Healthcare Assistant CV Example for Hospital and Care Home Jobs

Include a short profile, your care experience in reverse order, your qualifications and a skills section built around the job advert. Recruiters for HCA posts want to know where you have worked, who you cared for and what tasks you were trusted with. Name the setting clearly, such as an acute ward, a nursing home or community visits, because each one involves different routines.

Under each role, describe real tasks: personal care, observations, mealtimes, pressure area care, safe transfers and record keeping. Mention the size of the group you supported and whether you worked days, nights or both. Two pages is plenty, and one page is fine if you are early in your career.

Do not add a photo, your date of birth or your marital status. UK and Irish employers do not need these details, and recruitment teams prefer CVs that focus on skills and experience. A professional email address and your town or city are enough for contact details.

List the Care Certificate and any Diploma in Health and Social Care or Adult Care, with the awarding college and year. The Care Certificate is the standard induction for new health and care support workers in England, and many employers ask new starters to complete it. A Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma, sometimes still described as an NVQ, shows a deeper level of training.

If you are still studying, write the qualification with in progress and an expected completion date. Older qualifications such as an NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care remain worth listing under their real name. In Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland the induction and qualification frameworks differ, so use the exact titles you were awarded rather than an English equivalent.

Keep short courses in one line. Basic Life Support, moving and handling, safeguarding adults, food hygiene and infection prevention are expected in most roles. Group them together so the recruiter can tick them off quickly, then use the space saved to describe your experience.

Describe what you did and who you did it with, rather than claiming results you cannot prove. A sentence like supporting 14 residents with dementia in line with their care plans is precise and believable. Avoid percentages or satisfaction scores unless your employer actually measured them and you can explain where the figure came from.

Be accurate about your role in clinical tasks. An HCA may take observations, test blood glucose or help with wound dressings when trained and delegated by a registered nurse, but should not suggest independent clinical decisions. Phrases such as reported changes to the nurse in charge or supported the nurse with show you understand the boundaries of the role.

Soft skills belong in your examples as well as your skills list. Patience, kindness and calm communication are central to the job, but they convince more when attached to a situation. Mention how you reassured a confused patient at night or included a family in a resident's daily routine.

Yes, many employers recruit people without care experience and train them on the job. In that case, your CV should highlight transferable skills from customer service, hospitality, retail or caring for a relative. Reliability, teamwork, shift work and dealing calmly with the public are all relevant to care.

Add any volunteering in hospitals, hospices, care homes or community groups, even if it was occasional. Short online or college courses in first aid, dementia awareness or safeguarding show genuine interest. Say clearly that you are happy to complete the Care Certificate and a DBS check.

Tailor your profile to the setting you want. A hospital ward, a learning disability service and a home care agency look for slightly different strengths. Read the advert and the person specification, then use the same terms where they honestly describe you.