Appeal to help Helpforce shine a spotlight on refugees working in the NHS

At Helpforce, we’re proud of our pilot Refugee Volunteer to Career Programme – a pioneering initiative designed to help refugees and asylum seekers overcome the many hurdles they face when trying to find employment in the UK healthcare sector. With generous support from the Rayne Foundation, we’re working with five NHS trusts to create tailored support plans that help individuals build achievable pathways into NHS careers or training, combining volunteering opportunities with practical support like CV workshops and interview practice.

It is estimated that thousands of UK refugees and asylum seekers have medical backgrounds, while many more have a strong interest in healthcare careers. However, they often face multiple barriers to employment. These can include social isolation, not knowing how to navigate the NHS system, oversees qualifications not being recognised in the UK, and missing documentation.

Asylum seekers generally cannot undertake paid work, except under very specific conditions, but they can volunteer, which is a valuable way to gain experience and integrate. Once someone has refugee status or another form of protected leave, they have the right to work in the UK just like any UK national. At Helpforce, we believe there’s huge potential to help individuals develop pathways to fulfilling healthcare careers that not only benefit themselves, but the whole of society – and in doing so bolster NHS services through volunteering. It’s a win-win scenario.

Partners in our 18-month pilot programme are: Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

So that we can widen participation in the future, we are keen to undertake media activity to promote the initiative and attract funding. To do this effectively, we are keen to feature ‘case study’ stories of refugees who have successfully established careers in the health service. These could be individuals new to their roles or those whose careers are well advanced. If you feel you could help or would welcome an exploratory conversation, please email comms@helpforce.community

At Helpforce, we take a highly professional and sensitive approach to the development of media case studies – always ensuring that individuals feel comfortable with how their story is represented and where it appears, while taking data protection seriously.