BE ONE OF OUR NHS HEROES
Lindsay plays vital role without being a medic
NEVER before has the NHS had such a critical role to play in our country.
And you could be a proud part of it too – without having any medical qualifications.
There are more than 350 career opportunities within the health service, from maintenance staff to admin and IT.
Lindsay McCafferty, 42, of Greenford, near Wembley, started out as an NHS receptionist 16 years ago and today is a project manager helping young adults with special needs find work.
What does your job involve?
As Project Choice area manager, I connect with local SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) students, schools and colleges.
After meetings with them, I decide which internships we can offer within the West London NHS Trust which can teach them skills to get ready for the working world.
Our students spend a year developing work skills in three placements. We train mentors in different departments and services so they can support the students while they are with us.
We are there to support the students in placement and I conduct fortnightly and end-ofterm reviews to check on progress and offer support where needed.
How did you start out with the NHS?
I left school and went to college for two years to complete a GNVQ in leisure and tourism, but my first job was as a receptionist for a clothing company. I had taken some time off work after having my daughter, Madison, and I was looking for a local, flexible job.
I applied for two and was successful in both, but it was the way I was made to feel at my interview that made me take the NHS job. I just had a really good feeling and have loved it ever since.
How did the receptionist job turn into what you are doing today?
I was working in my reception role and the deputy director was looking for a personal assistant.
She approached me and asked if I was interested in doing a sixmonth trial to see if it was something I wanted to do as I had never had PA experience.
After six weeks she came to me and asked me if I was interested in applying for the role permanently. That was my start up the ladder.
Did your job change during lockdown?
It did most definitely. I was asked to open and run an emergency childcare facility for frontline staff who needed support through the pandemic.
This was a massive change in role, but I really enjoyed the change and challenge and it worked really well. The parents were grateful for the support we offered through this stressful time.
What’s it like working for the NHS trust?
I really love it. It makes me proud to come to work every day knowing I am supporting people
to access new opportunities and eventually get them into the world of work.
I go to bed at night with a smile on my face knowing someone has learnt a new skill today that will help them in their future.
There are also so many different career pathways and training opportunities to choose from.
The support from management is amazing, hence the amount of years I have stayed with them.
It’s a bit of a family business too. My daughter Madison is applying to start her nursing training, while my nephew, my sister-in-law and a couple of my cousins all work for the same hospitals trust.
What’s so great about a career in the NHS?
I fit in the time to visit local schools to talk specifically about the various jobs in the NHS and why it is such a good idea to think about it as a career option.
I tell them working in a support role in the NHS means you get the rare chance to give back.
There is so much to choose from and they offer great development opportunities and have so many different career pathways.
Just as importantly it is also a really lovely place to work.
It was the good feeling I had at my interview that made me take the NHS job
FIND A JOB
More than 1.3 million people work for the NHS with an estimated 500,000 in private healthcare and related industries such as pharmacies and alternative healthcare.
Staff turnover alone frees up tens of thousands of jobs a year.
Check out www. jobs.nhs.uk where there are now 14,758 live jobs, and also careers.westlondon. nhs.uk.