Patient Care Assistant

Position Overview

Are you dedicated to enhancing mental health? Are you interested in a fulfilling career within the NHS?

We are seeking compassionate Healthcare Assistants to join our male acute mental health inpatient team at Marlborough House.

We require that you are:

• Dedicated to providing the highest quality of collaborative patient care
• Empathetic towards patients and their families
• An effective communicator with strong teamwork skills

Clinical Support staff represent the second largest group of personnel after nursing at Oxford Health Foundation Trust.

Main Responsibilities

Healthcare Assistants and Support Workers play a vital role in maintaining nursing standards and enhancing patient experiences and outcomes, offering essential support to our inpatient nursing and multidisciplinary teams.

This position can serve as a stepping stone towards becoming a qualified nurse. You can advance through our apprenticeship framework without the need for a full-time university course.

Working with Us

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust delivers physical, mental health, and social care services for individuals of all ages across various regions.

Our services are provided at community centers, hospitals, clinics, and within individuals' homes, ensuring care is as accessible as possible.

Our vision is that everyone, regardless of their background, experiences: "Exceptional care provided by an exceptional team"

Our core values are: "Caring, Safe, and Excellent"

At Oxford Health, we offer a comprehensive range of benefits aimed at supporting your career and well-being, including:

• Outstanding opportunities for career advancement
• Access to tailored learning and development programs
• 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, increasing to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS discounts across various retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work initiative
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aid support
• Staff accommodation (subject to availability)
• Networking and support groups facilitated by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Detailed Job Description and Key Responsibilities

In return, we offer:

• The chance to work within a supportive team environment
• The opportunity to provide the care you would wish to receive
• A nurturing workplace atmosphere
• Access to exceptional training and development resources.

Care Certificate:

All new non-registered clinical staff will undergo an induction process that enables them to complete or refresh the Care Certificate.

The Care Certificate is a national standard that assures the public that staff caring for them possess the necessary introductory skills, knowledge, and behaviors to deliver safe, compassionate, high-quality care.

The Care Certificate comprises 15 standards assessed in practice through portfolio completion. Engaging in this process, along with local induction and support from your clinical team, will help you enhance your existing skills and develop the competencies needed for a successful career with Oxford Health.

You will be required to participate in the PEACE (Positive Engagement and Caring Environments) training.

Feedback from Our Staff:

"I truly enjoy making a difference in our patients' lives."

"There are numerous learning opportunities, and I feel encouraged to integrate new information into my practice."

"I find the team incredibly supportive and appreciate the challenges we face together."

Interested in Learning More About the Role?

We would be delighted to discuss this opportunity with you.

Candidate Profile

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

• Proficient command of the English language
• Strong IT skills

Desirable Criteria

• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent qualification.

Skills

Essential Criteria

• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of individuals both verbally and in writing
• Awareness and understanding of the rights and needs of patients
• Capability to identify stress and anxiety in colleagues, patients, and their families, providing appropriate support
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

Experience

Desirable Criteria

• Prior experience working with patients with minimal supervision
• Understanding of the roles of other healthcare professionals
• Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration.

Personal Qualities

Essential Criteria

• Enthusiasm for working with individuals and fostering a therapeutic environment
• Confidence to work independently with patients under distant supervision
• Flexibility to adapt to the needs of the service
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, capable of engaging at all levels
• Caring, compassionate, and dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a team and support all colleagues and healthcare professionals
• Self-aware, resilient, and cognizant of personal limitations.

Knowledge

Essential Criteria

• Understanding of the roles of other healthcare professionals
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to communicate with patients with complex needs using clear and effective verbal and nonverbal communication, incorporating motivation and encouragement.
• All new employees will undergo a 6-month probationary period, complemented by an induction process aimed at fostering a positive and supportive working environment, allowing new hires to learn key aspects of their role over a reasonable timeframe.
• Candidates not currently employed by the Trust who attend an interview for non-qualified Band 1-5 positions are required to complete numeracy and literacy assessments.
• Appointment to this position is contingent upon the Trust receiving satisfactory references covering three years of employment or education. Please ensure your referees respond promptly to reference requests.
• Employees are expected to complete mandatory and statutory training related to their role.
• We are committed to excellence, driven by the belief that a fair, just, and fully inclusive organizational culture enables our teams to deliver the highest quality of care and services. We strive to ensure that our diverse workforce reflects the communities we serve.
• We welcome applications from all segments of the community, are an Equal Opportunities employer, and have several internal networking groups to support our employees. Whenever possible, we will always seek to make reasonable adjustments to help you fulfill your role and reach your full potential. All our employees are dedicated to demonstrating our core values through their behavior – safe, caring, and excellent.
• Oxford Health is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• Oxford is a globally recognized center of excellence for research. Oxford Health collaborates closely with the University of Oxford's Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Primary Care, hosting a Biomedical Research Centre focused on improving mental health and the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at the Warneford site. The Trust also hosts the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC), which conducts applied research that directly impacts patient health and well-being.