Palliative Care Assistant

Typical Salary

£18,005 To £21,142

Typical Hours

41 to 43 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

How To Become a Palliative Care Assistant

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
applying directly

College / University

You could do a college course to learn some of the skills you need for this job, like a Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support.

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

Apprenticeship

You could train towards this role through:

a healthcare support worker intermediate apprenticeship
a lead adult care worker advanced apprenticeship

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

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You may not need any formal qualifications to start work as a palliative care assistant, but GCSEs grades (A* to C) in English and maths may be useful in helping you to find a job.

Some employers may also want you to have a level 2 qualification in health and social care, like a certificate, diploma, GCSE or NVQ.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

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

Day To Day Tasks

As part of your day-to-day duties, you could:

apply simple wound dressings
give medication
change medical equipment like catheters, when required
make sure equipment is cleaned and stored correctly
care for the person's body after death

Working Environment

You could work in the community, in an NHS or private hospital or at a hospice.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Experience, either paid or voluntary in a healthcare role, is usually expected by employers. You can contact the voluntary services co-ordinator or manager at your local NHS trust for more details.

Some employers will also expect you to have a good understanding of end of life care, or palliative care.

Tips & Information

Further information

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

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks, as you may be working with children and vulnerable adults