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Trust achieves gold standard for quality of work experience
The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has achieved the Work Experience Quality Standard Gold Award from NHS England, recognising the opportunities it provides for young people interested in an NHS career.
Rachel Grimwood, volunteering and academies coordinator, said: “We offer work experience placements, shadow shifts and student volunteering opportunities at the West Suffolk Hospital. Last year, we hosted 182 students for clinical shadowing, and we are grateful to our colleagues across the Trust, who gave 1,300 hours of their time to support them.
“Thirty-six student volunteers joined us and gave us 2,200 hours of their time as ward volunteers. We get such good feedback; with young people telling us they have had a fantastic time. Two years ago, we received the Bronze Award, and are so pleased to have achieved the Gold Award, as it is a testament to all the hard work we have put in.”
Rachel explained: “We are open to everybody, taking students from all the local schools and the West Suffolk College, and when people contact us from Cambridge or Norfolk, we will include them as well. What we offer is very popular, people come to us from many different backgrounds and localities, and we aim to provide an enriched experience to as many individuals as we can.”
The Trust receives applications from young people aged over 16, and NHS colleagues who are interested in changing their career and want to learn more about other professions.
Lee Ranson,volunteer services lead, said: “The gold standard reflects the dedication Rachel puts into her work, which is demonstrated in the high-quality experience we provide. Rising from the bronze standard two years ago, to gold standard this year is an amazing achievement.
“We are also seeing the cohort of students grow and are engaging with more students than in previous years across our package of future careers activities. Students share with us the positive impact their experience has on them, as they look forward to their future.”
Ali Devlin, ward manager for F7 said: “I am very proud to say that we have been supporting student volunteers for some time now, and we love having them on the ward. It is so lovely to see them develop throughout their time with us, and while they are initially apprehensive, once they settle they come out of their shell and thrive. I really believe the student volunteers gain a wealth of experience whilst on the ward, which includes time management, prioritising tasks, working within a busy environment, integrating into a team and working with those team members, and communicating with staff and patients.
“During this time, they are also exposed to some of the realities of working in healthcare. However, I believe this is an important learning curve when considering whether to pursue a career in the NHS and valuable for the other parts of their life. It is truly a lovely dynamic having them on the ward, and all students will be welcome here on F7.”
Feedback from some of those who have been on the Trust’s work experience programme included:
Sam (clinical shadowing): “Amazing experience would highly recommend to anyone looking to go into medicine.”
Thomas (clinical shadowing): “Everyone within cardiology was amiable and knowledgeable and was always happy to answer any questions I had.”
Grace (student volunteer): “I would definitely recommend it to those who want to gain an understanding of the hospital environment.”
Ella (student volunteer): “I have improved my communication and interpersonal skills both with the patients and the healthcare staff. I have also developed better teamwork skills by working in a team with the nurses. It has been such an eye-opening and valuable experience, which has definitely helped further convince me to do medicine in the future.”
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