The Kickstart Scheme
Organisation: Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust
Location: Dorchester, Dorset
Population served: 250,000
Dorset County Hospital is one of the biggest employers in West Dorset and values all staff who join the organisation. Building programmes that allow access into NHS Careers by working with local partners and our community, strengthens our commitment to address inequalities in health and meet our social value pledge.
The Kickstart scheme provided funding for job placements for 16-24 year olds on universal credit who are at risk of long term unemployment and disengagement.
Impact of the programme
The scheme supported 35 placements and 80% of these placements resulted in the trainees being employed into permanent roles.
The project was designed as a provision for younger people to gain exposure and experience within the NHS. Following the pandemic and the cessation of work experience younger people were unable to access quality work placements within the Trust.
The programme supported the individuals on placement in clinical and non clinical roles. Support was needed for this age group due to removal of face to face teaching and the closure of businesses impacting on confidence, social skills and employment in entry level roles. The scheme also supported staffing shortfalls for the Trust, targeting areas for maximum success for the young person and the employer.
The project demonstrated to the candidates that achieving a role that suited them in the NHS was possible.
How the programme was delivered
The programme was delivered by a designated Kickstart coordinator employed on a fixed term for the duration of the programme. This proved invaluable in providing a successful project. Having a coordinator ensured support was in place from contact to completion. Relationships became established with department managers that hosted placements and with the local DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) to find suitable candidates.
The induction process was an application form and meet and greet interview ensuring the placement suited all involved without the pressure of a job interview.
Training was delivered face-to-face by the Kickstart coordinator, Department managers and subject matter experts. An employability programme was designed and delivered to help candidates understand and overcome the challenges of completing an NHS application form.
Regular engagement through the placement occurred in the classroom sessions and in the work environment. This developed relationships and trust which ensured the wellbeing of the young person was supported. If a placement was not progressing well alternatives were found in another department.
The DWP partnership opened dialogue for support networks when barriers were encountered. DWP were able to offer financial support and advice.
What is the future of this programme?
The Kickstart Scheme was temporarily funded by the government and has subsequently ended. However, we have transferred elements of the programme to other employability schemes developed at Dorset County Hospital.
The Health Care Support Worker vocational scholarship drew upon the lessons learned from the Kickstart scheme. We were able to utilise aspects of the employability training and pastoral support to ensure the scholarship was as successful as Kickstart.
During the Kickstart scheme DCH were able to forge and maintain relationships with other NHS organisations and outside agencies. We have since used these established relationships to support future programmes and local community.
Advice for others doing similar work
The recruitment of a dedicated coordinator was pivotal in the success of the programme. The Kickstart coordinator was able to build and maintain relationships with all involved, deliver training to young people and offer the pastoral support needed for placements.
The young people involved brought fresh ideas to roles and they opened the eyes of the line managers to the importance of the next generation of NHS staff.
To find out more, contact Tom Gordon, Widening Participation Coordinator at tom.gordon@dchft.nhs.uk