Overseas Recruitment and Education Team are named Inclusion Champions at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals

The annual event, which was hosted by Heart Yorkshire’s Richard ‘Dixie’ Dickson, took place this year on Thursday 20 October at the Doncaster Dome. The first ceremony to take place in person since 2019 as a result of challenges posed by the pandemic, the Star Awards is part of the Trust’s reward and recognition programme, and provides colleagues the opportunity to nominate their team members deserving of special mention.

The ‘Inclusion Champion’ Award spotlights individuals or teams that have shown commitment to inclusive practice. This could encompass efforts to welcome and include staff members, advocacy for under-represented groups or celebration of diversity within the workforce. This year’s winners were the International Nurse Recruitment and Education Team for their success in guiding colleagues recruited overseas on their journey as they settle into the Trust and the country.

This team incorporates colleagues across a variety of services who work together to ensure that newly recruited individuals are warmly welcomed to DBTH and supported in advancing in their profession. Their nominators have recognised the team’s tireless efforts in nurturing the recruits both within the hospital and wider community.

Since 2020, the Trust has recruited around 50 individuals from overseas, supporting them to gain official accreditations as well as settle within the country. All of them are fully trained and registered within their country of origin, and have been appointed to take up roles across a variety of specialities including renal medicine, diabetes and endocrinology and general nursing.

In total, around 100 adult nurses have helped to bolster the ranks at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Bassetlaw Hospital and Montagu Hospital. In November, a further 13 colleagues will join the team, in addition to the Trust’s first overseas cohort of paediatric nurses, as well as a midwife, with more planned in the near future.

In order to fully practice without supervision, each recruit has had to complete the OSCE. This is an practical accreditation overseen by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which enables international candidates to gain practice clinically within the UK.

Praised for routinely going above and beyond, the International Nurse Recruitment and Education Team collectively offers 24/7 on-hand assistance to aid the new nurses in settling into their local area and act as neighbourly figures for non-work related issues. Furthermore, the team create welcome packs and provide the recruits with general pastoral support from assistance with shopping to banking queries and also contains individuals who went through the very same recruitment process.

Speaking after the award’s ceremony, Zoe Lintin, Chief People Officer at DBTH, said: “I want to share my congratulations and thanks with this team. Ensuring we have the right people in the right jobs is crucial, and we have benefited immensely from overseas recruitment throughout the past two years. Ensuring that these colleagues have the very best experience settling both into work as well as locally is of the utmost important to us – the team has done a wonderful job in this regard, and I am confident they will only go from strength to strength.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues who have come to the Trust via our international recruitment efforts. I hope that you have a long, fruitful and happy career with Team DBTH.”

During the evening, winners of ten categories were presented with their awards. The event showcased hospital heroes across the Trust, recognising amazing contributions in Wellbeing, Development and Change and celebrated the achievements of rising stars and champions behind the scenes.