Health and Social Care

The NHS & Social Care Academy
Cadet Programmes

The NHS, as the largest employer in Europe, recognises the importance of its role as a corporate citizen and acknowledges the need to recruit from previously excluded groups of people. The diminishing labour market along with other factors such as, Liverpool being awarded the Capital of Culture in 2008, will impact on the availability of potential employees and an innovative approach to recruitment and training needed to be developed.

Following an initial idea by a group of NHS Trust HR directors, the NHS & Social Care Academy was devised to work in partnership with NHS Trusts and Further Education (FE) colleges to look at innovative ways of recruiting young people who may have previously been excluded from employment in the sector. This resulted in a pioneering Cadet programme which provides structured NVQ training along with a series of high quality work placements within the sector using an Apprenticeship Framework.

Working in partnership with 9 FE colleges, who deliver all underpinning knowledge for the NVQ level 2 & 3 in Care along with Key Skills, we offer a widening access programme to young people aged 16-24 (Merseyside) and 16-19 (Cheshire) who do not have 5 GCSE's at level C or above but who have a desire to work within our sector.

The sector has traditionally found it difficult to work with 16 yr olds due to a number of barriers and the Academy ensures that through a coordinated approach these barriers are removed and risks are assessed. Cadet Coordinators, Facilitators and Assessors are employed by the Academy to ensure that cadets are supported through the programme which begins with a 12 week, college based, induction. This allows time for us to undertake all necessary checks such as an Enhanced CRB check, Occupational Health Check and Clothier Report.

During the first year the cadets have work placements for 2 days per week and work closely with professionals in a variety of hospital, primary care, social service and mental health placements. For the remaining 3 days they attend a local Further Education college to study key skills and NVQ underpinning knowledge.

On progression to the 2nd year the cadets continue to study at FE College for 1 day per week and build their skills and knowledge in work placements 4 days each week. Cadets are paid a training allowance and also get an Academy Uniform and badge.

Following successful completion of the programme all cadets who wish to access higher education are guaranteed an interview with a local university to undertake pre-registration nurse training, progression which would not have been open to them without undertaking the Cadetship.

To date there are 265 healthcare cadets on programme across Cheshire & Merseyside and we are in the process of developing further cadetships in Informatics, Healthcare Science and Dental Cadets.