Healthcare support workers and nursing associate roles

Healthcare support workers (HCSW)

Healthcare support workers (HCSW) work alongside registered mental health nurses and other health professionals in a range of settings. We are a vital part of our NHS and spend time with service users, listening and building trust, offering emotional and practical support, implementing care plans, supporting service users to manage their conditions and improve their quality of life. Some duties include helping service users with basic care needs, taking basic observations and keeping departments tidy and equipment clean and available. HCSWs may also help service users to mobilise and talk to them about their health, experiences and recovery.

Registered nursing associates (NA)

Registered nursing associates (NA) play a crucial role in supporting registered nurses while also bridging the gap between HCSWs and registered nurses. We provide care to service users with mental health conditions that is high quality and person centred and may include physical and mental health checks, monitoring and support of service user wellbeing, administration of medications, behavioural interventions and health promotion, support and advocacy.

Where we work and what we earn

Support workers work with people of all ages in hospitals, clinics, and community settings.

We work with people with mental health problems who may also present with physical health problems and learning disabilities.

Full time healthcare support workers start at £25,760 - £27,476 (band 3).

Full time qualified nursing associates start at £28,392 - £31,157 (band 4).

Support workers are great at

Empathy and compassion
Listening and communicating with people
Problem solving and being adaptable
Motivating and encouraging people
Providing therapeutic interventions and supporting people in crisis
Promoting inclusion and being respectful and sensitive in their approach
Being creative

How to get started

Minimum entry requirements to become a healthcare support worker:

GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English, or functional skills level 2 in maths and English. Some employers will also ask for a level 3 qualification.

Minimum entry requirements to become a trainee nursing associate:

To begin your training as a nursing associate, you’ll need GCSEs grade 9 to 4 (A to C) in maths and English, or functional skills level 2 in maths and English. You will also need to demonstrate your ability to study to level 5 foundation degree level and commit to completing the nursing associate apprenticeship programme.