When Alex Ali was a young girl she wanted to be a midwife when she grew up. She never pursued her dream job because she felt that she wouldn’t be able to cope with the situations that sometimes happened when things don’t go to plan. So she followed a different path and worked in IT alongside her husband, Munna for NCIC.

In 2020, during the national lockdowns Alex and Munna tragically lost their daughter, Nevaeh, when Alex was six months pregnant due to a rare brain condition.

Alex Ali.jpgAlex explained: “That was a horrible time for us, but I can’t speak more highly of the midwives. They made a terrible situation into something bearable, they made me understand that things were going to be ok. I just thought that they were fantastic and I thought – ‘I want to be like you, I want to help people in this position, I want to make these tragedies more bearable for families’. When I heard about the Trust recruitment day for health care assistants I knew that I wanted to follow my dream to become a midwife and took the first step.”

Alex, supported by her husband, came to one of the Trust’s mass recruitment days. The recruitment day is a more relaxed event with group work and a chance to speak to a variety of nursing staff in different roles, from different backgrounds. Candidates are interviewed on the day and offered a role within a week if they are successful. Alex was successful and is now working as a health care assistant at the Cumberland Infirmary.

She said: “I absolutely love it, I love talking to patients and supporting the nursing staff. I’m learning new things all the time and it is one of the best decisions I have made. The ward manager is supporting me to get my care certificate and then I want to do the nurse apprenticeship and eventually I will specialise in midwifery.

“I have come to this from IT – you couldn’t get much further away from nursing, it just goes to show it doesn’t matter what your background is it’s never too late to follow your dream career!”

The Trust is holding another recruitment event on Saturday 15th April at Parkhouse, Kingmoor Park, Carlisle to recruit more health care assistants. Anyone who is interested in healthcare is encouraged to come along whether or not you have experience in care.

Amanda Dunkley, assistant director for people service at the Trust said: “At the Trust we are passionate about helping people achieve their full potential, the mass recruitment days are perfect for people who have no professional experience in care but who do have a real drive and willingness to help people and make a difference.

“At the recruitment day you will find quite a relaxed atmosphere, you will have the chance to meet others who are looking at joining the Trust and have conversations with members of our nursing staff who are already working in a variety of services in the Trust. We will also carry out interviews on the day and you will find out within a week if you have been successful.

“As a Trust we very much encourage our staff to grow with us and develop your career path to where you would like to be.”

Becoming a healthcare assistant can also be the first step to a midwifery or nursing career. The degree apprenticeship is a route that can be taken to gain the necessary qualification while still working and gaining hands on experience.

Healthcare assistants are a vital support to teams in delivering care to patients. If you want a unique opportunity to start a career with your local NHS and make a difference to our patients please come along to our recruitment day.

The event will see candidates assessed through a mixture of fun group activities and individual interviews. The Trust core values will be at the heart of the day; the activities are designed to get the candidate thinking about and demonstrating our values of kindness, ambition, collaboration and respect.

Healthcare assistant recruitment event application

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