10 May Southend Hospital helps Residents Land Job and Improve Mental Wellbeing
Latest research has shown that 43% of unemployed people suffer from poor mental health, compared to 27% of those in employment¹*. Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is leading a landmark project to help eligible people in Southend get the skills they need to secure the jobs they want, to improve their lives and mental wellbeing.
During Mental Health Awareness Week the Trust is looking to promote the wellbeing side of getting a foot on the career ladder and showcasing the opportunities on offer with the NHS. Charlotte Williams, Chief Strategy and Improvement Officer at the Trust explains: “Unemployment can have long-term negative mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
Thanks to this ground-breaking project, Southend Hospital can now not only care for its patients but can also help local people live healthier, happier and more rewarding lives, by reaching out, upskilling and getting locals into new careers and improve their quality of life.”
She continued: “We’re one of the largest employers in the region and this programme allows the Trust to be a force for good, helping local people back into employment or giving them better quality jobs to improve their self-esteem and combat depression.”
The Trust was awarded just over £400,000 in early 2022 to deliver a programme to support local people most in need to secure quality work at Southend Hospital – or in another local health or care organisation. The Trust has joined up with local training providers A Better Start Southend, Pave, Halo, South Essex Community Hub and Generation Medics to provide the skills and training for over 350 different jobs at Southend Hospital from portering and logistics to administration and healthcare.
The Trust’s Anchor Programme focuses on healthier and wealthier communities, creating brighter, greener and more prosperous futures. The concept is central to achieving the NHS’ ambition to support social and economic wellbeing.
The Southend 2050 Ambition project is funded by the government’s UK Community Renewal Fund to support people and communities most in need. It will invest in local organisations, who will provide support to people living in some of the most deprived areas of Southend, to help residents gain new careers in the healthcare sector.
To discover more, or sign-up, visit www.mse.nhs.uk/anchor-programme-at-southend.
Or contact the programme by email at; [email protected].
