How Hui-Ping and Andrew joined CPFT through Helpforce's Volunteer to Career programme
Two colleagues at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust have told how a volunteering scheme has led them to getting permanent roles.
Hui-Ping Chen and Andrew King have both progressed through Helpforce’s Volunteer to Career programme.
It gives people who are interested in healthcare careers but don’t have a background in the field a chance to gain valuable experience and build confidence before applying for paid roles or training.
To date, 48 different NHS organisations across England, including CPFT, have taken part in Volunteer to Career – enabling individuals from all walks of life to secure permanent jobs including healthcare assistants, mental health support workers and assistant physiotherapists.
Helpforce – which has highlighted the stories of Hui-Ping and Andrew on its website – believes the scheme could be an answer to easing NHS workforce pressures.
Hui-Ping had an established career in her native Taiwan. A psychology and library science graduate, she worked as a medical librarian, an editor and a magazine journalist before her child was born.
She then took a career break when she moved to Italy, the Netherlands and the UK with her husband whose work involved frequent relocation.
Unfortunately, Hui-Ping’s marriage broke down and in 2023 she found herself looking for a job to support herself and her child.
After being told about the Volunteer to Career scheme, she volunteered with an occupational therapy team providing support on a mental health ward at Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge, and after taking a course in data analysis, joined the Trust’s Performance and Analytics team, working two days a week.
Hui-Ping said: “My time in the occupational therapy team gave me valuable insight into the realities on the ground, which has been really useful in my analytics role – it helps me ensure our data work is relevant to frontline staff.
“I definitely see myself having a long-term career with the NHS – largely thanks to Volunteer to Career.
“I would definitely encourage other people interested in switching careers to healthcare to explore this innovative route into the profession.”
After 35 years in the telecoms industry, Andrew developed a passion for working in mental health after his son, Alex, developed a mental health condition in his teens.
After taking redundancy from his senior management role, he applied for the pilot Volunteer To Programme at CPFT, and began volunteering with the Individual Placement Service which support those with mental health conditions to find and sustain employment.
When a paid role with the team became available, Andrew was ideally placed to secure it.
Andrew said: “It’s a much more socially rewarding job than working in telecoms. I meet people all the time and I’m constantly learning. A lot of patients have been out of work for a long time and have lost confidence but with the right support they can succeed.”
Alex also now works for the Trust as a peer support worker and wellbeing trainer.
Louisa Bullivant, Voluntary Services Manager at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Volunteer to Career is an effective way of opening up healthcare career opportunities to people with no prior experience in the field. We are delighted to have partnered with Helpforce on the initiative.”
For more on the Volunteer to Career scheme visit the Helpforce website.
CPFT employs more than 4,700 staff who provide community physical healthcare for older people and those with long-term conditions, mental healthcare for adults and young people, eating disorder services in Norfolk, children's community health services Peterborough, social care services and learning disability support. The Trust is also renowned for its research work.
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For more information contact: communications@cpft.nhs.uk
