Healthcare assistants are professionals who work under the guidance of nurses, doctors and midwives to help deliver the best possible care for people around the UK. Learn more about a career as a health assistant, find out what it involves and what you’ll need to study and do to get a role.
There are a variety of college level and vocational courses that are suited to this career, including:
You don’t need formal qualifications to be a healthcare assistant in the NHS. During your application process and interview you might be expected to show that you have good numeracy and literacy skills. This might be through GCSEs in both subjects, or level 2 functional skills certificates in maths and English.
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Postgraduate qualifications aren’t typically needed to work as a healthcare assistant.
Your emotional resilience, compassion and organisational skills will be essential to success as a healthcare assistant.
You may not need any formal experience to get your first healthcare assistant role, though any work experience in a healthcare environment will help you stand out to employers and access more senior or specialised roles. This can be done by volunteering at a care home, for example, or completing an apprenticeship in healthcare.
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