Site Assistant
Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice Reading RG30 2DX,
with travel across the South East Region
Full time hours 37.5 hours per week
£12.71 - £12.90 per hour DOE


Be there when it matters

There has never been a more important time to provide high quality, specialist
end-of-life care to support patients and their families.

About us
Duchess of Kent Hospice is a Sue Ryder hospice based in Reading, providing expert palliative and end-of-life care in a beautiful setting for thousands of local people each year. We work across our South East region, alongside our Berkshire West office in Theale (RG7 4AB) and our South Oxfordshire Palliative Care Hub (OX10 6SL).
As part of a national charity, we combine the strength and support of a larger organisation with strong local community connections, offering a wide range of specialist services to support patients, their families and friends.


About the Role

Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice is seeking a reliable Site Assistant to support the upkeep of the building, equipment and grounds. The role involves carrying out routine internal and external maintenance to ensure a safe, clean and well-maintained environment.
This is a hands-on role requiring a proactive and practical approach. Formal qualifications are not required; however, a PAT testing certificate (or willingness to complete training) and a full driving licence with access to a vehicle for work purposes are essential.

About You

You are a dependable and practical individual with experience in general maintenance tasks such as basic electrical work, plumbing, painting and carpentry. You take pride in maintaining safe environments, completing routine checks and keeping maintenance records up to date.
You are organised, safety-conscious and able to manage deliveries, waste processes and occasional local travel. Most importantly, you demonstrate professionalism, compassion and teamwork in a hospice environment.

Minimum Essential Criteria
• Experience of basic maintenance or facilities work (e.g. electrical, plumbing, painting, carpentry)
• Ability to work in line with health and safety requirements
• Willingness to learn and implement reasonable adjustments to support accessibility in the environment
• Good communication skills and ability to work respectfully with colleagues and service users
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes
• PAT testing certificate or willingness to undertake training

Desirable Criteria
• Experience of maintenance work in healthcare or similar settings
• Awareness of accessibility and health & safety requirements in public or care environments
• PAT Testing certificate


Benefits
• Enhanced pay for unsociable hours
• Company pension scheme
• 27 days holiday – rising to 33 with length of service plus bank holidays
• NHS annual leave honoured (terms and conditions apply)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Enhanced sick pay
• Healthcare Cash plan, to claim back costs of routine healthcare
• Death in Service benefit
• Staff discount of 10% on new goods online at shop.sueryder.org
• Structured induction programme and learning and development opportunities.


For more of our employee benefits please visit our website:
www.sueryder.org/jobs/careers-in-palliative-care/benefits-of-working-for-sue-ryder/

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

At Sue Ryder, we recognise that a diverse workforce allows us to provide the best care and support. We are committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination.

We welcome applications from people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and those living with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we’re proud to support the ‘Offer an Interview’ scheme. This means we will offer an interview to all disabled applicants who best meet the minimum essential criteria for the role.

We use inclusive recruitment practices including sharing interview themes or questions in advance, offering remote interviews where needed, and other accessibility support.

If you require support to compete an application or participate fully in the interview process, please email recruitment@sueryder.org.

Once in post you’ll have access to staff and volunteer networks for LGBTQ+ colleagues, ethnic diversity and equity, people with disabilities, and women and non-binary individuals, plus an Inclusion Passport to record and carry your workplace adjustments.

For more information on our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work, please visit: www.sueryder.org/jobs/equity-diversity-inclusion

Join us in creating a culture where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive.