Specialist service expands to help people into work within healthcare

Aspire to Be, which is managed by Doncaster Deaf Trust, is for adults aged 19-60 from across South Yorkshire who are Deaf/hard of hearing, neuro diverse or those who have any other communication difficulty helping to make a valuable difference to their lives by developing their skills and supporting them into work.

As part of its approach, the service, on Leger Way, boasts ‘simulated work’ areas which are used by Aspire to Be staff to work with service users to breakdown certain tasks within a job role and explain in detail the different elements involved. The rooms already available include a warehouse, retail shop, café and catering section and hotel room and now a healthcare room has been added to provide people with first-hand experience of working in a clinical setting.

The new room, that is set up like a hospital room on a ward, has been created in partnership with Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which manages Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI). The Trust has provided some equipment that is no longer needed such as a bedside chair, side cabinet, bedding, pillows, cleaning materials, paper towel and soap dispenser, items for the wet room alongside other ad hoc items to make it as realistic as possible.

As a registered charity, the Doncaster Deaf Trust (DDT) team launched a £2,000 fundraising campaign earlier this year to make the new room possible. It received lots of support locally including from Doncaster Junior Lawyers Division which named DDT as it's Charity of the Year and supported the healthcare suite and training room project with two fundraising events.

 

Tina Rafferty, programme manager for Aspire to Be, said: “We can’t thank the team at Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust, Doncaster Junior Lawyers Division and Dixon Timber enough for their support with this project. Our new healthcare suite looks just like what you would see in a hospital with all the essential equipment and furniture you would find to support our service users who are looking to work in a healthcare setting.

“Our Aspire to Be service users all have something to offer but just need to be taught skills and gain experience in a different, more tailored way to suit their needs and these simulated areas really help us support them more effectively. They give people real life work experience and gain knowledge of working practices and job expectations.

“Linking up with businesses in the area such as Premier Inn for our hotel room, GXO for our warehouse area and now Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for our new healthcare room is vital as it enables us to offer real-life practical experience of the various roles within these sectors which not only helps develop skills but also allows people to grow their confidence and self-esteem. And then the employers can benefit too with some strong candidates from our service to help fill any job vacancies they may have.”

Zoe Lintin, chief people officer at Doncaster Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (DBTH), said: “The Health and Care Simulation Room is a fantastic initiative led by Aspire to Be. At DBTH, we’re proud to have worked closely with them to support the development of this realistic, inclusive training environment.

 “Our Estates and Facilities teams have contributed equipment and expertise, helping to create an authentic space where participants can build skills and confidence for their future careers. This initiative is a testament to what we can achieve together to support individuals with communication and learning challenges in preparing for meaningful careers in health and care.”

 

Aspire to Be received £465,000 from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority in 2023 to develop its provision.

For more information about Aspire to Be, please contact Tina Rafferty on tina.raffery@cscd.ac.uk