Joined Up Careers Derbyshire brings together local partner organisations to support the current and future health and social care workforce.
Covering the period 2019-20, this publication covers the wide range of support provided by Joined Up Careers in attracting people to health and care roles and encouraging individuals to further their careers in Derbyshire.
Care workers support people with all aspects of their day-to-day living, including social and physical activities, personal care, mobility and meal times. You could work with lots of different people including adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, substance misuse issues, mental health conditions and older people. Care workers can work in a care home, in people’s own homes or in the community.
Senior care workers work alongside care staff in delivering all aspects of personal care, but also have additional responsibilities such as administering medication, allocating tasks within the care team, and providing support and supervision to members of the team.
Podiatrists can assess, diagnose, treat and advise on foot problems for adults and children. This can be routine foot care such as corn, hard skin and nail care, or prevention and treatment of people at higher risk of foot problems such as those with diabetes. It can include assessment of foot pain and how the foot contributes to this, or how a person’s feet can cause pain in other areas of the body. A podiatrist is also trained in minor surgery for ingrowing toenails.
ODPs work with patients before, during and after surgery to provide high quality and individualised care. Before surgery (the anaesthetic phase), ODPs must prepare a wide range of specialist equipment and drugs as well as communicating effectively with the patient and clinical team.
Registered nurses play a central role in the healthcare team and provide skilled treatment to patients in various medical settings (community and hospitals) within multiple specialties - from child to adult, learning disability to mental health, promoting health and wellbeing, and helping to improve quality of life.
A consultant is a medically qualified doctor who has completed further training into a specialist area. Consultants can specialise in more than 60 areas including oncology, paediatrics and surgery. Consultants also have opportunities in research, teaching and management. Consultants have a passion for improving people’s lives by delivering medical and non-medical interventions in people’s homes, within the community and in hospitals. While challenging, medicine is an incredibly rewarding and varied career that gives individuals the opportunity to make a real difference to patients’ lives.
Service managers are responsible for the strategic, financial and day-to-day running of health and social care settings – for example a hospital department, GP surgery or group of care homes. Tasks vary depending on the specific service but often include analysis of service performance, the implementation of policies and improvements, liaising with stakeholders, management of staff and recruitment, setting and managing budgets, and maintaining high quality and value for money.
Medicines are the most common treatment offered to patients – the pharmacy team ensures medicines administered are used safely and effectively
With one in four people in the UK experiencing mental health problems every year, mental health nurses are vital in supporting patients to recovery.
Diagnostic radiographers use the latest technologies to look inside the body to see what is causing a patient’s symptoms.
Occupational therapists (OTs) help people to live as independently as possible by helping them overcome barriers caused by disability, illness or injury.
ODPs work with patients before, during and after surgery to provide high quality and individualised care.
An orthoptist specialises in diagnosing and managing a variety of eye conditions, typically around how the eyes work together, visual development and eye movements.
The role of a speech and language therapist (SLT) is to improve the quality of life, health and wellbeing for people with communication difficulties and/or dysphagia (eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties).
Many people will have radiotherapy as part of their cancer treatment. Radiotherapy is the use of high energy radiation such as photons, gamma rays or protons to kill and shrink tumours. The radiation is delivered externally using a linear accelerator or internally through a procedure called internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy. Therapeutic radiographers are those in the health profession who provide this treatment.
Facilities and estates teams play a vital role in the upkeep and maintenance of our hospitals, community buildings, care homes and grounds.
You and your team will be responsible for keeping a full and accurate computer record of a patient's stay in hospital from arrival to discharge.
The return to practice programme explained by colleagues in the East Midlands: We are returning nurses. We are the NHS.
Nurses in social care are passionate about what they do, and this film by Health Education England showcases the role of nursing in social care. It conveys the passion and varied nature of the career, and demonstrates how social care nursing is about supporting people in the long term.
Joined Up Careers Derbyshire have teamed up with NHS Cadets and St John Ambulance to deliver two paid work and volunteering programmes to local students, starting in September 2021. NHS Cadets aims to attract young people into careers in the healthcare system and develop their skills.
For three years from 2020, aspects of our work on supporting people gain employment in the health and care sector, is being part-funded by the European Social Fund.
In November 2020 we launched Call to Arms, our campaign to resource the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Derby and Derbyshire.