A programme supporting a direct route in to working within the NHS

Are you a veteran or a family member of someone serving in the armed forces and are looking to explore a career within the NHS? We're working with Helpforce, a national charity and other North East NHS Trusts – North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, South Tees NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk & Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust to expand volunteering in the NHS.

The Volunteer to Career for the Armed Forces community programme aims to create a pathway for veterans and their family members to work within the healthcare sector in clinical and non-clinical roles. The volunteer to career programme allows you to explore careers before committing to a job or retraining and provides a direct route to work in the healthcare sector through career-based volunteering and additional training to support applications and interviews. The Volunteer to Career programme will give you a greater insight into a particular profession/role and NHS experience in that role.

You do not need any previous experience or qualifications to apply.

Examples of volunteer roles include:

  • Ward helpers                 
  • Drivers
  • Porters                          
  • Meet & Greeters
  • Domestics                      
  • Therapy Pet Volunteers
  • Catering                         
  • Responders
  • Administration               
  •  Discharge Support
  • Gardeners
  • ...and many more

Please contact the Volunteer Team on: 0800 7835774 or email: cddft.northeastvtcprogramme@nhs.net to register your interest or have a chat about the programme.

Benefits of being involved

The Volunteer to Career programme is a great opportunity if:

  • You’re unsure if a career in healthcare is for you and you want to try it out before applying for a paid job or course
  • You have been out of work for a length of time and need a gradual route back into work
  • You have been turned down for jobs in the NHS due to lack of knowledge and experience in the NHS
  • You would like to gain confidence in a working environment and transition into civilian life
  • You would like to learn valuable skills and job prospects

Interested? What happens next

Depending on where you live and what area of volunteering you are interested in, we will direct your interest to the relevant Volunteer Team who will advise you of the recruitment process. 

In some cases a DBS check will need to be carried out. We will also need two references from someone who has known you for at least three years (this can be a current or previous employer or a character reference from someone who you are well known to but is not related or a personal friend (e.g. a teacher, colleague or neighbour). In some cases, you may also need a health check so we can establish you are fit to undertake the role you are volunteering for and to identify if any modifications are required to assist you to undertake the role due to working in a health care environment.

The programme covers the following areas within the North East - County Durham, Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire and York.