Employability and pre-employment opportunities are typically aimed at people with qualifications at level 2 or below, and provide individiuals with training to develop their skills and increase opportunities for employment, moving into apprenticeships or gaining entry to University health care related courses.

The aim of pre-employment programmes is to prepare people who are looking for a career change or looking to enhance their job opportunities through meaningful work experience. As an organisation we enable people reach these goals by:

  • Supporting individuals to develop the skills valued by employers

  • Enabling individuals to demonstrate their value in the workplace

  • Developing confidence in their own abilities to perform successfully at work

  • Building up experience from a CV, demonstrating that the person has the skills and willingness to work

  • Changing the perception of employers about employing people who are unemployed or have never had a job.

  • Changing the perception of long term unemployed people  

  • Improving interpersonal, work related and social skills  

  • Supporting a talent pipeline from our communities for recruitment into suitable roles.

16+ (18+ in some mental health settings due to restrictions).

Can vary depending on programme, typically 4 weeks.

Placements must be educational, for people to observe and learn, and designed to relate to the participants area of interest and/or assist them with their choice of career. Participants will undertake agreed aspects of the role with supervision from the placement team.

All participants will be inducted much like our own staff, they will receive information surrounding patient confidentiality, safeguarding, information governance and personal conduct. Training related to the placement area, for example in Facilities, will include specific training in that area of work such as Facilities Management L1, food hygiene and COSHH training.   Participants will also receive a local induction into their placement area. 

Participants on pre-employment placements will have a placement supervisor who will be the point of contact throughout their time on placement.  The placement supervisor will monitor all activities that are undertaken and provide feedback, guidance and advice to the placement participant and Widening Participation Coordinator.

Participants on pre-employment programmes are working towards employment.  The Trust’s pre-employment programmes are aligned to Trust vacancies and/or Bank work opportunities, and programmes are run with the intention that suitable participants will be interviewed for Trust vacancies.  

Placement can be anywhere in the trust with any team or department. There may be some restrictions in certain settings such as:

  • No under 18s on inpatient wards

  • Placement Participants are not to be left alone with service users

  • They must not undertake any clinical task

  • Working Hours can be determined by placement supervisors but this must be between 8am and 5pm if the participant is under 18

  • Some placement areas may require a DBS certificate prior to commencing on a placement with Mersey Care.
  • The education or training provider may be able to support participants with the cost of the DBS certificate
     

Can your service/team offer placements? For further information contact TalentforCare@merseycare.NHS.UK