Qualified or Trainee Ambulance Care Assistants

Job reference:

259513

Salary:

Band 3 (£29,103 - £31,409)

Job closing date:

08/10/2026

Job Type:

Ambulance Services

Location:

Various locations within North Region

Employment type:

Permanent

Hours Per Week:

36

Job posted date:

18/09/2026

Employer (NHS Board):

Scottish Ambulance Service

Department:

• Patient Transport Service
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Applications are now invited for individuals to join the Scottish Ambulance Service as a Qualified or Trainee Relief Ambulance Care Assistant (ACA) at Elgin and Fraserburgh Ambulance Stations in the North Region.

The Role

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. This may involve a variety of shift times.

You must therefore have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, be a team player and have the ability to deal with a range of people who are often at their most vulnerable. This is a really important role within the Service and offers a vital service to the people of Scotland.

The Training

If you are a Trainee, you will be an employee of the Service from your start date and will be enrolled on our bespoke clinical and driving programme. The programme takes approximately 6 months, the initial four weeks of which will be carried out at one of the Service’s regional training centres. After this time, you will progress to your allocated Ambulance Station.

Any Qualified ACA may just require orientation or update training.

The Person

This is a hugely varied role, each day and each patient is different. As a result, you will need to have excellent interpersonal skills as well as an ability to communicate effectively. You will need to demonstrate flexibility and the ability to make effective and safe decisions.

We welcome applications form a range of backgrounds, however, previous experience in a healthcare role or a healthcare related qualification would be an advantage. Volunteer work or working with your community would also be beneficial.

All candidates will be required to satisfy the following minimum entry requirements:

• Evidence of successful study at SCQF Level 4 (or equivalent) or above in Maths and English.
• Full UK driving licence with no more than 4 penalty points.Candidates must possess C1 on their driving licence at least 6 weeks prior to start date. Please note that you will be required to provide evidence of your C1 prior to going through the selection process.

Candidates will also be required to successfully complete the following selection elements;

• Occupational Fitness Test
• Competency and Values Based Interview
• Occupational Health Screening
• Satisfactory application to the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (Disclosure Scotland)
• Reference processThe starting salary for Trainee Care Assistants is £23,556 per annum, rising to £29,103 per annum on successful completion of the Service’s training programme. This will increase in increments to £31,409 per annum.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

Please note that The Scottish Ambulance Service is NOT licensed to issue certificates of sponsorship under current UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship to work with us.

Due to legislative changes from 1 April 2025, this post may require a different level of criminal records check done than is currently the case. If the post is assessed as a "regulated role", your appointment will be subject to joining the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. If there is any change to what is currently required, this will be confirmed by either the Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Team. For more details on these changes please visit: Disclosure Scotland Changes.

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.