In June we celebrated our 10-year partnership with DFN Project SEARCH and were thrilled to host the celebrations and mark the milestone with a graduation event at Eastbourne DGH to celebrate interns, both past and present.
Since 2014, we will have facilitated 105 interns, of which 24 have gained successful employment at our organisation.
Richard Milner, Chief of staff and executive sponsor for the (Dis) Ability staff Networks attended the event and co-presented the awards with Stacey Beard, Supported Internship lead for East Sussex College. Richard said: “It was genuinely an inspiring and moving event, it was a pleasure to be a part of it. It really is a terrific scheme and we saw what it means to people at the celebration.”
DFN Project SEARCH is a year-long supported internship programme for young people aged 18 to 24 who have an education, health and care plan and what help to find paid employment. The programme is based at Eastbourne DGH which gives the young people an opportunity to gain and develop work-related skills, knowledge and behaviour whilst they are on placement over three different hospital departments. Job coaches and work mentors ensure that any barriers to accessing a work placement are removed and that interns receive the right balance of support and challenge they need to get ready for paid employment. You can see a video of this year’s graduates here.
Jacquie Fuller, Assistant Director HR – Engagement and Wellbeing said, “It is a pleasure to have this association with the college and DFN Project SEARCH as part of the team’s remit and it was so lovely to be at the celebrations and mark 10 years of the partnership.
“I particular want to say thank you to all the departments who host an intern on placements. It was clear speaking to managers and colleagues at the event that, whilst a commitment, the rewards and satisfaction in supporting these young people have not only benefitted them, but also our organisation as well.”
If anyone is interested in finding out more about hosting an intern or referring a young person to the programme for September 2024, please contact stacey.beard@escg.ac.uk