CityCare Clinical Apprentices – share their stories

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2024, we would like to showcase the experience of 2 of our clinical apprentices.

Judith Douglas, Director of Nursing, AHP and Quality, would like to send her congratulations to these Allied Health Professional (AHP) Apprentices and extend to all the CityCare Nursing and Trainee Nursing Apprentices who are currently on training.

‘Congratulations, so pleased that we can offer these opportunities and I would encourage any staff that are interested in clinical apprenticeships to discuss with their team. To all our current Clinical Apprentices, thank you for choosing CityCare and we are proud of all your achievements’

Kerri Jones – a Physiotherapy Apprentice here at CityCare – a story about her journey into Physiotherapy and her current experience and aspirations.

   What made you interested in pursuing a career in physiotherapy and why an apprenticeship?

‘Personally, my interest in physiotherapy was sparked during my time working within the respiratory team. Witnessing the profound impact, they had on people's everyday lives by enabling them to achieve more and regain their independence left a lasting impression on me. It was inspiring to see how physiotherapy interventions could improve mobility and enhance the overall quality of life for patients. This experience fuelled my desire to pursue a career in physiotherapy, and I chose an apprenticeship because I believe it offers the best opportunity to combine theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience in making a tangible difference in people's lives.’

How has your journey been to date, so what have been the highlights and what have been the challenges? Was there anything you weren’t expecting?

‘My journey so far has been both challenging and eye-opening. It has pushed me to explore various areas within physiotherapy that I hadn't considered before. The experience has compelled me to reassess how I approach my work within a professional setting and apply the knowledge I've gained. One of the highlights has been the opportunity to meet and learn from a diverse range of people within the profession. Their perspectives and experiences have enriched my learning journey immensely. Additionally, I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed returning to a learning environment. It's been a rewarding experience that has reignited my passion for continuous growth and development within my career.’

What advice would you give to someone who was interested in doing a clinical apprenticeship with CityCare?

‘My advice to anyone considering a clinical placement with CityCare would be to take the leap. If you're already passionate about the work you do, the opportunity to learn and gain experience while working and being paid is incredibly rewarding. Embrace the chance to expand your knowledge and skills in a real-world setting, surrounded by supportive colleagues and mentors. It's a valuable investment in your professional development that can lead to fulfilling career opportunities in the future.’

What are looking forward to once you have completed your physiotherapy apprenticeship?

‘Once I've gained the qualification, I am especially excited to finally look back and reflect on my achievements and accomplishments that I set out to do. However, I'm also enthusiastic about continuing to grow and explore opportunities for advancement within the field of physiotherapy.’

Stevie Marshall – an Occupational Therapy Apprentice here at CityCare – a story about her journey into Occupational Therapy (OT) and her current experience and aspirations.

What made you interested in pursuing a career in OT and why an apprenticeship?

 ‘I have worked for CityCare for over 10 years in various roles including admin, Rehab Support Worker and Speech Therapy Assistant. My latest role is as an Occupational Therapy Apprentice based within the Rehabilitation and Falls Service.'

'I was inspired to train to become an OT due to my time with the CityCare Stroke Team. I had a keen interest in both OT and Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) and saw lots of crossover whilst working in SLT, especially with the cognition side of things. I particularly love how OT’s take a holistic approach to patients care and use problems solving skills to seek resolutions. This often means they have to think ‘outside the box’ as to how to enable people to regain independence as much as possible in their current situations.'

'The apprenticeship works well for me and enabled me to pursue a career alongside working and raising a family. Full time university never seemed an option to me as financially I did not feel it was possible. The apprenticeship had allowed me to follow my dreams whilst being able to work alongside it. The apprenticeship route has been challenging. It was particularly difficult in the beginning finding the balance between uni, work and home life. Overall the apprenticeship has been brilliant and I have met lots of new people on my journey and I am able to apply my learning into practice within the same week. I have found it very rewarding to learn the theory underpinning practice and see my OT colleagues utilising evidence-based practice. I have completed 2 clinical placements, one with Nottinghamshire Council and most recently a mental health placement with Nottinghamshire Healthcare at Highbury Hospital. I am looking forward to my final placement which will be CityCare where I will start my career as an OT. The placements have been very insightful and enabled me to see OT in varied settings. These have also helped me in my current role in Rehab and Falls and I have been able to share my knowledge with the teams OTs.'

What advice would you give to someone who was interested in doing a clinical apprenticeship with CityCare?

'For anyone interested in doing a clinical apprenticeship with Citycare.... I would say go for it! I gave it a chance and was successful and now I am so glad I took that chance. Seize the opportunity while you can as. It is a hard road, but I am 3 years in and it had been one of the best decisions I have made.'

What are looking forward to once you have completed your OT apprenticeship?

'I look forward to qualifying and utilising my newfound knowledge and skills in practice based within CityCare as an OT whilst bringing any new theory, research etc. into the OT profession and sharing with colleagues.’

If anyone is interested in clinical or non-clinical apprenticeship opportunities with CityCare, please contact, Emma Cross – Apprenticeship and Career Engagement Manager - emma.cross15@nhs.net and for clinical apprenticeships please contact the Professional Standards Team – Nancy Manners – Professional Lead for AHPs - nancy.manners@nhs.net  and Becki Mackenzie – Learning and Education Development Nurse - becki.mackenzie@nhs.net