New healthcare room gets people into work

A specialist employability service in Doncaster is celebrating after the opening of its new simulated healthcare workspace has seen all of the people who have used the room so far offered jobs in local NHS services.
 
Aspire to Be, which is managed by Doncaster Deaf Trust, is for adults aged 19-60 from across South Yorkshire who are Deaf/hard of hearing, neuro diverse or those who have any other communication difficulty helping to make a valuable difference to their lives by developing their skills and supporting them into work.
 
As part of its approach, the service, on Leger Way, boasts ‘simulated work’ areas which are used by Aspire to Be staff to work with service users to breakdown certain tasks within a job role and explain in detail the different elements involved. The rooms available include a warehouse, retail shop, café and catering section and hotel room and the new healthcare room was recently added to provide people with first-hand experience of working in a clinical setting.
 
The new room, that is set up like a hospital room on a ward, has been created in partnership with Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH) which manages Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI). The Trust has provided some equipment that is no longer needed such as a bedside chair, side cabinet, bedding, pillows, cleaning materials, paper towel and soap dispenser, items for the wet room alongside other ad hoc items to make it as realistic as possible.
 
And after only opening over the summer and as part of a pilot with DBTH, all 17 service users who have been supported by Aspire to Be staff in the new healthcare room have gone onto to be offered job roles in the facilities department at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. It is now hoped the success of the pilot will see it expanded to other departments at DBTH as well as to other NHS Trusts and health and social care providers in South Yorkshire.
 
One of the successful service users is Annalise Walsh (18) from Doncaster who has a learning difference and began working with Aspire to Be in July. She is now due to start a new job as a services assistant at DRI in January. Annalise said: “I always struggled at college, so was so happy to find Aspire to Be which offered a different approach to learning.
 
“I didn’t like sitting in a classroom as it didn’t feel very supportive. At Aspire to Be it is much more practical and I could learn at my own pace, without feeling judged. I’m really proud and excited about my new job as I’ve always wanted to help other people so I can’t wait to start! I want to be a nurse eventually - I know I’m starting at the bottom, but I’ll get there. It feels like my dreams are finally coming true.”
 
Tina Rafferty, programme manager for Aspire to Be, said: “Annalise is a fantastic example of someone who has struggled to get work in the past and felt low in confidence but has come on leaps and bounds since she started working with our work coach Jo in our healthcare room. She is one of 17 service users who have accessed the room since it opened in July and who have all been successful at interview and gone on to be offered roles at DRI. It is an incredible achievement for each of them but also for us a service as it just reinforces that our approach works.
 
“We work with each individual in such as personal way and also build relationships with local employers to help develop staff that are trained and ready to work. We hope this is just the start and we can begin working across more DBTH departments and other NHS trusts in South Yorkshire.”
 
Zoe Lintin, Chief People Officer at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: “At DBTH, we are committed to creating opportunities that open doors and help individuals realise their potential. 
 
"Our partnership with Aspire to Be is an inspiring example of how tailored support and collaboration can make a real difference to people’s lives."
 
Tina added: “Our Aspire to Be service users all have something to offer but just need to be taught skills and gain experience in a different, more tailored way to suit their needs and these simulated areas really help us support them more effectively. They give people real life work experience and gain knowledge of working practices and job expectations.
 
“We work across a range of sectors including warehousing, hotels, retail and hospitality as well as healthcare so we’d be interested to hear from any businesses in these sectors who would like to find out more and also from people who think our service could help them into work.”
 
Aspire to Be received £465,000 from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority in 2023 to develop its provision.
 
For more information about Aspire to Be, please contact Tina Rafferty on tina.raffery@cscd.ac.uk