Working with the NHS started on Tuesday 10th April 2018. Three trainees did two ‘work taster’ sessions over two weeks and then they went on to do a block of 7 weeks work experience completing longer sessions on two days per week. Initially LGF had concentrated on the two areas, namely, catering and housekeeping. The catering involved a wide range of tasks from cleaning, working in the restaurant, assisting the chef, hosting meals etc to the wards, pot washing and loading/unloading the commercial dishwasher. The housekeeping trainees were each attached to a ward (Egerton and Benson on the first floor). Their roles involved cleaning, serving drinks and meals and replenishing dispensers. Two of the three trainees registered with the NHS Job website on completion of their work experience. One of those subsequently completed an application for a part time evening post and has been successful in getting an interview next week. She will be supported in the interview by her job coach. The second trainee is checking the website and his emails daily so that he can apply as soon as a part time post becomes available.
The second phase will start next week W/C 16/07/18 and LGF have successfully negotiated two additional areas of work for the trainees. These are in the post room and in waste portering and we have two new trainees having two taster sessions next week and this will be followed by four weeks of work experience working two consecutive days. The post room trainee will do 3 hrs per day and the waste portering trainee will do 4.5 hours per day.
On W/C 23/07/18, two new trainees will start, one in catering and the second in housekeeping. The catering trainee will do a total of 3 weeks taster/work experience, two days per week working a 6.5-hour day. The housekeeping trainee will do 7.5 hours on two days per week over 6 weeks. There is possibly another housekeeping trainee ready to do work experience, but this has not yet been finalised.
I have had the pleasure of working in all these areas and the various teams and their managers are very supportive, friendly, welcoming and want to share the experiences of their jobs at the Conquest Hospital with us and our trainees. In fact, I have come to be accepted within all these departments and as I walk around the hospital I am greeted by many as they go about their daily jobs. They often stop and ask how the first phase trainees are and when they will be starting to work with them in a paid job!
Jane Jenner, Job Coach in the Supported Employment Team
