Work experience

Work experience

As a Trust, offering work experience opportunities is integral to helping inspire people and support pathways into healthcare careers. This also supports the Trusts plans for becoming an Anchor Institution. We want to provide enriched, meaningful placements that can help broach experiences of various roles within healthcare settings and provide great insight into a day in a life for these professions. 

What is work experience?

South London and Maudsley NHS Trust supports local young people who are the age of 16-18 and are interested in pursuing and working for the NHS, by offering a five day work experience placement in either a clinical or non-clinical work environment.

As a work experience student with us, you’ll gain invaluable hands-on experience in the NHS, especially in a mental health setting. You’ll learn about the work environment, job duties and essential skills for success. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to work on a project. We’ll also help you with job applications and CV writing to support your future job search.

Work experience is a great way to get ready for your future careers.  You’ll gain insight into what the job is really like, understand the demands of the career and find out if it is the right fit for you. It is also an opportunity to develop and demonstrate the values, attitudes and behaviours necessary to work in the NHS.

The Trust’s primary aim is to support applicants from local schools who meet the participation criteria. This includes students of which meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Lives in one of the communities we serve and include Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon (criteria must be met)
  • Current secondary school student, with priority to those not attending a private school (criteria must be met)
  • Receive free schools meals 
  • Students from lower income families 
  • Students from ethnic minorities 

We want our Trust to reflect the diversity of the population it serves, so we are looking for team players of all genders and backgrounds who are  eager to make a difference, who share our passion for helping people and are committed to striving for the highest standards of patient care. We actively encourage and welcome applications from Black, Asian and other underrepresented ethnically and culturally diverse groups.

Work Experience Placements:

Our next work experience placement will be on the 15 – 17 July 2024. Before applying please do review the location to ensure that you are able to travel, the following work experience placements are available:

  1. Supporting Learning and Development at South London and Maudsley. Location: Bethlem Hospital  Beckenham  BR3 3BX (1 placement available)

This five-day placement is the ideal way to build on your knowledge and take a more in-depth look at the different areas within the learning and development teams at the Trust including Digital, Apprenticeships, Administration, Training and E-learning. This is ideal for someone who is passionate about working in Administration and Healthcare.

 

2.  A deeper dive into NHS careers: Complaints and Datix. Location: Maudsley Hospital Denmark Hill SE5 8AZ (2 placements available)

• Interested in the NHS, but not sure you want to be involved in direct patient care?

• Are you someone who loves figuring out how things work and what makes them tick?

• Want to help our services better support the community we serve?

Join us for a five-day placement  with the Complaints and Datix team.  You’ll see how we connect the voices of those using our services with those providing care and those making decisions: we’d love your input into how we can better hear about positive and negative experiences.

 

3. What is a psychiatrist? What do we do and how do we train? Location: Kings College Hospital Maudsley Hospital Denmark Hill SE5 8AZ (1 placement available)

This placement is suitable for students who are  planning to study at least two A levels in the sciences, including chemistry and are aiming to attain a AAB or higher in their A levels. A career as a psychiatrist starts by doing a degree in medicine. If you’re thinking about a career in psychiatry, this is a great first step!

Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors who work with patients who have mental illness. There are many subspecialties in psychiatry. They work with different age groups such as children, young people, and older adults. Psychiatrists may specialise in many different  focuses such as forensic psychiatry, eating disorders, addictions or pregnant women with mental illness.

 

4. What is a psychiatrist? What do we do and how do we train? Location: Bethlem Hospital  Beckenham  BR3 3BX (1 placement available)

This placement is suitable for students who are planning to study at least two A levels in the sciences, including chemistry and are aiming to attain a AAB or higher in their A levels. A career as a psychiatrist starts by doing a degree in medicine. If you’re thinking about a career in psychiatry, this is a great first step!

Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors who work with patients who have mental illness. There are many subspecialties in psychiatry. They work with different age groups such as children, young people, and older adults. Psychiatrists may specialise in many different focuses such as forensic psychiatry, eating disorders, addictions or pregnant women with mental illness.

 

5. A deeper dive into NHS careers in Occupational Therapy. Location: Bethlem Hospital  Beckenham  BR3 3BX (1 placement available)

Are you thinking about a career in Occupational Therapy or just curious to learn more about this interesting and innovative field?

Occupational Therapy is a great career choice. Occupational Therapists work in the NHS as well as lots of other different health and social care settings. There’s a high demand for young people to join the profession.. Occupational therapists help people of all ages overcome challenges in their daily activities – what we call “occupations”

 

6. A deeper dive into NHS careers in Estates and Facilities Compliance. Location: Bethlem Hospital  Beckenham  BR3 3BX (1 placement available)

Are you considering a career in the NHS but are not sure which administrative roles are out there?  

The Estates and Facilities team are crucial to the NHS. Responsibilities include ensuring the safety of building infrastructure and management of contractors across many different disciplines.

 

7. Learning about the Community Mental Health setting. Location: Chaucer Resource Centre, 13 Ann Moss Way, Rotherhithe, London SE16 2TH  (1 placement available)

This five-day placement is  a great opportunity to build on your knowledge and take a deeper look at the different areas of nursing and all the exciting options it offers. From Adult nursing to Children`s nursing, Learning Disability nursing to Research Nursing and beyond, it’s a perfect chance to discover where your passion lies.

How do I apply?

If you meet all eligibility requirements, please complete our internal application form here.

Upcoming Placements Dates: 

 

Placement dates Applications Due Decision emails sent
Monday 15 July to Friday 19 July 2024

Friday 21 June 2024

Monday 1 July 2024

Monday 28 Oct to Friday 1 Nov 2024

Monday 16 Sept 2024

Friday 27 Sept 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​​​​​​​Careers untapped

Multiple NHS Trusts have created podcasts which explores some of the jobs you can do in the NHS that most people will never have heard of. The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world and there's a huge variety of jobs that you can do, with something to suit all interests and personalities https://nhs-careers-untapped.castos.com/?page=1