

You'll find it useful to get some paid or voluntary experience in a healthcare setting or personal care role. This will help when you apply for jobs.

You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for advice about opportunities.

Tips & Information

Professional and industry bodies

You may find it useful to join the Royal College of Nursing, for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a healthcare assistant from Health Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks