All About Healthcare Assistants (HCAs)
What do Healthcare Assistants do? Would it suit me?
Healthcare assistants help with the day-to-day care of patients, either in hospitals or in care homes. If you would like to care for people and make a positive difference to their lives, this could be the ideal job for you.
What skills and qualifications do I need to be an HCA?
Employers will be keen to see that you have a friendly and caring attitude, and understand and respect people who need healthcare support. Previous experience and/or qualifications in care will be helpful although you may be able to start as a trainee assistant without formal qualifications. We generally suggest though that all HCAs (and nurses) that apply to the agency have mandatory training beforehand.
Cooke Reynolds Healthcare accepts The Health and Safety Groups ‘All in One Day’ Mandatory Training, and can confirm it meets our mandatory training needs. Please also see HSG Participating Agencies page. Your certificates can be shared with us via The Healthcare Certificate Register’
I’m an HCA, What’s the advantage of working for Cooke Reynolds?
Cooke Reynolds is an agency that will find you work with local care providers who need extra staff to cover their workload. With us you have the flexibility to choose when you work (you don’t have to accept the work we offer), but you will earn top hourly rates if you do – we offer up to £20 per hour for experienced senior staff with NVQ3 qualifications.
How can I get started with Cooke Reynolds Healthcare?
In order to register with us you will need at least six months’ UK care experience. Two professional job references related to work as a care assistant will also be required. To gain the necessary experience you can apply to work in a care home or hospital under supervision (possibly as part of your NVQ studies).
Hospitals and care homes often require you to have NVQ qualifications. Further Education colleges run NVQ training in social care. Contact your local FE College for further details and advice. When you have completed a course and passed you will be able to obtain job references from your tutors to support your application to join our agency.
Once you have gained the relevant experience, you can apply to join us – see the application form here: http://www.cooke-reynolds.co.uk/apply-now/
Once you have joined us at Cooke Reynolds Healthcare we will seek out and offer you work at hours that suit you. We employ Healthcare Assistants in different staff ‘bands’ – such as care support, senior care and NVQ3 qualified staff bands. Pay rates relate to your band and the time of the day or week when you work – there are different rates for days, nights, weekends and bank holidays.
Top Tips – How you can help us to help you:
Get your documents sorted: We will provide a detailed list of documents that we need from you to comply with the various legal requirements for the different environments you may be working in. To help you through the process, we can get together with you to review and copy the documents we need. Documents required include: Fully completed Cooke Reynolds application form, job references and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check certificate. We can help you with anything you aren’t sure about – just ask.
Keep yourself up-to-date: Once you have joined our agency, make sure you keep your certification updated and current – whether for training, DBS or other requirements. We particularly recommend that you sign up for the DBS update service – this means that prospective employers can check your DBS live on-line, and know they are viewing current information. It doesn’t cost you much, and will help us find you new work opportunities.
Keep us in the loop: Let us know when and where you are able to work, and be flexible if you can! If we know that you can work at short notice – or will work some evenings, weekends or Bank Holidays – you are likely to get offered more, higher-paying shifts.
Stay connected: Make sure we always have current contact details so we can always phone or e-mail you. Keep your phone with you. Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cooke.reynolds and follow us so that you are up to date on our news and latest opportunities.