Webinar: Empowering the Armed Forces community to embark on careers in healthcare

Watch this informative webinar to hear how Helpforce's Volunteer to Career for the Armed Forces Community programme is helping to bring expert and talented members of this community into the health and care workforce through volunteering.

Speakers:

• Leanne Goessen, Project Manager for the London Armed Forces Network, The Poppy Factory
• Paul Wharton, Head of Volunteering, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
• Margarita Vidiella, Head of Charity and Volunteers, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
• Jason Watson, Business Manager to the Chief Nurse, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
• Richard Lee, Voluntary Service Lead, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
• Mark Burrett, Volunteer to Career Project Manager, Helpforce

You will hear about:

• The challenges that veterans and spouses face when adapting to civilian life.
• Attracting skilled and experienced individuals into their workforce through volunteering opportunities.
• Improving outcomes for staff and patients with the support of volunteers.

Q&A session:

Q: Are military skills, training and experiences considered as transferable skills much needed in healthcare care?

A: Very much so. With such a wide range of roles available in the health care sector ( PMO, Estates, Logistics, Clinical/Non ) there are many acquired skills that service leavers have gained that the Healthcare Sector would benefit from. For example: adaptability, time management, collaborative works, resilience, attention to detail, communication, problem solving, active listening, organisational skills, leadership, team work, people skills, working under pressure.

Q: Could all Trusts that run a volunteer programme reach out to Op Courage in their region and let them know that they do so that if any of the veterans are looking for work it is offered as an option?

A: Helpforce have recently contacted all of the Op Courage Regional Leads with a view to encourage local Partnership working in this way.

Q: Could all volunteers from the Armed Forces community also be trained as an Armed Forces champion if they wish? That way it could potentially improve patient experience for the Armed Forces community patients? Whilst 'working' for the NHS there is free training run by Sussex Kent and Medway Armed Forces Network.

A: Yes, this has been suggested as a route by a number of the Delivery partners.

Q: How many of your veteran / armed forces community volunteers go on to work in the NHS - either in your organization or another NHS org?

A: This Programme intends to track these types outcomes and we will be sharing the Findings May 26. What we do know is that 72% of Volunteers who have participated in the Volunteer to Careers Programmes across the UK have achieved an employment outcome or embarked on health Care Training. In which a number have been veterans or spouses.

Q: Can I check this is covering the whole veteran community? So children of AF and veterans community as they are very much impacted moving around, having a parent sometimes 2 being away for long periods.

A: Yes, this Programme is for all members of the Armed Forces Community

Tip from the Chat box

All Trusts that have signed the Armed Forces Covenant can advertise for free on the Forces Family Jobs website so if they offer a volunteer programme they should definitely mention the possibility in their generic job advert.

Video recording below:

Helpforce Volunteer to Career for the Armed Forces Community programme

Funded by the Swire Charitable Trust, our funding allows us to offer our help for free to four more health and care organisations who wish to deliver a Volunteer to Career programme for the Armed Forces Community.

If you are interested in becoming a delivery partner, please email Mark for more information on mrb@helpforce.community

Copies of presentation slides and booklet about the programme are attached below.