SAfH NW Newsletter Autumn09 - North West Healthcare Science

Together
Bi-Annual Newsletter
No 4 – Autumn 2009
Inside...
New ROI tool for
pre employment
programmes
Cadet trip to Uganda
Conferences and
events
Award winners
New faces at SAfH
Plus – the latest real life
case studies
better skills better jobs better health
www.skillsacademyforhealth.org.uk
Welcome
In brief...
Since our last newsletter, we’ve been as busy as ever progressing the
work we jointly undertake with our NHS colleagues and many other
partners. Given the proactive approach the North West takes towards the
training and development of those working in bands 1 to 4 – and those
wishing to enter the sector – we always have plenty of opportunities to
celebrate and showcase successes!
SAfH invited to present at
European conference
The annual Cadet Award ceremony is just one of the events we hosted on
behalf of all our partners. For the first time, this year’s ceremony was a
North West wide event, with Cadets – and their friends and families from
across the region – joining us at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool on
a rather wet, but very enjoyable, Friday afternoon.
Special guest, Chris Fountain, from the television series, Hollyoaks,
presented the prizes, and the highlight of the day was the announcement
of the NHS NW and LSC Cadet of the Year Award. This year’s Cadet of
the Year is Gemma Rowland from St Helens College – who was presented
with her award by Kirstie Baxter, Assistant Director, Education
Management, at NHS NW, and Kirsty Evans, Skills Development Director
at the LSC. Gemma also received an unexpected bonus on the day in the
form of a special backstage trip around the Hollyoaks set.
A different kind of celebrity visited the region in July for an event coordinated by the Academy on behalf of NHS NW. Secretary of State for
Health, Andy Burnham, was in the North West to announce funding
support for Apprenticeships. Aintree Hospital NHS Foundation Trust kindly
hosted the visit and the minister spent time at the Trust talking to
apprentices from across the region.
As always, there are plenty of programmes and initiatives the Skills
Academy for Health North West is involved in – some of which are
covered within these pages. However, none of them would be possible
without the help and support of our partners, so a big thank you from the
SAfH NW team to everyone concerned – and good luck to all those within
the region who are currently working through programmes of learning.
The World Association of Public
Employment Services (WAPES) has
invited Pat Perkins, Pre Employment
Lead, North West, and Marie
Hambley, Pre Employment Lead,
Cheshire and Merseyside, to deliver a
workshop at its conference in the
Hague on 29th and 30th October.
Carine Doutreloux, from WAPES,
issued the invitation after seeing Pat
and Marie present at the Merseyside
Employer Coalition, hosted by Royal
Liverpool and Broadgreen University
Hospital Trust. Pat and Marie’s
presentation Creating Partnerships,
Delivering Results, will focus on their
experience of developing and
delivering ‘fit for purpose’ training.
Diary dates...
Tuesday 24th November 2009
Health Sector Routeway
graduation event at Liverpool
Yacht Marina
Students from the Academy’s Health
Sector Routeway pre employment
programme – run in conjunction with
Liverpool City Council’s Jobs
Enterprise and Training (JET) service –
come together to celebrate their
achievements and receive their
certificates. Special awards will be
presented to the Healthcare Graduate
of the Year and the Administration
Graduate of the Year. NHS managers
who have provided placement
opportunities will be invited to join in
the celebration.
Monday, 1st February 2010
Apprenticeship Week
commences
y Andy Burnham meets NW apprentices (see back page)
Apprenticeship Week 2010 will begin
on Monday February 1st 2010. More
details to follow.
Getting started
with
Skills for Life
Jackie Pratt has recently joined SAfH
NW as the Skills for Life Broker.
Skills for Life (SfL) is the national
strategy for improving literacy, language
and numeracy skills of the population.
Its development is central to ensuring a
competent workforce and needs to be
adopted by the whole organisation at all
levels – from chief executives, HR
directors and senior managers to line
managers and delivery staff. This
includes providing all employees with
opportunities to progress and achieve
English, maths, and English for
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
qualifications.
Jackie’s post is funded by NHS NW
and she will be working across the
region to support NHS Trusts in:
implementing Skills for Life (SfL)
activities; raising awareness of SfL
across the whole organisation; and
increasing the number of NHS staff
being offered literacy, language and
numeracy opportunities.
Before getting started – Five key steps:
1 Policy and strategy – who is taking the lead on Skills for Life policy and
strategy?
2 The employee offer – how will you provide English, maths and ESOL
training opportunities for your staff?
3 Promotion, marketing and recruitment – how are you going to encourage
and support staff to access Skills for Life training opportunities?
4 Impact measures and evaluation – can you identify and highlight the
benefits of Skills for Life development for your organisation?
5 Dissemination and celebration – are you sharing information about Skills
for Life policy, implementation and success within your organisation?
• meeting health and safety
requirements
The result:
• increasing productivity and improving
quality
• achievement of training, e.g. NVQs
• reducing absenteeism
• reducing errors/wastage
Why get involved with Skills for Life?
• improving customer relations
Benefits to organisations include:
• improved quality of care
• being seen as a learning
organisation.
• a confident, flexible and skilled
workforce, responsive to change,
leading to effectiveness and
efficiency
• an opportunity for employees to
modernise, consolidate and maintain
skills and acquire new qualifications
• employee confidence to access
other training and progression
opportunities within the workplace.
Healthcare conference is a great success
Aimhigher and the Skills Academy for Health have enjoyed a long and successful partnership over the past few years.
The Academy continues to support this widening participation programme in a variety of different ways.
This year, the partnership approach has strengthened yet further, with the Academy organising two hugely successful
student conferences on behalf of the Aimhigher consortia.
The conferences – aimed at Year 9/10 Aimhigher students in the Greater Merseyside and Greater Manchester areas –
took place in July and proved a great hit with both students and teachers alike.
Organised by Joan Holcroft, Careers Coordinator, and Berni Holloway, Careers Facilitator, at SAfH; and made possible
by the support of local NHS Trusts and their staff, the two events gave young people an opportunity to explore a variety
of careers through participation in a series of interactive workshops.
“We had over 100 students at each event,” said Joan. “Students were divided into groups and took part in six workshops
throughout the day, including medical, ODP, dental and science, to name but a few. We had an excellent response from
our practitioners. The students were fantastic and took a real interest in the fields available to them. At the end of the
day, many of the students commented that the event had made an impact on their future careers choices.”
David Haviland of St Peter’s R.C. High School, added: “Superbly organised – a big well done to the Academy staff.
Our pupils were spoilt with such a brilliant day and we would love to have the event repeated next year.”
Julie Bond, SAfH Careers IAG/Diploma Lead concluded: “This type of event is exactly what we need to capture the
attention of young people and attract our future workforce.”
www.skillsacademyforhealth.org.uk
Ambition class of 2008/09 celebrate success
Pre employment graduates from three Merseyside colleges came together earlier this year to celebrate their
collective achievements in completing the Ambition Health programme during 2008-09.
1
2
3
important to us that we recognise that
many have overcome barriers in order
to succeed. Many students have
shown real commitment in achieving
their training and career goals and this
event is about celebrating their hard
work.”
4
5
y 1. Staff and participants from Knowsley College 2. Staff and participants from Liverpool
Community College 3. Staff and participants from St Helens College 4. Winners of Special
Achievement Awards 5. Amanda Woods, Administration Graduate of the Year and Charlene
Wells, Healthcare Graduate of the Year
Pre employment graduates from three
Merseyside colleges came together
earlier this year to celebrate their
collective achievements in completing
the Ambition Health programme during
2008-09.
Staff and students from Knowsley
College, St Helens College, and
Liverpool Community College attended
the event, which was held at the Liner
Hotel in Liverpool city centre.
Marie Hambley, Pre Employment Lead
for Cheshire & Merseyside said: “The
annual Ambition Health graduation
event is a wonderful opportunity for us
to acknowledge and celebrate the
fantastic achievements of all of our
participants.
“The programme gives lone parents the
chance to study for an NVQ
qualification as well as gain valuable
work experience in the NHS. It is really
During the event, all graduates were
presented with their Skills Academy
certificates and a number of Special
Achievement Awards were also given
out. Amanda Woods was named Admin
Graduate of the Year and Charlene
Wells was named Healthcare Graduate
of the Year.
Marie added: “It was a really uplifting
and enjoyable day for everyone and we
were also delighted to be joined by so
many of our partners, including college
staff and NHS managers. Many thanks
to them for attending the event and for
supporting our participants in fulfilling
their ambitions and even changing
their lives.”
Move On in the NHS
The suite of seven Skills for Life; Move On in the NHS
development materials is now completed. The suite covers:
1. Communication skills for applying equality and diversity.
2. Communication skills for KSF portfolio building.
3. Communication skills for participation in a personal
development plan.
4. Effective communication skills for customer service.
5. Effective communication skills for working in the NHS.
6. Effective communications skills for leaders and managers.
7. Move On maths in the NHS.
Each of the programmes has been developed through a
partnership between NHS Trusts, training providers, NHS
North West, SAfH NW, Skills for Health, LSC, Move On and
unions. The programmes – together with supporting
PowerPoint presentations – are now available via the
Move On website at http://www.moveon.org.uk/downloadsresults.asp?id=92.
For more information please contact:
Jackie Pratt, Skills for Life Broker
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0161 2662390
Mobile: 07768215842
Passport to Employment pilot
programme launched at Pennine
Acute Trust
The Pennine Acute Trust, Oldham
College, and Jobcentre Plus worked in
partnership with SAfH on the pilot
Passport to Employment pre employment
programme. The participants took part in
three weeks of college based training
with Academy input, before going out on
ward-based work placements for three
weeks to observe the position of a
healthcare assistant and help with the
basic duties of the role.
The feedback from both the Trust and
the participants has been both positive
and encouraging. Participants feel that
the programme has helped to improve
their confidence and equip them with
the skills they need to apply for work
within the healthcare sector.
Jennifer Roche is one of the participants
who has successfully completed the
course and subsequently found
employment within the Trust. Jennifer
has been a full time mum for the past
few years, looking after her two young
children. Despite having applied for
various roles as a healthcare assistant,
Jennifer had never been successful at
the interview stage, feeling that her
nerves let her down. By coming on the
Passport to Employment programme,
Jennifer felt she would be able to
develop her confidence, build on her
skills, and gain the experience needed to
help her perform at interview.
Throughout the course, Jennifer showed
a very positive attitude and was keen to
learn. The observational placement on
ward was highly successful. According
to the report from her manager, Jennifer
worked well as part of a team and had
good communication skills. Her ward
manager believed that Jennifer was
“following the right course” by working
towards nursing.
Various healthcare assistant roles came
up at North Manchester General
Hospital where the participants had
completed their placements. Nearly all
the participants applied. Jennifer
managed to secure an interview, and
with some extra help on preparing for
interviews, she was successful in gaining
employment on the same ward on
which she completed her placement.
Jennifer is soon to start in full time
employment within the Trust, and feels
that the support given through the
Passport to Employment programme
has provided her with the opportunity to
pursue a career with the NHS.
Another successful programme
participant is Craig Bell. Craig had spent
the last 12 years working in construction
as a labourer. Prior to that had worked in
security and also served in the army.
After being made redundant in
November 2008, Craig had been unable
to find work. His Jobcentre Plus advisor
referred Craig to the Passport to
Employment programme and Craig felt
that this would be a great opportunity for
him to develop the skills and experience
required to move towards a career in
healthcare. Although Craig had no
previous experience of caring, he
showed a good understanding of the
role and also demonstrated the positive
attitude that the Trust was looking for in
participants.
Initially, Craig was unsure if he had made
the right decision in choosing such a
different career path. However, as the
programme progressed, so did Craig’s
confidence, and his desire to work as a
healthcare assistant increased. He
expressed a keenness to learn and
quickly settled into the programme,
discovering that many of his existing
skills could be applied to the work
involved.
Through his observational placement on
ward, Craig gained a greater insight into
the role of a healthcare assistant. The
staff on the ward were very impressed
with Craig’s ability to use his initiative
and work well as part of a team. During
his placement, both Craig and the staff
he worked with noted how his
confidence grew and he quickly became
a valuable asset to the team.
Craig is confident that he has chosen
the right career path, and by completing
the course he now has the experience
and self-belief to find employment as a
healthcare assistant. Craig believes that
the course has given him the opportunity
to learn more about this area of work
and feels positive about his future career
options within the sector.
Winner of 2009 North West LEP award
June saw the National Local Employer Partnership (LEP) Awards take
place in London. LEPs represent a government partnership approach
which aims to help those who are currently out of work – and are
disadvantaged or face barriers to employment – back into work.
One of the participants, Lyn McNichol, who completed a Passport to
Employment programme run under a LEP agreement in Salford, was
successful in winning both the regional and the national LEP Award. Lyn
had been in receipt of Incapacity Benefit for 20 years and had numerous
barriers to employment. In addition to suffering from agoraphobia, she had
family commitments that had previously prevented her from seeking work.
She was supported on the pre employment programme to help develop
her confidence and skills so that she could pursue a career as a support
worker within Salford Royal Foundation Trust.
During the programme, Lyn went from strength to strength. She developed
her confidence and her communication skills and quickly realised how
these new skills would apply to the role of a clinical support worker. On
completion, Lyn was successful in securing a job as a clinical support
worker at Salford Royal. She has successfully retained this position for the
past six months.
www.skillsacademyforhealth.org.uk
Sue secures her dream job at Liverpool Women’s Hospital
At 53, Sue Wilson from Old Swan had
always worked and since leaving school
she had always had a job. But having
spent the last ten years employed as a
retail sales assistant, in October last
year she was suddenly made redundant.
At the time, Sue was devastated. She
felt that her “world had ended.”
However, having gained so much retail
experience, she thought she would
soon find another position.
Unfortunately, with a worldwide
recession in progress and the credit
crunch hitting retailers particularly hard,
getting another job was proving difficult.
After a few months of job hunting, Sue
realised she would need to take a
different route if she wanted to regain
employment, so she decided to look for
a completely new career goal.
Talking about her decision, Sue said:
“I have always loved looking after
people. Friends and family often said
that I should take up some sort of
career in caring. With help and advice
from my Jobs, Enterprise and Training
(JET) advisor, I applied for the NHS
Skills Passport pre employment
programme and was successful in
obtaining a place. For me, that was a
major turning point.”
Sue found she really enjoyed the
programme’s five week training period,
which covered subjects such as
confidentiality, equality and diversity,
and working with vulnerable adults. She
was gaining confidence all the time and
building up an impressive portfolio of
work.
SAfH NW then arranged for Sue to go
on a ten week placement at Liverpool
Women’s Hospital. She was based in
the Gynaecological Clinic, and it was
during her time there that she realised
she had found her ideal career.
Placement Coordinator Jacqui Purcell
said, “Sue seemed immediately at
home in the role. She is a warm, caring
and approachable person and the work
seemed to suit her perfectly. She was
focused and enthusiastic throughout
placement and her Clinic Manager was
delighted with her from the word go.”
Job success soon followed. Sue
applied for a healthcare assistant role in
the hospital’s Maternity Department and
was delighted to be invited for interview.
Later that day she received a call to say
that – out of 86 applicants – she had
been successful. Sue started her new
job in July and is loving every minute of
it. She said: “I gained so much from the
Skills Passport programme –
knowledge, experience and confidence.
It has been a lot of hard work in a short
space of time, but it has really paid off
for me. I’m now in a job that I love,
working with expectant parents and
nursing newborn babies. I feel like a
valuable part of the clinical team in
the unit.
“My friends and family are really proud
of me. I know I couldn’t have done it
without the advice and guidance from
JET and the placement opportunity
given to me by the NHS, particulary
Carol Ballard and her team at the
Womens. The programme and my new
job have given me a new lease of life.”
Jacqui Purcell, Pre Employment
Coordinator at SAfH, said: “Sue has
shown incredible determination and
focus in turning her redundancy into an
opportunity to create a brand new
career for herself. The competition for
healthcare assistant roles – especially at
a hospital like the Women’s – is
extremely high. Sue has shown 100%
commitment to achieving her career
goal. She was dedicated, quick to learn
and, most importantly, had a fantastic
manner with the patients. She
thoroughly deserves her job success.”
Maria joins the Academy
Maria Baccino-Butt was a
participant on the 15-week NHS
Skills Passport pre employment
programme in February 2009.
Describing the impact the
course has had on her life she
said:
“As an experience, I found the Skills Passport programme
invaluable in boosting my confidence and preparing me for
the demands of the NHS. One of the key benefits of the
programme, was the time spent developing my CV and
improving my interview technique.
“The impact of this programme on my working life has been
vast. It has enabled me to gain an administrative position at
SAfH NW and has given me a real feeling of self worth. This
has impacted positively on the lives of my children, who now
have an inspirational working role model in the family.”
Lyn Walsh, Pre Employment Coordinator, commented:
“Maria was an outstanding student who performed well at
her interview and throughout the programme. She was
nominated as ‘Class Representative’ during the five week
training period. While on placement, the feedback on Maria
from the manager and her team was outstanding. Given her
determination I knew that she would soon find employment.”
SAfH NW Annual
Cadet Award
ceremony
SAfH NW held its annual Cadet
Award ceremony at the BT
Convention Centre, Liverpool Echo
Arena, at the beginning of July.
The ceremony – held on behalf of
partners across the North West – was
attended by over 1,000 guests;
including 400 Cadets from across
Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater
Manchester, Cumbria and Lancashire.
Judith McGregor, Head of Programmes
at SAfH NW, hosted the event and the
awards were presented by actor, Chris
Fountain, who plays Justin in the
television series, Hollyoaks, and was the
much-acclaimed runner-up in the 2008
Dancing on Ice finals.
Cadet programmes are supported by
two thirds of NHS Trusts in the region
plus some residential and nursing home
employers. Representatives from many
of these organisations attended on the
day, together with partners from local
higher education institutions and wider
supporting agencies.
The top accolade went to Gemma
Rowlands, who was named the NHS
North West and Learning and Skills
Council Cadet of the Year. During her
two-year course, Gemma – who was
based at St Helens College – had
placements at Halton and St Helens
Primary Care Trust and St Helens
and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS
Trust. She was presented with her
award by Kirsty Baxter, Assistant
Director of Education Management at
NHS North West, and Kirsty Evans,
Skills Development Director at
the LSC.
Over 400 young
people celebrate at
the annual awards
ceremony
During the ceremony, Cadets from
programmes across the North West
received a Certificate of Achievement.
One Cadet from each of the 20+
colleges and training providers involved
also received a Special Merit Award.
Exploring the outcomes for pre employment
programme participants in the North West
“Without the programme it would have taken me much
longer to get back into work.”
There is considerable focus on reducing worklessness, given its strong correlation with personal health and
economic and social wellbeing. In partnership with a range of stakeholders, SAfH NW co-ordinates and supports the
delivery of a number of pre employment programmes. To date, several hundred participants have found work in the
health and social care sectors following completion of these schemes.
Many of the programme participants have been out of work for very long periods or are often disadvantaged by other
factors. In order to better understand the challenges and personal outcomes experienced by participants, SAfH NW
commissioned a research project to evaluate the schemes. The resulting summary and case studies powerfully
capture the participants’ experiences.
Following the research, a return on investment tool has been developed to help indicate the value of pre employment
schemes. Based on the assumptions built into the tool, indications are that for every £1.00 investment made by the
NHS, there is a return of between £1.20 and £2.10.
These resources are now available and will be helpful to anyone involved in supporting widening participation or in
the design and/or delivery of skill programmes. Regional skills or employment regeneration agencies, and those
involved in engaging with employers, will also find them of benefit.
For further information or copies of the research, please contact [email protected] or
[email protected]
www.skillsacademyforhealth.org.uk
Finance Cadet graduate speaks
at major Skills for Health event
Carl had agreed to give a presentation to
over 150 delegates at the recent Skills
for Health Apprenticeships: Going for
Growth event in Birmingham about his
experience as a Finance Cadet.
He explained how these minor difficulties
were more than balanced by the great
support he received from his mentors
during his placement. Carl’s programme
allowed him to rotate through a variety of
areas in finance, gaining new knowledge
all the time. The support he received
really helped Carl to gain good results in
his Association of Accounting
Technicians (AAT) qualification. He is now
employed at Mersey Care as Assistant
Finance Systems Accountant, and will
shortly start working towards his
Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants (CIMA) qualification.
Explaining why he was attracted to the
opportunity of working whilst achieving
his qualification, Carl told delegates how
he opted to apply for the SAfH NW
programme rather than continue his
academic studies. He talked about how
it had been a culture shock for the first
six Finance Cadets who started at
Mersey Care, as most people had
worked there for a long time. However,
barriers were quickly broken down and
Carl received impressive applause
following his presentation and was
personally congratulated by Nic
Greenfield, Director of Workforce at the
Department of Health, who had
previously given a speech at the event
championing Apprenticeships. Nic
shared his own background as a
Treasury Accountant with Carl and
advised him to believe that there were no
limits to his future progression.
Accepting an invitation to speak in public
for the first time, Carl Sharps, a Finance
Cadet graduate from Mersey Care NHS
Trust, was understandably nervous.
knowledge and skills were shared. For
example, Carl came to the programme
with a high level of IT skills, which he
happily shared with colleagues.
Carl also spoke to delegates about
some of the more difficult aspects of the
programme; mainly the pay and having
to travel to the Trust’s remote location.
Cadets complete their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
y Cadets completing their camping expedition
y Cadets completing a fancy dress charity car wash, which raised
over £600 for charity
At SAfH NW, all young people on Cadet schemes have the opportunity to complete the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s
Award. The Award consists of four sections – volunteering, physical, skills and expedition. Cadets must complete all
four sections to gain the full Award.
This year, a total of 42 Cadets achieved the full Award, with many more receiving certificates for completing a
number of different sections. The Cadets had great fun along the way, and participated in a range of fundraising
activities for charity, including sponsored walks and fancy dress car washes – raising over £9,000 for good causes
as well as fulfilling the ‘volunteering’ section of the Award.
For the ‘expedition’ section, Cadets completed a four day, three night, camping trip; combining both ‘practice’ and
‘qualifying’ expeditions into one. Cadets from different colleges were brought together for this trip; giving them a
chance to meet new people, whilst at the same time working on their team building and communication skills.
All the Cadets enjoyed participating in the Award, with the added bonus that its completion will also look good on
their CVs when they look for employment in the future.
A number of Cadets have subsequently moved on to the Silver Award – via open operating authorities within their
own districts. Four Cadets have opted to progress straight to the Gold Award, and will be travelling to Jinja in
Uganda during September to complete the qualifying ‘exploration’ section.
Greater Manchester welcomes Finance Cadets
Working together with the Financial
Skills Development team from NHS
North West, training provider Kaplan
Financial and the Finance Departments
of NHS Trusts from Wigan to Stockport,
SAfH NW has piloted the first
programme for Finance Cadets in the
Greater Manchester area.
Catherine Ferguson, Youth
Development Lead for the SAfH in
Greater Manchester, explained that the
programme was developed following
discussion with David Ellcock, FSD
Manager at NHS North West. David
highlighted the growing need to ensure
that the future NHS Finance
Department workforce is fully skilled
and competent, and said that such a
programme would be an excellent way
to ensure that steps are taken towards
that goal.
The opportunity was advertised across
the region by local Connexions offices
y First cohort of Finance Cadets in Greater Manchester
and SAfH NW Trust partners. On behalf
of the Trust partners, Sara Braidwood,
also from the FSD, supported the
recruitment process, which took place
in Wigan and central Manchester.
Coming together for the first time for
their induction programme at Kaplan’s
College in central Manchester, the latest
cohort of Finance Cadets were looking
forward to their first day in placement.
One of the Cadets, Rachel Diamond,
runner-up in the Kaplan School
Scholarship Competition, explained
why she had applied to become a
Finance Cadet. She said: “This is an
excellent opportunity to not only
learn finance skills, but hopefully to gain
the knowledge I need for a career in
the NHS.”
Four Dental Cadets gain employment at
Manchester Dental Hospital
By 2007, the Dental Cadet education
provision had moved three times.
Originating in Widnes, it relocated to
Warrington before ultimately being
established at Manchester Dental
Hospital.
This proved a challenge for some
participants as they travelled from as far
afield as Widnes and Liverpool.
However, everyone was determined to
succeed in achieving both the NVQ
qualification and the valuable hands on
experience necessary to gain
employment.
At the beginning of 2009, several posts
were advertised for Dental Nurses in
various departments within Manchester
Dental Hospital. By this time, the
Cadets had all qualified, but were
concerned as to whether they had
enough experience to apply for the
positions. With guidance and
encouragement from Hazel Beaudin at
SAfH, each of them duly completed the
application and then waited in
trepidation.
Encouragingly, all four of the Cadets
secured an interview with the
department of their choice. However,
competition is fierce for these sought
after positions and interviews are tough.
Following the recruitment process, Ellie
Maher, matron at the Dental Hospital,
said: “The Cadets stood out at
interview, they were competent in their
knowledge and understanding and
were of a very high standard.”
As a result, all four of the Cadets
received job offers and have now been
in post for several months.
For two of the girls, Claire and Sam, the
commute from Liverpool and Widnes
took its toll and they decided to share a
flat in Manchester. “It just seemed the
perfect solution,” said Claire. “Sam and
I became friends when we started the
course together.”
Speaking about her new role, Claire
said, “I really enjoy working in the Dental
Hospital and the support from everyone
has been amazing.”
Sarah added:“I have only been there for
two months, but feel like I’ve been there
for years; I’m so settled. Everyone is so
nice and welcoming, it’s a great place
to work. I get to work with so many
different people – from students,
receptionists and support workers to
senior house officers and consultants.
It’s a place where you are encouraged
to further yourself with post
qualifications, which I can’t wait to
start!”
Of the original Cadet programme,
Sarah commented: “It’s a really
excellent course. At the end you are a
qualified professional in something you
really enjoy and have the skills to go
and work somewhere that’s well known
for its work – such as the Dental
Hospital. All the staff at the Academy
are great, and if you ever need anything
they are more than happy to help;
even once the course has finished. I
have found the programme so life
changing I have recommended it to my
friends!”
www.skillsacademyforhealth.org.uk
Visit to the set of Hollyoaks for the 2009
Cadet of the Year
When Gemma Rawlings was presented
with the NHS NW and LSC Cadet of
the Year award by Hollyoaks actor, Chris
Fountain, the healthcare cadet from St
Helens was even more surprised to
learn that Sean Marley, Managing
Director of Lime Pictures, had kindly
agreed to a ‘behind the scenes’ visit to
the Hollyoaks set for the winner.
Gemma was accompanied by her
sister, and Gill Liptrot, Skills Academy
Cadet Support Practitioner. On arrival at
the Lime Pictures’ headquarters in
Childwall, Liverpool, they were greeted
by Helen Black, Head of Makeup. Helen
showed the group around the famous
set, visiting the SU Bar; the piazza;
Steph’s flat; the Valentines’; the Roys’;
and the Dog in the Pond pub.
During the tour Gemma enjoyed a
‘behind the scenes’ glimpse of a
number of departments – including
estates and wardrobe. Whilst in Helen’s
makeup department, Gemma got the
chance to meet some of the Hollyoaks’
cast, including Natalie Emmanuel – who
plays Sasha; Darren Langford – who
plays Spencer; Helen Pearson – who
plays Frankie Osborne; and Ricky
Whittle – who plays Calvin.
to commence her nurse training –
sending her well on her way towards
achieving her goal to become a nurse.
“I just can’t believe how real it all is and
how nice everyone has been,” said
Gemma. “It has been a great day.”
Gemma won the Cadet of the Year
award for her dedication and
commitment to the Cadet programme.
Although challenged by a long term
health condition since childhood,
Gemma overcame all obstacles. She is
now progressing to Edge Hill University
y Gemma meets Natalie Emmanuel (Sasha)
on the Hollyoaks set
Dan the Diploma man has a capital time in London
Priestley College Diploma student Dan Smith has been making friends in
very high places indeed.
Priestley College Diploma student, Dan
Smith, has been making friends in very
high places. The 18 year old travelled to
London with Julie Bond, Diploma Lead
at SAfH NW, to meet up with Sir Alan
Jones, Chairman of Toyota; and Jim
Knight MP, then Minister of State for
Schools and Learners.
“It was a little intimidating at first, but I
was happy to see that the minister
really was interested to hear what I had
to say and potentially use it as a basis
for making future decisions.”
Julie Bond said, “Dan proved to be an
excellent ambassador for the Diploma
in Society, Health and Development.
He clearly demonstrated the calibre of
students on the course and it was
great to hear first hand how he is
enjoying the applied nature of his
learning programme.It was a pleasure
to take him to such an important
event.”
Dan had been invited to the capital to
talk through his experiences of studying
on one of the new Advanced Diploma
pathways. In the summer of 2010, Dan
and his peer group will be among the
first students in the country to be
awarded the Advanced Diploma in
Society Health and Development. The
introduction of the new qualification has
come on the back of the government’s
drive to deliver new ways of learning to
the potential leaders of tomorrow.
Speaking about his experience, Dan
said: “It was the first time I had ever
visited London. To do that, and also
meet with these very important people,
was really interesting.
y Julie Bond (Diploma Lead, SAfH NW); Rt Hon Jim Knight MP Jim Knight MP, then Minister of
State for Schools and Learners; Dan Smith (Priestley College student) and Sir Alan Jones
(Chairman of Toyota)
SAfH NW Cadets visit Uganda
This year, Youth Development
Coordinator, Lisa Waring, and Amy
Hill, Youth Development Facilitator
at the Skills Academy for Health
North West, returned to Uganda
following their 2008 fact finding trip.
They returned with four SAfH NW
Cadets who applied for this once in
life time opportunity last year.
Over the past 12 months, the four
Cadets, Lisa, Amy, the Academy
team, and other Cadets from across
the region, have raised funds to
support the trip and the people of
Uganda.
Through a lot of hard work that
included sponsored walks, charity
nights, car boot sales, washing cars
and packing bags in supermarkets,
their joint efforts raised around
£9,500. This money funded the trip
and bought equipment and supplies
for the people of Uganda; many of
whom are living in appalling
conditions, suffering ill health; and
lacking the most basic necessities
of life – including a fresh water
supply.
care, such as bathing the feet of young
children who had been infected by
parasites because of a lack of footwear.
Many of the children were also missing
out on an education, because the
Ugandan authorities won’t allow them
to attend school without wearing a
uniform. Again, through the generosity
of those who had supported them here
in the North West, the Cadets were able
to really make a difference by providing
the children with shoes and a school
uniform (used and new).
Keira Dean, one of the Cadets who
went on the trip said: “Uganda was full
of extreme highs and lows. But even
though it got me down at times it was
worth every second. Being there gave
me the most amazing insight and was a
phenomenal experience. Now I’ve
been, all I can think about is when I will
get the chance to go back. The people
of Uganda are so unique; they have
such a positive attitude. Even though
their lifestyles are very poor, they always
seem happy!”
During the trip, the Cadets had the
opportunity to study with Ugandan
nurses in training, visit local
hospitals and provide community
care to outlying villages. This
included providing the most basic of
Gill Smith said: “Before I went on the
trip I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
You watch these programmes on the
television where the children are living
without food and water, so I wasn’t sure
if I would be able to deal with the things
I might come across. Everyone in the
team was very supportive of each other
y 2 Cadets donate impact kit and
training to the village
y Cadets attend a training session at
Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery
and not once did I feel alone. I knew
that everyone else would feel the
same way I was feeling at some
point in the trip.
“One of the things that surprised me
most was how happy the children
were in their surroundings. Children
with no shoes on their feet, having
lost their family and with very little to
eat or drink, could wear the smile of
a billionaire when they saw a
mzungu (white person) coming to
their village. Never again will I
look at my own life and think I need
more.
“My happiest memories would have
to be giving the children shoes and
washing their feet. Little things to us
will make the biggest difference to
them. Now that I have been once, I
don’t think having a summer holiday
in Florida or Spain would give me
what I gained whilst I was out there.
I will always want to go back.
Making a difference to another
person’s future is a lot more
rewarding than getting a good tan
on the beach.”
Of the Cadets who went on the trip;
Keira, Gill and Sarah are all about to
start their pre-registration nurse
training and Jon is waiting to start
his paramedic training here in the
North West.
y Removing Jiggers from the feet of village
children
www.skillsacademyforhealth.org.uk
Cadets support Marina Dalglish Appeal
Each year, SAfH NW adopts a charity to support. As part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Cadets look at ways of
raising money for the chosen cause. Over the last four years, Cadets have supported a number of charities,
including CHICS (Children’s Cancer Support) based at Alder Hey, and Ovarian Cancer Research.
In 2008, the Academy Cadets and staff decided
on the charity, Patients with Breast Cancer,
which at the time was very relevant to the group.
The Cadets arranged a variety of fundraising
events, such as sponsored walks, raffles, cake
sales, packing bags in supermarkets, quiz
nights, charity ghost walks, and even a
sponsored hunt to find miniature lamb banana
sculptures around Liverpool city centre.
A total of £4,413.34 was raised, and it was
decided that SAfH NW would donate this to the
Marina Dalglish Appeal. A cheque was presented
to Donna Murray and Debbie Clark, Breast
Nurses from Aintree Hospital, during the
Academy’s annual Cadet Award ceremony at the
beginning of July.
y Donna Murray and Debbie Clark, Breast Nurses from Aintree Hospital;
Emma Latham, second year healthcare Cadet, with actor, Chris Fountain
Secretary of State for Health meets apprentices
At the end of July, the Secretary of
State for Health, Andy Burnham, spent
time in the region during a visit arranged
on behalf of NHS North West by
SAfH NW.
The minister was in the North West to
promote the Department of Health’s
commitment to the Apprenticeship
agenda. During his visit, he met
apprentices from across the region and
spent time talking to them about their
experiences to date and their plans for
the future.
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said:
“We were delighted to be chosen to
host this ministerial visit. We work
closely with the Skills Academy for
Health NW team to develop
programmes which encourage young,
unemployed and disadvantaged people
into work and provide them with the
opportunity to gain qualifications and
develop skills for a future career in the
NHS. The Academy team supports us
and other NHS organisations across the
region to access funding and manage
programmes of activity in order to
develop our future workforce.”
Accompanying the ministerial party
were: Kirstie Baxter, Assistant Director
of Education Management at NHS
North West, and, representing the
Academy team, Judith McGregor, Head
of Programmes; Judith Jones, Cadet
Development Lead; Sandra Capper,
Apprenticeship Broker; and the
Academy’s very own administration
apprentice, Philip Beattie.
The event was hosted on behalf of NHS
North West by Aintree University
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In
addition to meeting apprentices who
had just completed their
Apprenticeships in Health and Social
Care and subsequently secured places
at local universities to undertake their
pre-registration nurse training, the
minister was also introduced to
apprentices in Engineering and
Business Administration – helping to
illustrate the broad range of non-clinical
roles covered by Apprenticeship
programmes and relevant to the
healthcare sector.
Margaret Jackson, Director of Human
Resources at Aintree University
y NW apprentices meeting the Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham, at Aintree Hospital.
www.skillsacademyforhealth.org.uk