Defence Online

Duke of Cambridge takes a step into health

Homeland October 13, 2016

Prince William yesterday visited Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital as part of his work to promote opportunities for veterans.

The Duke of Cambridge saw first hand the work being undertaken to provide employment opportunities for military veterans and gain further insight into the @StepIntoHealth programme.

He also met with some of its current participants and graduates, with a ceremony to present Gold Awards for the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) closing his visit.

Step into Health is an initiative created by the NHS in conjunction with The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Walking With The Wounded. The programme provides a pathway from the military into the many career opportunities in the NHS, the largest employer in Europe with in excess of 300 different career paths available, half of which are non-clinical.

Open to all Service Leavers and Veterans and their spouse or partner, Step into Health recognises the inherent skills gained in the armed forces and supports their journey into the civilian workplace. The programme creates individual work placements of up to four weeks that allow participants to explore the various career opportunities available in the NHS. For example, graduates of the programme have secured roles in areas such as catering, administration, management, communications and maintenance as well as roles in one of the clinical services.

In 2014 Step into Health ran its first pilot with the Norfolk & Norwich University Trust. Some 78% of those veterans who completed a work placement went on to either secure employment within the NHS or one of its partners, or move into further education leading to sustainable employment in healthcare.

The Royal Foundation has supported Step into Health from its first pilot project in 2014. The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry is the Patrons’ primary charitable vehicle. It seeks to invest in, or partner with, organisations with proven impact, using its profile and leverage to create a multiplier effect in resources, outcomes and knowledge.

Walking With The Wounded helped to design and launch the Step into Health programme, which was created by WWTW and the Senior Management Team of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital became one of the first trusts to become part of the scheme in 2015.

The Trust works with the forces’ Career Transition Partnership and Recovery Career Services to offer retiring and medically discharged military staff a variety of appropriate placements across our hospitals. In addition, serving clinical military personnel have the opportunity to work with us as part of their personal development.

Mary Edwards, Hampshire Hospitals’ chief executive, explained: “People working in the military share many of our values. Our hospitals offer a huge range of exciting and challenging opportunities for people who are compassionate, accountable for their actions, show respect and are always encouraging of others.

“We employ over 5,000 people and are always looking for hard-working people with a huge range of skills and abilities. The military has a pool of dedicated, hard-working people who are looking for a new challenge in a supportive environment. This is a new partnership that we hope will be successful and will continue in the future, benefiting both organisations.”