The Anchoring Southend 2050 Ambition
Organisation: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Mid and South Essex
Populations served: 1.2 million
The Anchoring Southend 2050 Ambition project focuses on moving people living in the most disadvantaged wards in Southend who are unemployed or economically inactive, towards work at either Southend Hospital or the wider healthcare sector.
The pilot wraps around existing work and skills programmes and provides dedicated individual, in person, support. That support enables participants to make high quality and ultimately successful applications to work in the NHS or healthcare sectors.
Impact of the programme
For me I didn't think I would get my dream job. I didn't have much confidence. I attended (the Anchor Recruitment Day), feeling nervous but everyone was so friendly and reassuring. I was asked to have a short interview with Mid and South Essex NHS and was offered the job of HCA then and there. I had my first shift on 15th September and loved it.
Anchor Participant, September 2022
Helps develop the local NHS and care workforce needed for the future.
Tests if the strengthening of local routes, into the NHS and beyond, can improve recruitment and retention and an individual’s well-being.
Long term impacts
Improving self-esteem and wellbeing for individuals and families.
Participants in quality work with career progression.
Raising aspirations for children and families in our most deprived wards.
Reducing poverty and inequality, and improving life chances.
For the NHS and partners
A potentially cost-effective recruitment methodology based on pipelines.
Fits to MSEFT NHS FT’s strategic aims and its profile in communities.
Works with, and makes more efficient, supported employment programmes.
Achieves the NHS Objective 4 to support economic and social well being.
Wealthier is healthier, generally.
How the programme was delivered
Work readiness
Pre-employment support that, through the programmes partners offers:
Early access to the Trust’s iLearn mandatory training and online support that enables participants to follow a pathway of modules to prepare them for work in the NHS.
A twice- weekly Job Club is available on a drop-in basis for those beginning their search for NHS work or requiring digital and or life skills support.
A weekly email keeps participants up to date with all Southend-based entry-level vacancies in the NHS as well as details of training/recruitment events.
Work Start
For those actively seeking work it offers personalised one to one support, or a virtual learning mentor, including:
advice and guidance about suitable roles
help with online applications
mock interviews and interview preparation.
Successful candidates are then supported through the on-boarding process including help with pre-employment checks and mandatory training requirements.
Working collaboratively with neighbouring NHS Trust’s and Public Sector bodies means participants have access to a wide range of good quality jobs.
Work Retention
Work retention that ensures there is on-going support for participants who secure work including the opportunity to discuss any areas of concern and to signpost into the Trust’s health and wellbeing services, for instance its Frontline Buddy programme.
What is the future of this programme?
Outline proposals for an Ambition 2023-25 to cover all of Mid and South Essex and its 1.2million residents, extending the deliver to include all three of its hospital sites.
The proposal further tests the UK Community Renewal Fund approach taking the Southend Ambition methodology to inform, support and develop a Mid and South Essex adaption to reducing unemployment, poverty, inequalities and life chances through quality healthcare work.
The proposal is for April 23-March 24 with the ambition, at a time of rising unemployment and cost of living, to employ 175 people in the NHS and a further 120 in non-NHS roles at an approximate cost of 1,000 per job.
The proposal extends the work to Chelmsford and Basildon Hospital’s and their associated Alliance’s, City, County and Borough Councils. The proposals central focus is the individual and intensive support via Employment Support Officers and a reimagination of its virtual engagement and learning work for a period of austerity.
From a strategic perspective
The work helps to deliver the NHS objective 4 to support the development of Economic and Social Well-being.
It meets Mid and South Essex NHS FT ambition’s to be place where all can thrive, innovate and progress.
Makes real the ICS ambitions to reduce inequality through early help and health creation a reality through a focus on quality work.
Will focus its activity on the unemployed and the (Core Plus) 20% most disadvantaged Mid and South Essex locations.
The projects defining ideology of partnership working will be maintained; reaching, engaging and growing the range of partners who refer their clients to the project and provide an additional layer of support for those furthest from NHS work and all work.
Advice for others doing similar work
The work has achieved many of the bids aims, including the strengthening of pathways to Southend’s Health sector for existing employment support.
The project ambition to link up to existing employment support e.g. Reed Restart has proved helpful to all.
Participants value the models Place and Train approach led by its individual support and is the better value for money – engagement in formal virtual learning has been lower.
We have evidenced that a formal application is not a required precursor to interview, nor job offers.
Its non-NHS jobs reveal the extent of post offer waits, even with support, represent an almost 50% possible/potential loss rate to the NHS.
Evidenced that pre-employment mandatory training helps participants connect, with and go onto join the NHS .
Helping this become business as usual for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and the local health sector includes, for instance, an option to expand to a consistent hospital led footprint with a core service that maintains intensive individual support whilst redeveloping a cost effective complementary virtual support offer.
Ambition
Supporting disadvantaged people and places and (all partner) Anchor Charter commitment to quality work.
The model is proving successful .
We have adapted an existing supported employment model to reach communities rather than targeted individuals.
We have been instrumental in changing the way Mid and South Essex is developing its approach to recruiting to its entry level posts.
The projects intensive individual support helps to build confidence and resilience for all i.e. non NHS jobs secured.
We now deliver , with partners, event led recruitment that reduces the process and can provide a `that day offer’ that is less daunting and encourages participation.
We are ambitious for disadvantaged people and disadvantaged places, the programmes outreach help to; demystify the NHS, bridging the digital divide and motivating people to acquire quality work
Involvement and spread are hallmarks of our successful partnership working importing and exporting ideas and activity, convening and supporting at all levels and with participants.
The work adds value to recruitment into the NHS in Mid and South Essex reducing bureaucracy, improving efficiency and supporting its profile and image as an employer.
For more information about the programme, contact Jenny Garrett at jenny.garrett@nhs.net.