Are you ready to care?

A new campaign to encourage people to apply for jobs in the NHS or social care has launched in east Kent.

Ready to care is a recruitment campaign by the East Kent Health and Care Partnership – a coalition of NHS, Kent County Council, social care and voluntary sector organisations in east Kent.

It is designed to encourage anyone who can bring life skills and experience, rather than formal qualifications, to apply for entry-level care and support roles, and start a rewarding career.

Susan Acott, CEO of East Kent Hospitals’ University NHS Foundation Trust, which is part of the partnership, said: “It’s nearly two years on from the pandemic, during which the Kent community responded magnificently.

“There are thousands of kind, compassionate and hard-working people who would make amazing healthcare assistants, care assistants and general healthcare staff, such as cleaners and porters.

“As we start to recover and begin to tackle our challenges, we know some people would jump at the chance of a career helping vulnerable people and others in need. We just need to help them find out what they can do and where.”

Facilities operative Jason Keen owes his life to the NHS, now he’s working to make sure others receive the same great care he did. Jason, 33, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in April 2017. Following treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to tackle a tumour that was pressing against his heart, Jason then suffered a heart attack.

His health scare made him re-evaluate his career choices and he joined the NHS family as a facilities’ operative at Faversham Cottage Hospital for Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT).

Jason said: “I help to keep all the wards and the therapy areas sanitised, I clean the sinks and toilets and deep clean every day. I also help with the drinks and meal rounds and sometimes assist patients to get to the day room for activities. That’s the best bit really, talking to the patients and getting to know them, cheering up their day a bit.

“I feel in a way I’m paying the NHS back now by working as part of the team here. What I have discovered is it doesn’t matter what role you’re in at Faversham hospital, we all work as a team to care for people. That’s literally everyone’s job and it’s definitely what I signed up for.

“When I was really ill, I did wonder if I would ever work again. But now I’m doing a job that I really enjoy and I’m helping others too.”

One of the things nursing home carer Tiffany Sims loves about her job is that no two days are ever the same. One day she could be sitting with a resident listening to a piece of classical music they enjoy, another she might be asked to read a collection of favourite poems. And on other days, she might simply be needed to hold someone’s hand.

Tiffany, 25, who works at Woodchurch House nursing home, near Ashford, said: “Working with elderly people and people with dementia has helped me in many ways. I would definitely recommend a career in care. I love knowing that I am making a positive difference to people’s lives and being there when they need someone most. I can truly say I love my job.”

Healthcare assistant Anna Sampson, 36, from Whitstable, swapped furry friends for hospital patients after landing a role at Faversham Cottage Hospital in June 2021.

She said: “I always wanted to be a veterinary nurse but I didn’t have the right qualifications so I worked as a patient care assistant at a vets looking after the animals and their owners before they had operations. When the pandemic came along I got a job as a covid screener at a GP practice in Whitstable. It was there that I saw how hard the nurses and healthcare assistants worked and what a vital job they did. It was very hands-on and that’s what I like when I’m working – just getting stuck in and helping people.”

More information and jobs can be found on the campaign website at: www.kentreadytocare.co.uk