About this role
Job summary
Maternity cover until October 2027 only.
The post holder supports the team of health professionals to enable them to provide an effective, caring, seamless service to patients and their families by carrying out assigned tasks and by being involved in direct care under the supervision of a qualified nurse.
Main duties of the job
To work as part of the Nursing Team undertaking household support tasks and direct care tasks as delegated by the Nurse in Charge. To support the qualified Nursing Staff in the maintenance of high standards of nursing care to patients. To assist in providing an environment within the ward that is conductive to patient recovery and pleasant for patients and their families. To accept responsibility for specifically delegated functions within the ward which the Nurse in Charge feels are appropriate for untrained staff to undertake. To ensure where entries are made in nursing documentation, that these are correct, legible, and comprehensive and countersigned by a registered nurse. To ensure the Health and Safety of patients, relatives and other staff is considered and not prejudiced by the post-holder at any time. To be able to work autonomously as required and to receive close supervision and instruction as necessary. To ensure that privacy and dignity of patients is paramount and is not compromised. To ensure that all patient information is confidential and is not disclosed to a third party except with permission of the Nurse in Charge. To ensure that all patient care is delivered with the highest degree of professionalism.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018 Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal) National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description Job responsibilities
Please see Job Description and Person Specification attached.
Advertising Date: 2nd September 2026
Closing Date: 16th September 2026
Shortlisting Date: 17th September 2026
Proposed Interview date: TBC
Please note this vacancy may close early if a high number of applications is reached.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
NVQ level 3 Health and Social Care or equivalent Care Certificate (equivalent to level 1) Literacy and numeracy functional skills level 2 or equivalent
Knowledge Essential
Knowledge of personal care and related procedures Demonstrable experience of working in a patient care/health related role Knowledge of relevant legislation related to healthcare Experience of working in a team
Skills Essential
Ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written formats Good interpersonal skills Able to work within a team Experience of supporting junior staff and learners Able to accept direction and guidance Aware of own limitations Flexible in working hours Able to prioritise own workload and manage time effectively Flexible, adaptable and responsive to change Reliable and professional Ability to cope in stressful and challenging situations Inclusive and non-judgmental Punctual, motivated and committed Effective role model demonstrating Trust values Basic IT skills
Other Essential
Frequent moderate effort for several long periods during the shift such as manual handling patients to supporting patient's personal care Concentration, focus and frequent record keeping requirements. Carrying out time critical tasks Aware that developing resilience to distressing situations is necessary without losing the ability to care compassionately Aware of the process for accessing staff health and wellbeing support Daily exposure to distressing situations which may include challenging behaviour, care of chronic health conditions, patient end of life care/care after death Able to carry out direct clinical care as required on ward or department. Potential blood or body fluids exposure
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address Whiston Hospital
Warrington Road
Prescot
L355DR
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)