A model for developing an inclusive and resilient health and care workforce
Amey was always interested in working in healthcare because of her personal experience looking after family members who were ill. But after finishing school she felt she lacked confidence in working independently.
Friends recommended the New2Care scheme we run in our hospitals to train newcomers to the sector. After successfully completing the course, Amey is now a healthcare support worker in specialist medicine at Newham hospital, with ambitions to become a Band 6 within a few years.
“This programme changed my life differently. The skill and knowledge I got from this training is helping me to work independently,” she said.
“Learning new things every day is the most interesting thing for me. Working with patients and the whole healthcare team is always a challenge. To face all those obstacles head on makes me stronger and more confident.”
Amey’s story is highlighted in an independent evaluation of our efforts to widen access to NHS careers among young people from diverse and disadvantaged communities.
A comprehensive impact assessment by the charity Skills for Health found that Healthcare Horizons has contributed significantly to employability, equality, and social value in East London.
Its conclusions make impressive reading: “an exceptionally strong performance”; “a positive and inclusive impact”; “a well-managed, high-performing programme.”
Over four years, the team engaged with almost 3,000 students from ethnically diverse, first-generation NHS families in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest. Almost 400 of them enrolled on pre-employment courses and 229 found jobs.
The review found participants benefitted from measurable improvements in skills and higher motivation. A mentoring scheme that attracted over 100 participants was judged “a standout success.” Work experience that delivered 676 face-to-face placements was “highly effective.”
The report concluded: “Healthcare Horizons stands as a proven and scalable model for supporting inclusive local talent development and strengthening NHS workforce resilience. It represents a best-practice example of how NHS Trusts can secure high social value through strategic and community-focused investment.”
Skills for Health is part of the Workforce Development Trust, a charity that promotes education and training to improve skills and standards in the workplace.
Ajit Abraham, group director for inclusion and equity, said:
“Healthcare Horizons is a vital part of our Anchor commitment to our local communities and sits right at the heart of our WeBelong strategy. This report shows that when a major NHS employer takes a deliberately proactive approach we’ve opened the door to genuinely life-changing opportunities.”
The full report is available from programme manager agnieszka.wrobel1@nhs.net
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