Aspire Newsletter

Sixth Edition
Aspire Newsletter
Introduction
Welcome to the September edition of
our Aspire@BCH newsletter.
Aspire@BCH aims to support young
people in getting the skills and
experience needed to enter the world
of work and this newsletter will keep
you informed of all the latest news and
events, as well as letting you know about
current opportunities at Birmingham
Children’s Hospital. It also aims to keep
our staff up-to-date with the latest
projects our Aspire@BCH team are
working on.
To make sure you do not miss out on any
of our editions, please email
Team.Aspire@bch.nhs.uk to subscribe to
the electronic versions of our newsletter.
‘Aspire@BCH helped,
inspired, motivated and
changed me. What will
Aspire@BCH do for you?’
Welcome
September 2015 marks the beginning of our new graduate intern
cohort and apprenticeship scheme. We have 16 new graduate
interns and 18 apprentices with us, all working in various
departments including Fundraising, Dermatology, Education and
Learning, and the Corporate Nursing Team.
Following previous successful intakes we continue to develop the
programmes across the hospital. We offer internships to give young
people the opportunity to gain paid work experience within the
NHS, by focusing on specific projects that will help to develop their
skill set. Apprenticeships are a chance to earn and learn at the same
time whilst also gaining nationally recognised qualifications.
We will catch up with them as they continue to settle into
their roles. Details of these schemes and how to apply can be found
on our website.
With schools re-opening this issue also contains news about how
schools can get more invovled in Aspire@BCH and some of our
exciting upcoming opportunities and events you can acccess.
Aspire@BCH | Steelhouse Lane | Birmingham | B4 6NH
0121 333 8604 www.aspireatbch.com

ThinkFuture at NHS
Employers
ThinkFuture is a programme of work being
delivered by NHS Employers as part of the Health
Education England Talent for Care and Widening
Participation work programmes.
Over the coming months the ThinkFuture team will
be helping employers:
•understand why bringing more young people in to
the NHS workforce can help their organisation
•learn from other organisations that are already
tailoring their recruitment process for young people
•establish their own local programme to recruit
more 16-24 year olds into the NHS
•engage with young people and provide them
with valuable experiences that can ease the
transition from education to the world of work,
through adapting their recruitment processes and
offering work experience.
In addition, the ThinkFuture programme will also
be encouraging more NHS staff to become Health
Ambassadors.
How can you get involved?
• Tell your story: The ThinkFuture team are
looking for specific examples of good practice
in supporting and recruiting young people.
Perhaps you have helped a young person get
work experience or begin their career in the
NHS? Examples can be shared by emailing
thinkfuture@nhsemployers.org
Motiv8 Tracker
Aspire@BCH is pleased to announce the launch of
our ground-breaking Motiv8 tracker. This is a tool
that will enable our young people to measure and
summarise their personal development during their
time at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Motiv8 will help Aspire@BCH measure soft indicators
i.e. for example exploring whether an individual’s
motivation has increased during their time on the
apprenticeship programme. The tool will provide a
illustration of the distance travelled i.e. the progress
that a young person makes, towards employability
or harder outcomes, as a result of an Aspire@BCH
programme
The tool will be used by all young people on Aspire@
BCH programmes.
The following are the eight categories on which
partcipants will measure themselves using the tracker
• Confidence
• Teamwork
• Employability Skills
• Health and Wellbeing
• Organisation
• Motivation and Aspiration
• Communication Skills
• Initiative and Independence
We are also working with our partners Calthorpe
Vocational Trust to develop a bespoke version for
young people with Learning Disabilities and hope to
eventually move to a online tool later next year.
• Share the ThinkFuture resources with colleagues:
Visit the brand new ThinkFuture web pages for more
info, case studies and the new employing young
people myth-busting infographic.
• Engage in the conversation: Help to support
ThinkFuture by following @ThinkFutureNHS on
twitter and get involved in the conversation using
the hashtag #ThinkFutureNHS.
Developed in partnership with our partners
UpRising (www.uprising.org.uk)
September Edition

Latest News
Aspire for the Future
Birmingham Children’s Hospital will be holding a public NHS
Careers Fair for young people, aged 14-25, who are under the care
of the local authority and care leavers.
The main aim of the event is to provide disadvantaged young
people with employment and training opportunities, giving them
the chance to network and discover where they may want to take
their career.
The event will see over 25 different organisations represented
from a wide variety of sectors and will also include talks from
the University of Birmingham, Disability Rights UK and a practical
employment workshop from St Basils.
Big Hoot
We launched The Big Hoot in Birmingham last month and we’re
pleased to announce the huge success of the campaign. In the
first ten days, the owls were scanned an incredible 89,000 times
(that’s one owl every 16 seconds) by the public who quickly got
their claws into the project, downloading the App and taking
on the Big Hoot trail.
Some of our work experience students interviewed members
of the public about the trail. You can watch the videos on our
website.
If you are an organisation who would like to support please
contact us on 0121 333 8604.
The event will take place on:
Saturday 3 October, 11am-2pm at Birmingham Children’s
Hospital, Education Centre.
Thank you to all the organisations who are supporting this event.
Work Experience Students - Alydia Scott and Gursonia Clair
JUMP
We are excited to announce the launch of our JUMP
programme., JUMP stands for Junior Mentoring Programme.
The JUMP programme will match one intern with an
apprentice. The aim of the programme is to help develop the
leadership skills of our Interns.
We hope that this will also be a fun way of making new friends
and building new relationships across the Trust. By providing
our apprentices with a mentor we can ensure that they are
integrated into the organisation more quickly and have access
to a strong support network and able to JUMP up the career
ladder quicker!
We have exciting plans to develop the concept further
and would love to hear from anyone that has any ideas or
experience that may help us.
Don’t forget we also have our own Aspire E-Mentoring
programme and you can find more information on this at
www.bchaspirementoring.com.
Goodbye to our Pre-Interns
This summer we ran our first ever Pre-Intern programme. This
programme is a chance for students from the University of
Birmingham to work on a particular project in a department
within Birmingham Children’s Hospital over the summer.
Departments hosting pre-interns this summer included the
Aspire team, Patient Pathways, Neurosciences and Fundraising.
The scheme has been a huge success and we would like to
thank the departments for taking part, as well as the University
of Birmingham for their partnership.
This is what one of our pre-interns had to say about the scheme
: “Fantastic opportunity that has given me a wonderful insight into
the NHS and the public sector.“
Next year we are looking to run the pre-internship scheme
again, hopefully with even more placements available. If you
are interested in getting involvedplease register your interest
on our website. We wish our pre-interns good luck for the future
and we hope to see then on our full internship scheme next
year!
September Edition

Youth Friendly Future Project Week
This summer we had five young people come to the hospital to take
part in an exciting challenge. The students were split into two teams
and were given the task of designing a "Youth Friendly Employer" logo
that the hospital and local businesses can use to demonstrate their
commitment to supporting young people.
On the first team, team “Desire” we had Alydia Scott and Aamna Raza.
The other team, team “Envisage”, there was Sami Raza, Sana Tariq and
Shabana Jaffer. The teams also had to come up with a set of commitments
that businesses would agree to when signing up to this youth
friendly pledge based on our Trust values.
At the end of the week the teams then had to present their designs to
staff from BCH and create a pitch as to why employers should use the
youth friendly logo. Both teams had some great ideas and all the staff
were very impressed at what the teams had managed to achieve in
such a short time!
The winning team was Team Desire with their Y2Y (Yes to Youth) logo
so a big congratulations to Alydia and Aamna!
This logo will now go on to be further developed and hopefully then
used throughout the hospital and other local businesses.
The winning teams logos and
commitments/ pledges:
Commitment- Our commitment is that
every young person will be treated fairly by
all and valued
Trust- You can trust us to support young
people and help you rise to your full
potential
Compassion- Our duty is to ensure that you
are happy and well looked after in our youth
friendly environment
Respect- We will respect you as an important
individual as well as any questions or
concerns that you may have
Courage- We want you to develop within
your role and have the courage and confidence
to make mistakes, learn from them and
correct them
You can watch a video of the
presentation on our website.
Aspire@BCH would like to
give a special thank you to our
pre-intern Amber Bhardwaj for
facilitating the week.
Aspire@BCH Young Persons Group
If you would like to partcipate on similar projects such as the Youth Friendly Project then why not consider joining our Aspire@BCH
Young Persons Group. We are now recuiting for our 2015-2016 group.
The Young Persons Group is an opportunity for the Aspire@BCH team to engage with the very young people we are aiming to help,
and to produce the services and resources most likely to help them. Our goal is to support young people as leaders who through
Young Persons Group, to enhance their employability and social skills.
One of our current young people, Alisaha Hussain “I loved every bit and I am very grateful for what the group has done for us.”
The group will have a chance to share their ideas, opinions, and manage projects . The group will meet once a month outside of
school hours., anyone aged 14-25 from Birmingham can join.
We will be holding a Open Day for our Young Persons group on Saturday 10 October 12pm-1.30pm. If you would like to attend
please visit our website where you can register your interest
September Edition

Careers Happen
‘Careers Happen’ is designed as a fun and interactive session that demonstrates the different and varied ways in which careers
actually happen. It is a simple way to show that careers are often not linear.
During our Work Experience week in August students were required to interview a member of staff and talk through their
current role and their career to date. To help support this discussion in a way that is meaningful we provided a number of
questions to support this conversation.
They were then required to develop a a career board. The career board is a simple, visual way to help bring the answers to the
10 questions to life. The career board should be a graphic representation for example, using paper, coloured pencils or crayons,
photos from your meeting, pictures from magazines - to create an interesting graphic.
The trick to making a good career board is to be creative with the images chosen to represent significant events that have led
to the present, so that they are both amusing and thought provoking. The quality of the career boards was amazing and Joel
Reid was selected as our winner for his presentation on the Physiotherapy Department.
Why not have a look at the pictures below and maybe design your own career board.
Careers Happen
Purple Balloon Scheme
We have recently launched our Purple Balloon Scheme. This scheme
will allow us to work closely with schools, finding out how we can
support pupils with their employability needs and to raise the
awareness of career opportunities in the NHS to pupils.
We will do this by giving schools signed up the scheme priority
access to our services, including e-mentoring, our own careers events
and internal career fairs. In return, schools signed up the scheme
make a commitment to fundraise for BCH. We already have a number
of schools signed up the scheme, so if you are a school and you
want to work in partnership with us why not sign up to the scheme
today?
To find out more, please email yasir.iqbal@bch.nhs.uk
Supporting School
Events
If you have any upcoming school events then we
would be happy to support.
Aspire@BCH staff are available to deliver career
talks, participate on practice interviews or attend
any career fairs you may be organising.
In the past we have attended numerous school
events and have always found it to be an
enjoyable experience and we are proud to
support local schools in Birmingham however and
whenever we can.
September Edition

Work Experience
Applications for our Work Experience Structured
Programme are now open.
The four day structured work experience is a group
programme which compromises 2 hour placements,
practical workshops, speakers and career guidance. The
week is ideal for those who are thinking of a career in the
NHS but have not decided on a specific career.
A brief overview of what the programme includes is as
follows:
Day 1: Introduction to BCH including induction
Infection Control
Tour of Hospital
Basic Life Support (practical)
Journey of a Patient / similar classroom session
Days 2 & 3: The morning is spent in a department in the
Trust, for example Pharmacy, Health Records, Ward 8,
Clinical Photography, Welcome Trust Clinical Research or
the Education Team.
Afternoon sessions include group practical sessions
e.g. observations and assessment or hand hygiene and
talks from staff from across the Trust e.g. Doctor, Health
Promotion Officer or a Physiotherapist
These session give the students the opportunity to ask
questions about different job roles/departments and the
work that they do.
Day 4: Morning spent in a department in the Trust
Afternoon spent discussing careers, university, next
steps and routes into the NHS etc (delivered by BCH IAG
Facilitator).
At the end of the week you are expected to deliver a
presentation called ‘Careers Happen’.
You will be given a handbook to record your learning
during the week as well as a report on your performance
during the week.
Feedback from past students
“This experience as a whole inspired me and helped answer
any thoughts and questions regarding my future career.
Honestly, this was the experience of a lifetime and I would
love to do it all over again.”- Riju Shah
“It has motivated me to pursue a career within the NHS
when I have finished studying. I would also like to say a
massive thanks to all the departments which enabled
me to have an insight into their daily life, especially
Neurophysiology which I had never heard of before but now
hope to look into as a career option” - Henna Malik
Structured Week Dates 2016
Monday 15 February – Thursday 18 February
Monday 4 April — Thursday 7 April
Tuesday 30 May – Friday 2 June
Monday 25 July — Thursday 28 July
Monday 15 August – Thursday 18 August
Monday 24 October – Thursday 27 October
For any enquires please email:
work.experience@bch.nhs.uk
How to apply
You must be aged between 14-18 (priority is given to
students living within Birmingham or those who go to a
school based in Birmingham.
How are candidates selected?
Each application is assessed and scored using a criteria
that looks at several areas such as spelling and grammar,
neatness, how well the form has been completed and
most importantly the supporting information.
Please visit www.aspireatbch.com where you can
complete an online application form.
We also have a placement directory of 1:1 placements in
various departments are available. These placements are
for those who have a specific interest in a particular area
of work. Please check our website for further information.
September Edition

Meet The Team
We are the Widening Participation Team and work as part of the
Education and Learning Team. Our role is to develop and monitor
courses, training and learning opportunities for staff at bands 1-4 at
Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Aspire@BCH is part of the Widening
Participation Team.
A key role for us is to also highlight the many careers available within the
NHS and specifically here at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, so that our
local communities are informed about the options available to them.
The last few weeks has seen several new people join the team and we
are excited about working together to continue to grow Aspire@BCH for
young people.
For more information about the services we offer, please visit our website: www.aspireatbch.com.
Our team is currently made up of a variety of people including qualified assessors, interns and apprentices:
Yasir Iqbal: Aspire@BCH Project Lead
Danielle Viljoen Clinical Healthcare Support Programme Lead
Shumi Begum Widening Participation Team Assistant
Sally Carlin Business and Administration Apprenticeship Lead
Isobel Perry Widening Participation Apprentice
Juliet Hopkins Clinical Healthcare Support Programme Lead
Laura Bustin Functional Skills Tutor
Barbara Hill Business and Administration Assessor
We can be found in Office 1 on the First Floor of Heslop House. If you are passing by, come in and say hello!
Meet our new Apprentice
Isobel Perry - Widening Participation Team
What is your role and what does it involve?
My involves arranging work experience placements, supporting Aspire events, going to schools and giving talks. I also
spend some time in the Education and Learning Admin office supporting the team, where I help out with course booking
enquiries and any other general admin work
Why did you apply to for an Apprenticeship?
I applied for an Apprenticeship so that I could gain both experience and a qualification whilst working.
What do you like about working for BCH?
I like working at BCH because it is a friendly place to work and I get to do a wide variety of tasks within my role.
What are your plans/has your experience with working at BCH changed them?
My plans for after my apprenticeship are too hopefully have developed further in my role and then find a job within the
Trust.
What would you say to other people considering applying for an Apprenticeship?
I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who is considering applying as you get to be in an interesting job role
whilst getting an education, which is good as you have always got something to do.
September Edition

Upcoming Events
Work Experience Drop-In Event
Friday 1 October 2015
4pm - 7pm
This event will be an opportunity for students,
teachers and parents to come along to Birmingham
Children’s Hospital and find out more about the Aspire
Work Experience programme.
http://bit.ly/1eXQklG
Aspire to the Future
Saturday 3 October
11am-2pm
Birmingham Children’s Hospital will be holding a
public NHS Careers Fair for young people, aged 14-25,
who are under the care of the local authority and
care leavers. The event will also include seminars and
interactive workshops
http://bit.ly/1JsHlWw
Young Persons Open Day
Saturday 10 October 2015
12pm - 1.30 pm
Aspire@BCH is on the search for a group of creative
and passionate young people to join the Aspire@BCH
Young Persons Group. Come along to our Open Day
and find out more about whats on offer and how to
join this exciting Youth group
http://bit.ly/1BVLTg3
NEC Skills Show
Thursday 19- Saturday 21 November 2015
10am-3pm
We’ll be at the NEC Skills Show all day from Thursday
13 until Saturday 15 November. The Skills Show is the
nation’s largest skills and careers event, and is helping
to shape the future of a new generation. Attracting
over 75,000 visitors, the show provides hands-on
experiences that inspire young people to explore
further education, skills and apprenticeships. We’ll
be there all three days with NHS Careers so if you are
going and want more information on our services
andthe opportunities available within the NHS then
come and say hello!
http://goo.gl/0BflpP
Supporting Us
Youth Ambassadors agree to do their best to
champion the Aspire@BCH Work Experience and
Career programmes at Birmingham Children’s
Hospital.
For more information on what our Youth
Ambassadors do or if you want to become a Youth
Ambassador yourself, please contact us at
Team.Aspire@bch.nhs.uk.
Below are a number of upcoming events our current
Youth Ambassadors can get involved with:
Business Enterprise Day
Thursday 1 October
Structured Work Experience Week
Monday 26 October- Thursday 29 October
Themed Career Day
Wednesday 11 November
NEC Skills Show
Thursday 19- Saturday 21 November 2015
Themed Career Day
Wednesday 3 December
Careers Day for Learning Disabilities
Monday 25 January
Closing Information
Our next newsletter will be out November.
If you have any feedback about the newsletter or
have any suggestions for content for the next one,
then please contact us at team.aspire@bch.nhs.uk.
Web: www.aspireatbch.com
Twitter: @Aspire_at_BCH
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aspireatbch1
Email: team.aspire@bch.nhs.uk
Phone: 0121 333 8604
September Edition