Celebrating our apprentices #NAW2024

Ladder to success

Six-years-ago Grace Smith joined KCHFT as an apprentice administrator. Now, she’s about to embark on a new role as a business support manager after successfully gaining her associate project manager qualification.

Grace said: “I left sixth form college at 17-years-old feeling confused about what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until my mum suggested looking into NHS apprenticeships that I finally found a sense of self-worth and commitment to a career.”

“Being an apprentice allowed me to find my feet and have scope to try different things to see what route I wanted to take forward. My managers supported and encouraged me to develop within the team and I was successful in applying for an administration role in the trust’s children’s services where I was able to continue my studying too.”

After gaining her first qualification, Grace approached her line manager to explore her next steps to support her progression.

“For the first time ever, I finally knew what I wanted to do with my career. Choosing to start another qualification was a daunting prospect but, as always, my line manager and surrounding team were nothing but supportive in helping me.”

Grace took the leap and enrolled on to the Level 4 Associate Project Manager qualification in August 2023 which she continues to study today alongside her new role as business support manager in KCHFT’s Adults Services.

“For me, studying two apprenticeships has affirmed my confidence in what I can do. If anyone is considering starting a qualification, whether they are at the start of their career progression or questioning if they want to try something new, take the leap and go for it.”

Taking the plunge

Physiotherapy apprentice Rebekah Boyce always knew she wanted to make a difference to people’s lives through her love of sport and exercise, but it wasn’t until starting a job at her local leisure centre in Margate that she realised how to achieve it.

Rebekah said: “I used to see KCHFT’s Cardiac Rahab Team come in to the leisure centre and run therapy sessions for patients. I was really inspired by the difference they were making and I knew that’s what I wanted to do too.”

“Over time, I got to know the team and was able to shadow them, even volunteering to gain experience, which eventually led me to landing a job at the trust as a Cardiac Rehab Assistant. As part of the role I ran the same therapy classes that had first inspired me. I loved it. I was really helping people.”

Keen to take the next step in her career, Rebekah saw the apprenticeship opportunity come up at the trust and jumped at the chance. She said: “It wasn’t all plain sailing. I wasn’t successful the first time I applied and it was suggested that I get some broader physio experience to help me be successful next time round.”

Determined to succeed, Rebekah set about getting more experience and was able to shadow colleagues in the trust to develop her knowledge outside of the cardiac team. She said: “When the apprenticeship opportunity came up again a year later, I was successful. That was just the start! It’s been really hard work, but I get so much support, not just from my qualified colleagues, the trust and the university, but also from the physio apprentices who are a year ahead of me. There’s a real feeling of wanting each other to succeed.

“The job itself is so rewarding and I am already seeing the difference it makes to the people I support. Though I’m only at the start of the four-year course, I’m definitely now on the path I want to be on towards my dream job.”

Simulating success for Suzie

Suzie Sackey embarked on her registered nurse degree apprenticeship journey with KCHFT in February 2023. Fast-forward a year and Suzie is relishing the unique learning opportunities.

Suzie, who moved to the UK from Ghana with big dreams of becoming a nurse, said: “It’s been amazing so far and I can’t believe I’m already a year into the four-year course. The best part is being able to learn on the job. It is really helping me gain confidence. I have lots of support from The Academy Team at the trust, supporting me across my different learning environments, which really reinforces what I am studying in the classroom.”

The Clinical Academy Team at KCHFT supports nursing and allied health professionals across the trust and has played a pivotal role in Suzie's educational journey, giving her access to cutting-edge training technology at the Heathside Centre in Coxheath, Maidstone, home to KCHFT’s first simulation training suite.

The advanced technology allows students like Suzie, to practice and refine their clinical skills on a sophisticated mannequin, whose symptoms are remotely triggered by the training team.

Suzie explained: “It gives us real-life scenarios where we can observe changes in breathing, heart rate, temperature as well as areas of pain, so when we see the warning signs of a condition in a patient, we have the knowledge to deal with it. It’s in a safe setting which really helped me gain so much confidence as a result.”

A healing path

The tragic death of a childhood friend at just 15-years-old set Caroline Knott on the path to becoming a nurse. After more than 20 years’ experience in community nursing, she’s enrolled on to the Senior Leader MBA apprenticeship as part of her ambition to explore the role of technology in safe and sustainable healthcare.

Caroline said: “I was only 16 when my close friend died. I used to think how different the outcome could have been if someone had been trained to deal with the emergency at the time. That thought really stuck with me and drove my determination to become a nurse, which I achieved in 1992.

“I had never even considered studying for a business-related qualification at this point in my career, so taking on the apprenticeship 30 years after qualifying did take a lot of courage.

“The experience has been really positive so far. I’ve been able to bring new skills from classroom to workplace, which has benefitted the teams I work with and myself. I have been able to access professional coaching and I have attended career workshops which has helped define my role and ignite my passion around using technology to support sustainable care.

“I don’t think I would have made this move if I had not had been on the apprenticeship pathway. The support I had from the trust and my managers, colleagues, my apprenticeship advisor, fellow students, and lecturers has been incredible and I want to thank them all.”

Hasan Reza, Head of Workforce Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, is also enrolled onto the Senior Leadership apprenticeship.

He said: “I wanted to develop my formal understanding of frameworks and theory when it came to business management, people, culture, communications, which is why I opted for this particular apprenticeship.

“It covers a huge breadth of areas and is really diverse in its content, which is both helpful from a learner perspective but also means it’s incredibly interesting. I have loved every moment of being an apprentice and found it to be so impactful in developing myself and my practice.

“If anyone else was considering taking the plunge, I’d say stop considering and go for it!”

High five for Lisa

Lisa Handley was one of the first five colleagues to become fully-qualified OTs through our Clinical Academy.

Lisa Handley, 46, began her career in healthcare as a healthcare assistant. Thirteen years later, she has joined our Acute Response Team as a fully qualified OT, helping to provide short-term health, personal care and rehabilitation support in the community.

Lisa said: “Although it was something I had always wanted to do, it wasn’t until I joined KCHFT that I got the opportunity to apply for the OT apprenticeship. I was supported by my manager throughout the application process and I felt so lucky when I was accepted. I love being able to help others. As an OT, I have the opportunity to improve people’s lives for the better by putting their goals at the centre of the care we provide.”

Pictured left to right: OT apprentices Lisa Handley and Jodie Barsby attended the Kent and Medway graduation ceremony at Rochester Cathedral.

Breaking barriers

Vivien Mackrell embarked on her journey into higher education fuelled by her belief that school grades are not the ‘be all and end all’ to future success.

Vivien completed her level 5 Leadership and Management programme alongside her busy day-to-day role as a personal assistant in KCHFT’s Urgent Care Team. She said: “I had not thought about doing an apprenticeship, but the support and encouragement I received from the organisation helped so much.”

Vivien’s achievement not only showcases her personal commitment to professional development but also underlines a drive to upskill administrators and provide training opportunities within these vital roles.

“My studies deepened my understanding across a lot of different areas. Historically, there has been a sense that administrators are ‘just admin’, but things have really moved on and there is a real drive to upskill administrators, identify career paths and expand training opportunities which shows real progress.”

Pictured above: Vivien Mackrell and son Stephen attended KCHFT's apprentice celebration event in 2023.