Health Ambassadors East of England

The Health Ambassador project is funded by Skills for Health and Aimhigher Healthcare strand, supported by the NHS East of England and managed by the Britten Partnership.

Schools

We want to hear from Schools about your plans for working with the Health Sector. Working with HealthCare Ambassadors we can support you  deliver Health and Social Care programmes in the curriculum to let us know what you need  fill in the. school support request for Health Amb and send it to healthambassadors@brittenpartnership.co.uk

Health Sector Employers

We want to work with you to make contact with local schools to promote the health sector.

Could you be a Health Ambassador?

 

• Do you enjoy your work and would you like to speak to others about it?
• Would you like the chance to encourage young people and have an input into their education by visiting a school or college?
• Are you looking for an interesting opportunity for Continuing Professional Development?

 

What is a Health Ambassador?

 

A Health Ambassador is a qualified and experienced health worker who is willing to inspire and encourage young people to think about a career and educational opportunities in healthcare.

 

They have enthusiasm, commitment, confidence, the ability to identify with young people, a passion for their work and the wish to inspire others to achieve their full potential.

 

What’s involved for Ambassadors?

 

Health Ambassadors act as role models to young people, offering them the chance to find out as much as possible about jobs and professions in Health care.

 

As an Ambassador you will be involved in a programme of working with local schools and colleges.

 

This may include providing:

 

• presentations in a school setting with groups of students on health and social care courses;
• or at a careers session offering guidance and advice on the health industry and its many and varied career opportunities;
• helping to facilitate workshops and work experience programmes; and possibly becoming a mentor if you have the skills and interest.

 The average time involvement would be at least ½ a day in the year. We will provide on-going support to help you build your confidence as an effective ambassador.

 

Each Ambassador will be offered an induction course which will include presentation skills and development of learning material to use with students.

 

Want more information or an informal chat to learn more about what is involved then contacthealthambassadors@brittenpartnership.co.uk 

Please also see our downloadable leaflet for further information Health Ambassadors leaflet

 

News Letter

Summer term 2009

 

 

Health Ambassadors East end of summer term newsletter 2009

 

 

We are delighted to be able to inform you that the Health Ambassadors programme will continue next year- with funding from NHS East of England, Skills for Health and Aimhigher east of England (Healthcare strand). We will be building on our successes- and making it even better and more tailored to what you need.

 

 

The following is the extract from the Health Skills East website www.healthskilleast.org.uk

 

‘East of England Health Ambassador Contract retendered

 

Following external evaluation of the Ambassador Service which identified its overall success to date and key areas for development, the contract for the service has been retendered by Health Skills East and awarded to The Britten Partnership’.

 

 

Next year we are offering the following support to schools and colleges:

 

• Recruitment and retention of a network of Health Ambassadors to work with schools and colleges
• Specific support for Society Health and Development Collaborative’s
• Targeted support for Aimhigher Schools and Colleges
• Support for Careers events
• CPD days for health professionals and schools/colleges
• A regional Health Conference in Summer 2010

 

 

 

If you are a teacher of health and social care or you are involved in careers advice and guidance and would like your students to benefit from the programme then please contact Anne Porter on 01354 693930 or email her at anne.porter@brittenpartnership.co.uk.

 

Anne will be the first point of call for all enquires about the Health Ambassadors Programme and ready to advise you on  how we can support you.

 

So what was achieved last year across the East of England?

 

• Over 100 Ambassadors are now on our register from across a range of  skills and specialism’s in Health and Social Care
• 50 secondary schools are making use of health Ambassadors on a regular basis – all 336 secondary school have access to the programme in the East of England

• 12000 students have already benefited from health Ambassadors

 

 

Highlights from the past year……

 

Over the past year we have been very busy with events over the whole of the East of England. Here are some snapshots

 

Lowestoft  'A life in health' conference in conjunction with Aimhigher 20th, 21st and 22nd May 2009

 

The summer School was an event for year 10 students from Lowestoft and Beccles Secondary Schools. It was held at the University Campus Suffolk, James Paget Hospital and Lowestoft College.  It focused on careers in Health and Healthy Living and comprised of three days of interactive workshops providing an insight into the range of courses, jobs and careers within the health sector in the fields of Biomedical Science, Radiography, Mental Health, Women and Children’s Health, Pathology, Pharmacy, Theatre Equipment, Clinical Skills and Infection Control.

 

 30 students attended the full 3 day event from The Deans High School, Kirkley Community School and Sir John Leman High Schools.  Students from other surrounding schools also attended the 1 day conference on 21st May at The Victoria Hotel in Lowestoft.

 

 

Neal Wade Community College Health and Social Care Conference in conjunction with Aimhigher May 11th 2009 

 

This Health and Social Care Conference was aimed at year 9 students.  Students from Neal Wade Community College, Sir Harry Smith, Thomas Clarkson and the Cromwell School were invited to attend. The conference consisted of many different workshops and facilitators, such as Fenland Alzheimer’s, Cambs CC Fostering and Adoption Team and Anglia Ruskin University.

 

The evaluation sheets completed by the students showed that 96% of them are now more likely to consider taking Health and Social care courses in the next academic Year.  This event was successful in that students gained significant information from it and were able to aim with confidence for a career in this sector.  

 

 

The Aimhigher Cambridgeshire Schools Children’s Workforce Health and Social Care Event July 10th 2009

 

The Britten Partnership in conjunction with Aimhigher Healthcare Strand, Bottisham Village College, Cambridge Regional College and Long Road Sixth Form College, offered a one day Health and Social Care Conference on 10th July 2009.  129 Year 10 and Year 9 students attended from across Cambridge, Fenland and Huntington schools. They found out more about  working in a health and social care setting, met professionals in the sector, and found out how the services work together to manage a major incident. The setting for the conference was the ‘Accident’ with performing arts students from Cambridge Regional College playing the characters as they progress through their treatment. More from the conference highlights will be published on the Britten Partnership website shortly- including extracts from the DVD produce by Long Road Sixth Form College students.