Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) has developed a new online Application Support Hub, with the aim of supporting candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds through their recruitment process.
An internal report found that white applicants are more likely to be appointed than candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, which led to the trust hosting a four-day event for stakeholders to come together to consider how barriers to equality, diversity and inclusion in the recruitment process could be removed.
The event saw more than 100 ideas identified, streamlined and taken forward by a working group, including the development of the hub.
The hub is freely available on the CNTW website and takes applicants through the recruitment process, providing advice and detailed explanations at each step. It includes resources such as tips on how to prepare for an interview, examples of common interview questions and suggestions of follow-up questions to ask at the end of the interview, along with a detailed explanation of what to include on the application form.
In addition, the hub provides a list of job fair events, a qualification comparison table, and information on the trust’s recruitment incentive for medics, nurses and pharmacy staff.
It is designed to support people from a diverse range of backgrounds, though the trust notes that the resources on the hub can be useful to anyone interested in applying for a role at CNTW.
Alongside the hub, CNTW plans to provide individual and group sessions throughout the year to support applicants through the process and to offer advice about opportunities at the trust.
