Congratulations to our Healthcare Assistant (HCA) Intern team who were crowned winners at the Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) Awards on Tuesday 20 September.

The team won two awards:

• HCSW Data Reporting
• Widening Access and Participation.

Beverley Sawer, our Lead Intern/Recruitment Nurse said: “Over 22 London trusts entered the awards but ours was the only one to be shortlisted in all eight categories. This was such a deserved win for our team; they’ve worked incredibly hard to establish themselves and support our HCAs since launching 17 months ago.”

In the Data Reporting category, judges were impressed with how effectively our Trust created reports and quality checked data for accuracy, praising our methods as being miles ahead.

For the Widening Access and Participation award we won based on our efforts to recruit local people to become HCAs in our hospitals, through engaging with local communities, working with organisations such as the Department for Work and Pensions, supporting career fairs, and the ongoing support from the Intern team to help them progress into healthcare careers.

Kathryn Halford OBE, Chief Nurse said: “Congratulations to our HCA Intern team for their win. They’ve made a real difference in the way we recruit, support and report on the delivery of the HCSW programme. We’re very proud of their excellent work.”

The HCA Intern team recruit and ensure all new HCAs are supported as they start their careers at our Trust. They provide pastoral support to 146 newly recruited HCAs, as well as those already in post across 55 wards and departments in our Trust.

The awards showcase innovations that are shaping and improving healthcare assistant recruitment, pastoral support and reporting in the NHS. 

Photo (clockwise from left): Alison Henderson, Ray Goto, Karen Dela Victoria, and Beverley Sawer.