Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) is in the running for a Nursing Times Workforce Award for its work to recruit new school nurses and health visitors, as part of a training and development opportunity for nurses.
The Healthy Together service, which delivers health visiting and school nursing services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, is a finalist in the Best Recruitment Experience category, which recognises organisations with the best strategic approach to recruitment and the applicants’ experience of the enrolment.
Despite a competitive environment in nursing recruitment, the Healthy Together service managed to fill all 11 vacancies for student health visiting and school nursing roles through an enhanced recruitment drive, which focused on ‘growing their own’ through internal training and development opportunities, as well as attracting external candidates.
Paul Williams, director of families, young people, children, learning disability and autism services at LPT, said: “Being a school nurse or health visitor is such a unique and rewarding career, where you can make a real impact on children and young people’s lives and help families to provide the best start to life for their child. Each day is different. The roles require practitioners to support with both physical and emotional health and wellbeing matters, as well as advising how to prevent ill-health, by building trust with families.
“We were delighted to be able to fill all our student roles this year. The nurses appointed were offered the chance to take part in a year funded post graduate diploma SCPHN (Student Specialist Community Public Health Nurses) with University of Northampton, and placements across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. After nurses complete the course, they can then apply to a permanent role.
“Doing this has enabled us to retain and develop some excellent colleagues through upskilling them. We also had applications from international nurses, who provide a wealth of unique knowledge and experience that will really benefit our patients and service users.
“We are very proud to be recognised in the award category.”
In order to support existing colleagues to apply for the SCPHN development opportunity, LPT offered training and practical opportunities to ensure staff were able to meet minimum university entry requirements.
Healthy Together also ensured service users were involved in the recruitment process, helping to ensure the best candidates were selected.
Winners of the award category will be announced on Thursday, 28 November 2024, at The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, at the seventh annual Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards.