Our Healthcare Assistants carry out a wide range of duties. This includes working with people who use our services and their carers to support and encourage them on their journey to recovery; helping to build confidence and independence and providing practical and caring support.

The main role of a Healthcare Assistant is to support the learning disability team in assessing the specialist needs of people who use our services in both an inpatient and a community setting. This involves thinking about the physical, psychological, emotional and environmental needs of the person and supporting with the implementation of their individual care plans. Our Healthcare Assistants are involved in the assessment and further development of an individual’s skills as well as advocating on their behalf. Our Healthcare Assistants work independently in a variety of settings, undertaking observations related to a person’s health or behaviour and then reporting these back to the inter-disciplinary team.

A Healthcare Assistant might spend time with you to listen to and understand your feelings and views. They might spend time with you at your home or when you are carrying out activities to try to understand more about you. This would happen particularly if you are not happy in your home or are feeling sad, anxious or angry. A Healthcare Assistant might also help you if you are having problems with your physical health. They will try to learn lots about you and then together with the rest of the Learning Disability Team help to make a plan. The Healthcare Assistant might then work with you to understand the plan and put it into practice.