Providing career opportunities for people with hidden disabilities

Interns are learning new skills and having a positive impact on patient care, thanks to supported internships at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

The Pathway to Employment supported internship programme is giving the opportunity for people with hidden disabilities to develop their skills and help them enter the workforce on the career path of their choice.

The programme, run by Southwark College, supports young people under the age of 25 who are neurodivergent, are independent travellers, have an education, health and care plan, and are ready to move into paid employment.

Guy's and St Thomas' have been a host employer on the programme since 2020. As part of this, our teams have been providing mock interviews, hosting discussions about careers in the NHS and providing placements for interns.

A wide variety of services around the Trust have been involved in the programme, from hospital to community services and over several of our sites. All of the teams involved have been totally committed to the programme and making a difference to the lives of the interns they have worked with.

Marash Demnika, an intern on the programme, has been working as an administrator for the Evelina@home and children's community nursing teams.

He said: "Evelina London provided me with a safe and welcoming work environment. They made any workplace adjustments I needed and my manager has supported and mentored me."

 

The internship has taught me new skills that I can use in the future. It has also increased my confidence and life skills.

Jennifer Baulcomb is an educational psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist at Evelina London. Her team has been providing placements for interns. She said: "We're learning so much from our interns. They challenge us to make sure that our workplace really does support everyone equally, so those who have hidden strengths can be supported to shine."

 

Students on the supported internship bring unique skills which are vital to our work. Supported internships provide employers with an opportunity to see the contributions students who have disabilities can bring to their roles, and the positive impact they can have on patient care and their colleagues.

Read Marash's staff blog to find out more about his experience on the programme.

Read Jennifer's staff blog to discover what she has learned from participating in the supported internship programme.

Find out more about the supported internship programme on the Southwark College website.