Ward Environment Support Staff

Southampton, England, United Kingdom

7/24/2025

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking to recruit dynamic Ward Environment Support Staff (WESS) to join our team at Maternity Services. Successful applicants must be able to demonstrate enthusiasm, dedication and a commitment to working in collaboration with the wider team delivering care to women, birthing individuals, and their babies in partnership with the clinical ward staff.

Maternity Services are proud to serve the local community across the region with the team working flexibility across boundaries. As a Trust, we recognise the importance of a positive workforce culture, as well as individual job satisfaction and a healthy work life balance for staff. The Trust Values enable us to invest in people valuing each and every employee for their unique skills and individual qualities making for improved team working. We would be delighted to welcome new joiners and strive to ensure they feel well supported in their new role.

A testimony statement from one of our current support workers:

This is a very rewarding job. Your care and attention is always appreciated and remembered as part of the overall care.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

You will be responsible for maintaining a safe and welcoming environment throughout the Maternity Service and helping to create a positive patient experience.

Your Main Duties Will Include

• Cleaning and making up birth rooms
• Cleaning and making up beds spaces on the wards
• Restocking birth rooms, clinical areas and emergency trolleys
• Transferring patients between wards with our Porters
• Accompanying patients to inpatient appointments
• Ensuring patients receive their hot meals as ordered, filling water jugs, making hot drinks etc
• Some clerical and administrative tasks to support the ward administration team
• Sign-posting patients, families and visitors on the ward
• Ordering stores and reporting broken equipment
• Making appointments or assisting in the planning and delivery of clinics
  
  

This is not a complete list of duties and the job description is attached to this advert and should be studied carefully.

We are seeking enthusiastic, motivated and flexible individuals who have a passion for supporting staff and families by providing a positive inpatient experience whilst using the Maternity Services. The successful candidates will need to display a passion for wanting to make the experience for women, birthing individuals and their families a positive and memorable occasion and want to be proud to work as part of the wider Maternity team. You will be an excellent communicator who demonstrates respect and sensitivity towards all service users.

Person specification

Qualifications / Training Required

Essential criteria

• IT skills
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Numeracy skills and literacy skills at level 2 / GCSE grade A-C or equivalent as a minimum standard
• Previous domestic, housekeeping or hotel services experience
  
  

Previous or Relevant Experience Necessary

Essential criteria

• Logical and consistent work and career pattern
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of a hospital ward or care home environment
• Understanding of ward priorities
  
  

Aptitudes And Skills Required

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills with an ability to communicate with a wide range of people
• Able to work under challenging conditions
• Computer literate
• Good verbal and written skills
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of confidentiality and data protection
• Aware of personal limitations
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Confident to escalate concerns
  
  

Special Requirements of the Post

Essential criteria

• Able to work all variations of shifts including nights, days, weekends
• Flexible - able to accommodate the demands of the work flow and work a variety of shifts
  
  

Values and Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together