Become a Healthcare Assistant

We are not able to provide Visa sponsorship for Healthcare Assistant roles, so you will need to be currently living in the UK with the right to work in the UK to apply.

Working as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) in mental health is very different from working in other areas of healthcare. Our patients and your colleagues will expect you to live the St Andrew’s CARE values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence every single day.

In the role with us, you could work in settings ranging from community provisions to secure hospitals.

While elsewhere the focus is often on physical interventions, in mental health it is on personal interaction with the people in our care. This means that those who choose to work in this field often find it extremely rewarding - some of the thoughts of our HCAs can be found below.

Working life

As a HCA, you'll be under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional, usually a nurse, and work with doctors, psychologists and a range of other healthcare professionals.

The main contact you'll have, though, is with the people in our care.

Before you begin working on the wards, you'll undergo a high level of mandatory training. This training will prepare you to deal with any difficult situations that may occur, teaching you how to handle such situations safely using de-escalation techniques.

Healthcare Assistant - entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements to become a Healthcare Assistant but there are skills and personal characteristics needed. To be a Healthcare Assistant in mental health care, you'll need to be:

• Resilient
• Caring and kind
• Cheerful and friendly
• Willing to do personal care tasks (washing, toileting, etc.) in some areas
• Able to follow instructions and procedures
• Able to work in a team but use your own initiative

You'll also need:

• Communication and listening skills
• Organisational skills
• Observational skills