1. Aspire Newsletter
Introduction
Welcome to the February edition of our
Aspire@BCH newsletter!
Aspire@BCH aims to support young
people in getting the skills and
experience needed to enter the world
of work and this newsletter will keep
you informed of all the latest news and
events, as well as letting you know about
current opportunities at Birmingham
Children’s Hospital. It also aims to keep
our staff up-to-date with the latest
projects our Aspire@BCH team are
working on.
To make sure you do not miss out on any
of our editions, please email
Team.Aspire@bch.nhs.uk to subscribe to
the electronic versions of our newsletter.
‘Aspire@BCH helped,
inspired, motivated and
changed me. What will
Aspire@BCH do for you?’
We recently held our 2015 Intern Open Day here to advertise our
new internship roles that are available to apply for as part of our
internship programme. The students who attended had the chance
to meet our current interns and find out about their experiences
in their various roles. They also received tips on filling out their
application forms and preparing for the interview. The students
then had the opportunity to have a tour around the hospital and
learn more about the roles that would be available to apply for this
year. We wish them all the best with their applications!
The closing date for the posts will be Tuesday 14 April 2015 and
interviews will take place in July.
The provisional start date for the internships will be Monday 14
September 2015.
Applications and details of these positions can be found on:
www.jobs.nhs.uk
Below are the roles that are available to apply for this year:
Aspire Assistant (Education) - this role is also open to placement
students
Patient Pathways Project Assistant
Project Assistant (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services,
CAMHS)
Corporate Nursing Intern
Staff Experience Intern (Education)
Operational Project Intern
Data Analyst (Pharmacy)
Pharmacy Academic Practice Unit
Quality Improvement (Governance)
Graduate Intern Open Day
Aspire@BCH | Steelhouse Lane | Birmingham | B4 6NH
0121 333 8604 www.aspireatbch.com
Third Edition

2. February Edition
University of Birmingham
Events
Applying for an Internship
Natasha Kerven is an Internship Officer at the University of
Birmingham. She shares her advice and tips on internship
success.
An internship is a key milestone on the road to a graduate
job, helping you develop the experience and skills that
employers want in addition to your degree. Research
by High Fliers is consistently showing that internships
are becoming standard practice for top employers who
wish to recruit new graduates. Whether an internship is
undertaken during your degree or after graduation it can
be a great way to make the transition from university into
the working world.
Start Early
It can take more time than you think to secure an
internship. Many employers like to recruit early and will
advertise their roles months in advance. Check internship
websites regularly as new opportunities are added every
week. Use your university’s careers service. The University
of Birmingham has a database of 1000s of opportunities.
Research
Before applying, research the company first. This could be
through attending an employer presentation on campus
or open day, looking at the company’s website and social
media or reading news articles they are mentioned in.
Make sure you get a real understanding of the company
you want to apply to.
Get it Checked!
Before you make an application, get someone else to
check it through. Generic applications that haven’t been
tailored, spelling and grammatical errors are all common
reasons why applicants are unsuccessful.
Network and get involved!
During your internship, make the most of your experience
by getting involved in different projects and meeting
new people. You never know who or what could lead to
your next job. Keep a record of all the things you do on
your internship as this will be very useful when it comes
to writing future job applications or talking about your
experience at interviews.
And finally… plan ahead for what you will do after your
internship. Reflect on what you have learnt, apply for
graduate jobs early and make the most of the contacts
you have built up.
Our interns supported two of the University of Birmingham’s
events recently.
Alicia Pearce attended the Public Service Academy event,
which was a chance for the students to find out about our
internships. Alicia said“The interest and enthusiasm from the
students was brilliant; many of whom came to our Open Day
on 10th February. It was a great event and I was very proud
to share my experiences at BCH
to prospective interns!”
Samantha Farnworth, Saiful
Islam and Lucy Harrison also
attended the Careers Lab event
to showcase the Aspire@BCH
programme, in particular the
internship programme which
both students and university
departments alike showed a
great interest in!
Intern Quiz
Below is a quiz to test your knowledge on internships
here at Birmingham Children’s Hospital! How many
can you get right? Answers can be found at the back
of the newsletter.
1) What is an intern?
2) How long is an internship here at
Birmingham Children’s Hospital?
3) We have interns across many different
departments. How many interns are currently
employed here?
4) Our interns are paid the living wage. How
much is the living wage?

3. February Edition
Aspire@BCH Schools Forum
Aspire@BCH would like to welcome schools to participate on a Schools orum.
The Schools forum will be an opportunity for Aspire, its partners and other NHS Trusts to find out directly from
Schools how we can all support their pupils.
It will be an opportunity for Schools to shape opportunities to meet their needs and will act as a networking hub
between schools, NHS Trusts and local businesses.
Come along and find out all about the range of opportunities available, and hear from some of our guest speakers
from HeathTec, and UTC Health Futures all about the exciting opportunities and projects available.
When: Thursday 26 February 2015, 5pm-6pm at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Steelhouse Lane
To attend please email: team.aspire@bch.nhs.uk
Refreshments will be provided.
Latest News
Apprenticeship Day
On Thursday 19 January, Aspire@BCH held its first ever
Apprenticeship Day here at Birmingham Children’s Hospital
for 22 students from Heartlands Academy.
The students spent a day here learning about the benefits
of undertaking an apprenticeship, with sessions and
activities delivered by staff from various departments,
including Education and Learning, Therapies, Fundraising
and Facilities. Walsall College also delivered a session.
The feedback from the students was very positive, as they
enjoyed the various sessions and the tour of the hospital
and found the event informative, as they“learned a lot
about the different kinds of apprenticeships on offer”and
several are“now considering applying for one”.
We wish them all the best with their futures whatever they
decide to do!
Health Practical Skills Day
On Tuesday 3 February, we had 15 students fromYear 7
at Perry Beeches School here at Birmingham Children’s
Hospital for our Health Practical Skills Day.
The students spent the day here learning more about the
various careers within the NHS. BCH staff from Fundraising,
Resuscitation, Infection Control and Neurophysiology
brought along lots of different types of equipment for the
students to have a go at using. HealthTec also went through
a CRASH scenario with the students. These sessions gave
the students an insight into the types of skills that are
required by medical staff within the NHS.
The students really enjoyed their time here and said
“they learnt a lot of things, particularly what to do in an
emergency’”and one said“this was the best trip ever!”
We really enjoyed having the students here and hope they
found the day inspiring!

4. University of Birmingham’s Careers Network is a careers
service which is open to all students. We spoke to Jenny
Mullins-White, a Careers Consultant from the University
to ask for her advice on choosing a career and applying
for internships.
Jenny works with students
training to be doctors, nurses,
dentists, as well as students
wanting to work in health and
science and many more areas!
Her role is to support them in
the application process for their
career, such as working on
creating an effective CV,
interview techniques
and deciding which medical speciality to pursue.
Jenny has supported Aspire@BCH’s Work Experience
programme, by talking to the students about the range of
careers available in Health. Most of the students attending
are amazed that there are over 350 different roles! We
asked about the support she offers to young people.
Why do you work with Aspire@BCH?
I think most people will know someone’s child/family
who has been supported by the Birmingham Children’s
Hospital and I’ve always been impressed by their highest
standard of care and their commitment to all young
people. I know how important work experience is,
especially when you are looking at choosing a career and
I was impressed by what BCH had created with Aspire. It’s
a great programme! Their work experience really helps
them to understand about the roles, as well as their own
strengths and motivations.
How do you think our internship programme
can benefit graduates?
Many graduates are keen to develop practical skills in the
work place and want to make a difference in what they
do. They see the hospital as a great organisation to learn
about the various roles and how the non-clinical roles
work in partnerships with the clinical work, for the best for
children and their families.
What advice do you have for someone
choosing their career?
Always look for work experience and a chance to talk
to lots of different people about the jobs that they do.
Find you what the best (and worst!) parts of their job are,
and what advice they have. Be open to lots of ideas and
make sure you look at the training/subjects required. Be
positive, look at what you are good at and what motivates
you. This will give you an idea of the types of careers
that may use you talents and your passion. A job will be
a major part of your life so it’s important that you find
something you enjoy doing!
Our Partners
February Edition
Top Tweets
The Health Futures University Technical College (UTC) offers
14-19 year olds career-focused education in healthcare and
health sciences and will open a brand new multimillion
pound college in the region in September 2015. They will be
holding two Open Days in March including one event here at
Birmingham Children’s Hospital! So if you are in Year 9 or 11
and are interested in a career in healthcare or health sciences,
come along to the Open Days to find out more about their
curriculum and how to apply.
Monday 2 March 2015 - Birmingham Council House
Saturday 14 March 2015 - Birmingham Children’s Hospital,
10am-2pm
Health Futures UTC Open
Days

5. Working for us
Every year, Aspire@BCH supports the recruitment
of graduates onto our own internship scheme.
The scheme gives young people the opportunity
to experience the world of work, focussing on key
projects that will give them a range of experiences and
skills.
February Edition
What is your role and what does it involve?
I am a Project Assistant working with Child and
Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). My role
involves assisting the service managers with ensuring
that the service runs smoothly, as well as working on
a number of projects around performance and service
improvement.
What attracted you to this role?
I applied to this role as I wanted some hands on
experience of working in the NHS and to learn more
about the role of managers in how it is run. I was
interested in CAMHS because mental health is just as
important as physical health and I was really excited
to hear how things are moving forward with mental
health provision in Birmingham.
What previous experience and
qualifications do you have?
I have recently graduated from the University of
Birmingham with a degree in Geography. I volunteered
for Nightline whilst I was at university which is a
listening service for students; this exposed me to
some of the difficulties experienced by people around
mental health. My only previous experience of the NHS
was working as a receptionist at a GP practice.
What do you like about working for
Birmingham Children’s Hospital?
I love working for BCH because of the commitment to
staff as well as our patients. Even in my short time here
I have been really encouraged and supported by the
team I work with, and really inspired by their attitude to
what they do and the time and effort that they put into
everything!
What are your future plans and has your
experience here affected them?
In the future I would like to stay in the NHS, as my
experience at BCH so far has been challenging but also
really rewarding. It has shown me that I can make a
difference and I am really proud to be part of the team
here.
What would you say to other people
considering applying for an internship?
I would really encourage anyone considering applying
to do it. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn by doing
and BCH offers such good support whilst you’re here.
Make the most of the chance!
“Lucy is fantastic and has made a significant
contribution to the CAMHS team. She is always positive
and enthusiastic about her work and in particular has
transformed the way we communicate with our staff in
community sites; introducing staff feedback sessions
with homemade cakes and a weekly newsletter which
staff really appreciate. The intern programme has given
us the opportunity to develop tomorrow’s leaders who
enact the Team BCH values.”- Anne Cheatham who is
the CAMHS Deputy Associate Service Director and
has worked closely with Lucy.
We are currently recruiting for the 2015 internship
programme. If you want to become one of our next
interns, please visit our website for details of the
postions available, or www.jobs.nhs.uk to apply.
Lucy Harrison started
her internship in
September 2014 as a
Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Services
Project Assistant. Here
is what she has to say
about her time here.

6. Spotlight on a Youth Ambassador
We have been recruiting our staff to become Youth
Ambassadors, who work with us to help introduce
young people to the world of work. 70 members of staff
have already become Youth Ambassadors and they
are all passionate about supporting young people and
show their support by assisting with work experience
placements and events.
Natalie Williams is one of our Youth Ambassadors and we
asked her how she is finding the role.
What is your job role at Birmingham Children’s
Hospital and what does it involve?
I am a Patient Experience Administrator. This involves
going around wards to collect surveys that patients and
parents have filled in about how they feel about hospital
care, inputting the data from surveys and holding
a monthly event to meet with parents about their
experiences at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
What qualifications did you need for this role?
I completed my A Levels and a Diploma in Leadership
and Management Skills.
Have you participated in any Aspire events or
assisted with work experience yet?
I supervised a young person for a work experience
morning as part of the Aspire@BCH Structured Work
Experience Week. I showed her my role and also what the
other members of the team do within the department.
What experience or knowledge can you offer a
young person?
The various job roles I have had and what I have learnt
from them. I can also provide them with information on
how the working environment is different to the school/
college environment.
Why did you become a Youth Ambassador? What
benefits do you get from it and why do you think
other staff should get involved?
I became a Youth Ambassador as I want to help young
people realise their potential and help them find the
career they want or help them with whatever they need.
You benefit by seeing a young person who is happy to
learn that they have support. It is also a great way to
meet other staff who share the same interest.
Do you have anything else you would like to say?
I highly recommend being a Youth Ambassador as you
are helping the next generation. They really appreciate
the support and people taking time for them.
February Edition
Supporting Us
Youth Ambassadors agree to do their best to
champion the Aspire@BCH Work Experience and
Career programmes at Birmingham Children’s
Hospital.
For more information on what our Youth
Ambassadors do or if you want to become a Youth
Ambassador yourself, please contact us at Team.
Aspire@bch.nhs.uk.
Below are a number of upcoming events our current
Youth Ambassadors can get involved with:
Health Futures UTC Open Day at BCH
Saturday 14 March
Structured Work Experience Week
Monday 30 March - Thursday 2 April

7. February Edition
E-Mentoring for
Patients
Are you a patient at Birmingham Children’s
Hospital? Are you aged 14-18? Do you want
personal advice about your future? Aspire@BCH in
partnership with Brightside is excited to announce
the launch of our new innovative mentoring
programme!
The Aspire Online Mentoring project is designed to
help you explore over 300 careers that are available
in the NHS. You would be matched with a mentor
that works in your area of interest. This could be
with someone in a frontline clinical role, or someone
from an office in departments such as accountancy
or estates management. These mentors are from a
diverse range of backgrounds, study various subjects
and are committed and enthusiastic about working
with young people.
You would be able to exchange messages with your
mentor through a safe and secure website. Your
mentor would answer your questions and provide
an insight into what their role really entails, as well
as giving you advice on the educational routes they
took to get there. Your mentor would also help you to
develop study and employability skills. The mentoring
website also features activities and other resources
about working in the NHS developed by Brightside,
and you and your mentor can work through together,
giving you structure and support throughout your
mentoring relationship.
This opportunity is available for a limited time only.
Please ensure you apply as soon as possible if you are
interested in taking part.
If you are interested in applying or want to download
the mentoring schedule please visit our website. If you
want more information on the project and what being
a mentee would involve, please email
Yasir.Iqbal@bch.nhs.uk
The Big Hoot
We are very excited to announce that a major project
with an international profile is coming to the UK’s
second city.
The Big Hoot is delivered in
partnership with Wild in Art
and Birmingham Children’s
Hospital. It is a large-scale,
mass appeal public art event
designed to communicate
the best of Birmingham’s art,
heritage and culture to the widest possible audience.
In summer 2015 over 100 large (6ft) owl sculptures
will be decorated by artists and community groups
to create a trail across the city for 10 weeks. These
sculptures will then be auctioned off to help raise
funds for the Children’s Hospital, which will enable us
to benefit the next generation of children across the
region.
Integral to the main event is The Big Hoot Schools
Programme sponsored by the Schools of King
Edward VI in Birmingham. This innovative programme
will feature up to 150 owlet sculptures (90 cm tall)
that will decorated by schools throughout the city.
Teachers can link the design and decorating process
to the curriculum in various subjects at KS1-4; there
is also scope to embed Arts Awards and Health &
Wellbeing messaging within the programme by
using the specially developed Creativity Pack. The
owlet sculptures will be displayed alongside the main
trail and then schools get to keep them afterwards.
Twit-twoo!
We have 90 schools signed up so far and spaces are
going fast and so make sure your school doesn’t miss
out by emailing education@wildinart.co.uk before
the end of February!

8. Upcoming Events
HealthTec Work Related Work Experience
Monday 27 April - Friday 1 May 2015
www.healthtec.org.uk
The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and
Engineers Fair, The NEC, Birmingham
Wednesday 11 March - Saturday 14 March 2015
www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/About_Us/
Future Leaders Club -“Applying the
Principle of Integrity”
Saturday 14 March 2015
11am-2pm
The Future Leaders Club is a personal development
membership network for ambitious people,
supporting our diverse community.
Register here for your free ticket: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Aspire@BCH Campaign Group Performing
Arts Event
Saturday 14 March 2015, Birmingham Children’s
Hospital
1pm-3pm
Birmingham Digital Week 2015
Saturday 14 - Friday 20 March 2015
It provides an exciting schedule of often free events
aimed at developing digital skills, sharing knowledge
and creating networking opportunities for the city’s
digital sector. Each day is themed.
Book your tickets here: www.bbc.co.uk Closing Information
Our next newsletter will be out in April.
If you have any feedback about the newsletter or
have any suggestions for content for the next one,
then please contact Jodie Carpenter at
Team.Aspire@bch.nhs.uk.
Web: www.aspireatbch.com
Twitter: @Aspire_at_BCH
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aspireatbch1
Email: Team.Aspire@bch.nhs.uk
Phone: 0121 333 8604
February Edition
Young Persons Group
The Young Persons Group is an opportunity for the
Aspire@BCH team to engage with the very young
people we are aiming to help, to produce the
services and resources most likely to help them.
This month, the Development Group have been
looking at our online Careers Zone to see what
information young people want and need about
their career choices and what is the best way to
present this information to make it an engaging as
possible. During the session, the group made some
careers posters on various NHS jobs including, an
audiologist and a radiographer. These are up around
the hospital so keep an eye out for them!
Our Campaign Group are busy working on their
event, which will involve musical and spoken word
performances and promote the work of Aspire. This
will be alongside the Health Futures UTC Open Day
here at the hospital on Saturday 14 March. Anyone is
welcome to come along, so please attend to support
the event. We look forward to seeing you there!
Intern Quiz Answers
1) A student or trainee who works, sometimes
without pay, in order to gain work experience or
satisfy requirements for a qualification.
2) 48 weeks
3) 19
4) £7.65 per hour