Trainee Ambulance Care Assistants inEdinburgh inEdinburgh PUBLISHED 24 AUG 2024

We are currently recruiting Trainee Ambulance Care Assistants (ACA) across the East Region in Tayside, Fife, Forth Valley and Lothians.

As an ACA, you will be responsible for delivering high quality care and safe transportation for non-emergency patients from their homes to hospital and clinic appointments and inter-hospital transfers and discharge of patients from hospital. In addition, there may be a requirement to support the A&E Service by transporting suitable patients, referred on the day by GPs to Assessment units, and underpin the A&E Service at Major Incidents/accidents.

You must therefore have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, be a team player and be able to engage with a range of people who are often at their most vulnerable. This is a key role, offering a vital service to the people of Scotland. You will work an average of 37 hours per week which will include weekend, evening and public holiday working.

The successful applicants for these posts will be enrolled on our bespoke clinical training programme and will be an employee of the Scottish Ambulance Service from the date of commencement. The training programme is initially conducted at one of our Regional Education Centres and will lead to a Level 3 Certificate in Ambulance Patient Care Non-Urgent Care Service. This includes a recognised driving module. Following initial training you will be posted to your allocated Ambulance Station where other qualified staff will mentor you, in addition to ongoing learning support from the Education Team to complete the course portfolio.

Applicants should have achieved passes in Standard Grade/’O’ grade / Nat 4 or equivalent in both English and Maths and possess a full driving license with no more than 4 penalty points prior to applying. In addition, successful candidates will require to have category C1 on their license 6 weeks prior to their start date.

Due to course date restraints, preference will be given to candidates who already possess category C1 on their driving license. These categories can be found on the front of your driving licence.

Candidates who do not possess C1 may have the opportunity to be placed in a holding pool for future course dates if successful.

As part of the selection process, you will require to undertake a fitness test and interview, full details of which will be sent to you if you are successful at the application shortlisting stage.

We offer a training salary of £20,615 pro rata per annum rising to £25,468 pro rata upon successful completion of the training programme. This will further increase to £27,486 with increments in line with Agenda for Change.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and can be made to the following:

Tayside Nick Moore, Area Service Manager -

Fife Susan Knight, Area Service Manager

Forth Valley Gordon Smith, Area Service Manager

Lothians Angela Mather, Area Service Manager

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.