Armed Forces Recruitment
Supporting Armed Forces Reservists and Veterans Careers in the NHS
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is committed to supporting colleagues who are members of or have spouses and family members in the Reserve or Cadet Forces, which may require them to be absent from the workplace from time to time. Use your skills within the NHS and make a difference in people’s lives whilst keeping your commitment to the Armed Forces. We recognise that armed forces personnel, veterans and their families bring a wealth of skills and experience to the Trust and invite you to consider a career in the NHS.
Working for Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is a Veteran Aware Trust, recognising our commitment to improving NHS care for veterans, reservists, armed forces members, and their families.
In 2021 we received our accreditation from the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), acknowledging our commitment to veterans. The VCHA is a group of NHS acute hospitals that have volunteered to exemplify the best care for veterans and help drive improvements in NHS care for people who serve or have served in the UK armed forces and their families.
In line with the NHS commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, the Trust has been granted the 2022 ERS Silver Award and is committed to ensuring the armed forces community is never disadvantaged compared to other patients. We also train staff who work with veterans on veteran-specific culture or needs and as an employer supporting the armed forces. We help veterans, reservists and service families, making them aware of appropriate charities or NHS services that they can access, including mental health services or support with financial benefit claims.
Joanna Forster Adams, Chief Operating Officer and Emergency Accountable Officer at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said:
“At LYPFT, we are invested in supporting our armed forces community, and we appreciate that the culture of the armed forces is unique, which is why Military experience is central to what we do, both for the services we provide to the community, as well as to those we employ. We support our armed forces community from the start of their employment journey in terms of recruitment and ongoing bespoke support once they are with us. We demonstrate our forces-friendly credentials through our relationships with the Forces Family Jobs portal, the Career Transition Partnership job page, Step into Health, DWP, and others, including the Officer’s Association jobs page.”
Step Into Health
As an active member of Step into Health, we have an ongoing commitment to the armed forces and veterans as a trust. Suppose you are an Armed Forces member, Veterans, spouse/family, service leaver, or Reservists; in that case, you will receive a Guaranteed interview as part of the Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any job role you meet the essential criteria. These roles aren’t just front line service positions; they also include finance, estates and facilities, administration, management, digital, and communications opportunities.
As part of being a forces-friendly employer, we post job opportunities directly on the Forces Family Jobs portal, the Career Transition Partnership job page and others, including the Officer’s Association jobs page. All relevant job postings are posted to these sites bi-weekly. We also advertise recruitment fairs hosted by or in part by the Trust with Armed Forces contacts.
Support Finding NHS Employment Opportunities
We are also establishing links with the DWP and Job Centre PLUS to engage with armed forces personnel currently out of work. The Trust will support employability skills, proactively promote our vacancies, and support them with the end-to-end recruitment process. We are collaborating with other statutory bodies to provide sustainable and effective partnerships to enhance the care of Veterans and service personnel within the Criminal Justice System.
Support for Reservists
- The Trust offers an additional ten days of paid leave and five days of unpaid leave to Reservist employees.
- We launched a guaranteed interview scheme in January 2022, and it applies to anyone who identifies as a Reservist as part of Step into Health.
- We offer occupational health assessments alongside six free counselling sessions for anyone who needs them, with an offer of a further six sessions subject to the manager’s approval.
- Well-being assessments are provided and include signposting to the armed force’s health and well-being resources and networks both internally and externally.
- We are looking to establish an Armed Forces Staff Support Network. Our goal is to actively encourage and support staff members to become involved in volunteering opportunities with local cadet units.
Support for Military spouses and partners
- The Trust offers an additional three days off per annum and an additional five days unpaid for anyone who has a family member or spouse in the Armed Forces.
- We offer occupational health assessments alongside six free counselling sessions for anyone who needs them, with an offer of a further six sessions subject to the manager’s approval.
- Well-being assessments are provided and include signposting to the armed force’s health and well-being resources and networks both internally and externally.
- We are looking to establish an Armed Forces Staff Support Network. We want to support colleagues who are part of or were part of the Armed Forces.
