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Health care assistants in Somerset
CLCI: JAD
CRCI: JI
Health care assistants (HCAs) help doctors and nurses in providing general care to patients. They work in hospital wards, outpatient clinics, hospices, nursing homes and visit people at home.
The job involves giving patients food and drink, helping them wash and use the toilet, making beds and changing bed linen. The HCA may also report changes in the patient’s condition and take temperature and blood pressure readings.
HCAs are also known as clinical support workers, nursing assistants, nursing auxiliaries and ward assistants.
To find out more look under the above CLCI/CRCI headings in your careers or Connexions library
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HEALTH CARE ASSISTANTS IN SOMERSET
There are large numbers of HCAs throughout Somerset. The National Health Service, for example, is the largest employer in the area and employs 27,000 in Somerset and Dorset. This includes around 4,500 people in HCA and similar jobs.
In Somerset, HCAs are mainly found in hospitals, GP surgeries and residential homes. Residential homes could have up to 20 HCAs or care assistants. Hospitals, depending on their size, could employ hundreds of HCAs.
In a large hospital - such as Musgrove Park or Yeovil - you would have the chance to work with a wide variety of patients of all ages and many different medical conditions. Smaller district hospitals would also allow you to work with a range of patients.
It’s also worth remembering that, with a relatively high number of elderly people in Somerset (especially in places like Minehead and Burnham-on-Sea), there are chances to work with older patients.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
| |  | Get work experience, in some sort of care role, when at school to see if it’s the career for you | | | | Start as a trainee in a health care setting (probably when aged 18) and gain NVQs as part of your training | | | | Go to college full-time to a health and social care course before becoming a health care assistant |
USEFUL QUALIFICATIONS
| | | No particular GCSEs but being good in maths, English and science can help | | | | GNVQ, BTEC, A level and OCR health and care qualifications - from school or college - can be helpful (but not essential) | | | | NVQs in care-related subjects can be done as part of your training |
More about qualifications, courses and training can be found in Moving On (published by Connexions Somerset)
DO YOU KNOW?
It’s important to be a good communicator, be able to deal with awkward people and be able to deal with upsets when patients relapse or die.
WHAT IS THE PAY LIKE?
Around £80 per week (maybe more) if starting as a new employed apprentice (but it’s more likely you’d start as an 18-year-old trainee on around £11,000). Qualified, experienced staff may earn £13-14,000 in a full-time job. Average pay varies and can be up £7-8 per hour.
FINDING A JOB
| | | Connexions centres | | | | Job centres | | | | Through applying for work apprenticeships | | | | School and college careers notice boards | | | | Speculative letters/visits/emails | | | | Newspaper and industry publications adverts | | | | Adverts displayed at premises and on industry/company websites | | | | Job offer after work experience | | | | Word of mouth | | | | A Guide to Job Hunting gives tips on CVs, interviews and job letters. To view click here |
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WORK
| | | Many people in direct care roles tend to be over eighteen | | | | You can work full-time or part-time (but you might need to work nights, weekends and public holidays) | | | | It can be physically demanding work (including having to lift patients) | | | | Deciding between working in a residential home or a hospital is an important choice. For many people this means choosing whether to work with old people | | | | HCAs are becoming more involved in meeting basic patient needs (allowing qualified nurses to switch to more specialist work) | | | | Being flexible - and being a team worker - is important for the job | | | | Getting NVQs is an important part of the training. Allow for just over a year to get your first batch of qualifications | | | | Working as a HCA can be a good step towards becoming a qualified nurse (but you’d still need three years training for this) |
WHO DOES THE WORK?
Kerry (20), from Shepton Mallet, worked in a care home for a while before getting a HCA job in a hospital. She works with elderly patients and is just about to complete her first set of NVQs. Her plan is to go on to more NVQs and work towards a supervisory position.
Ian (25), from Taunton, had various jobs before becoming a HCA when he was nineteen. As part of his job he got the necessary NVQs to start training as a fully-qualified nurse. He is currently halfway through a nurse diploma course run by a local university.
More info: A-Z Careers
Careers information dates rapidly. Every effort has been made to ensure information is accurate but please check details before making firm decisions. Connexions Somerset
April 2006.
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