Image – Kirsten Scott 4th from the right with the HR Business Team.
NHS Lanarkshire welcomed 15 eager and inspiring young people to work placements in February, in partnership with the National Government Employability programme; ‘Kickstart’.
The health board signed up to the landmark scheme to work with young people who were unemployed due to various circumstances, including many who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
This is part of NHS Lanarkshire’s commitment to creating opportunities for young people through high quality roles to build their skills in the workplace and gain more experience to improve their long-term work prospects.
The scheme offered the participants, aged 16-24, six-month work placement across domestic, clerical or health support worker roles. More than half of the participants have already secured permanent employment with the health board and other organisations.
NHS Lanarkshire’s Health Improvement team focused on supporting the young people with their health and wellbeing. This ensured each person was effectively supported during their placements and future career opportunities with additional wrap around support provided by South Lanarkshire Council.
Kirsten Ritchie, who took part in the scheme as a clerical officer and has progressed to assistant technical officer in pharmacy at University Hospital Monklands, said: “I started as a clerical officer with the HR Business Team at Law House, and I loved my time there.
“It genuinely built my confidence and taught me new skills, as well as the fact I made new friendships. The entire team was amazing and nothing was ever too much to ask.
“The scheme is fantastic and I really hope others in the future gain as much from it as I did. NHS Lanarkshire gave me the opportunity to get back into the workplace and they’ve been welcoming and understanding from the start. I was always hopeful of a permanent position, which I now have within University Hospital Monklands pharmacy department.
“I feel very lucky to have to secured a place through the work I did under the Kickstart scheme, and even luckier to have been placed in Pharmacy, which is what I’ve always wanted to come back to. It has given me back my life.”
Maureen Inglis, assistant operational service manager, NHS Lanarkshire, commented: “I had a young man within my team named Robbie Miller, who worked within a clerical officer role within mental health services based at Airbles Road.
“Robbie had such a positive impact on the team who were exceptionally busy and working at reduced levels due to Covid. He was initially shy but with the appropriate investment from his team and mentor, he was supported to develop his skills and confidence to take on more tasks.
“By the time Robbie came to the end of his six months, it was safe to say every consultant, nurse and admin staff based within the department were sad to see him go, however I’m very pleased and grateful that his experience with us allowed him the skillset to secure another role within the organisation.”
Lorraine Scott, HR business partner – Employability, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “These positions within the organisation were aimed at improving life chances and opportunities of our local young people of all abilities and levels, and our supporting role allowed participants to access and experience this sector as a future career pathway. It also wouldn’t have been possible to achieve this without all the staff involved across our acute sites and the Health and Social Care Partnerships.”
Kerri Todd, head of health improvement, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Our team was delighted to support these young people within their placements, as we recognise how overwhelming it would be not only starting a new job but a new career path.
“I’m thrilled the scheme resulted in the majority finding permanent employment, and I’m positive that all who took part will add value to the role they choose for their career.”
