North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) has been awarded the NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award for ensuring our overseas nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professionals receive a warm and supportive welcome.
NHS England wrote to the Trust to recognise its international recruitment work and its commitment to providing high-quality pastoral care to internationally educated nurses and midwives during recruitment processes and their employment.
The award recognises NCIC’s efforts to support recruits with the cultural and clinical challenges of living and working in a different country. A comprehensive support package includes support with everything from accommodation, transport to registering with a GP and opening a bank account.
Shery Shaheryar joined NCIC in March 2021 as a staff nurse – in the middle of a global pandemic. He is now working as a clinical educator at the Cumberland Infirmary, supporting some of our new overseas educated nurses as they settle in. Shery, who is originally from Pakistan, said he found the pastoral care “great, very supportive and helpful.”
He said: “I was given a timetable for bus routes from my accommodation to the hospital. The day I arrived, I was given a food pack, which was such a great gesture. In addition to this, the Trust organised a social event where we got opportunity to meet other overseas nurses. That was a lovely evening.”
“I believe, one thing which stands out the most, is in NCIC they look after you like a mother. “The pastoral team will consider and acknowledge all your concerns and will do their very best to solve any problems you may encounter.”
Anne-Marie Weller, Head of Nursing, Clinical Education and Practice Development (Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions), said: “We are delighted to have been given this award.
“The NCIC International Nurse Recruitment Project Team have worked hard to ensure that each and every nurse receives a warm and supportive Cumbrian welcome to the Trust. Achieving the award is recognition for this.
“The team are real ambassadors for the Trust, displaying the Trust values on a daily basis and endeavour to respond to every request quickly.
“The Trust decided to do the pastoral care project in recognition of the work which took place during Covid and beyond to help address the Trust staffing problems.”
NCIC has recruited over 350 international nurses, midwives, AHPs and radiographers since 2021, and aims to recruit over 400 in total. The work forms part of our plans to improve the long term sustainability of the workforce alongside a ‘grow your own’ scheme which has seen us appointing hundreds of people locally into the Trust and supporting them to develop and train while they work. As a result, the nursing vacancy rate at the Trust has dropped to 6.4% which is almost half the national average and the lowest it has ever been in north cumbria.
Anne-Marie added: “We entered for the award in June. It required detailed evidence of the process and procedures we have developed to support international recruitment.
“This is a fantastic award and recognition nationally for the outstanding work we have been involved in and I am very proud of us as a team.”
Georgia Wright, Deputy Chief Nurse at NCIC, said: “The team displayed all of the trust values in their pursuit of this award – they ensured that staff have received the best possible welcome to NCIC and I am delighted the award has been received as an acknowledgement of the excellent work they are doing.”
NHS England established the Pastoral Care Quality Award to recognise different organisations high quality pastoral care programme and best practice in a set of standards.
CASE STUDY
Shery Shaheryar joined NCIC in March 2021 – in the middle of a global pandemic. He currently works as a clinical
educator at the Cumberland Infirmary.
He said: “When I found out that I’d got the job at NCIC I received weekly updates on my recruitment process. I was kept informed by the Trust and third party (agency) for visa applications and other recruitment procedures.
“When I started I was nervous as it was a new environment and new people. However, the support I got was amazing. I didn’t have to worry about my accommodation, my OSCE exam or even the travel arrangements for the OSCE exam as everything was sorted and well arranged by the pastoral team.”
Shery, who is originally from Pakistan, said he found the pastoral care “great, very supportive and helpful.”
He said: “I was given a timetable for bus routes from my accommodation to the hospital. The day I arrived, I was given a food pack, which was such a great gesture. In addition to this, the Trust organised a social event where we got opportunity to meet other overseas nurses. That was a lovely evening.
“I believe, one thing which stands out the most, is in NCIC they look after you like a mother. “The pastoral team will consider and acknowledge all your concerns and will do their very best to solve any problems you may encounter.
“I felt warmly welcomed when I arrived in Carlisle. There was a member of pastoral team present at the accommodation, which was provided by the Trust.
“My transition to the ward and the induction plan were also good. I was supported for my OSCE exam and was given time to study. I would definitely recommend this Trust to my friends and family as they really look after you.”