Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS) is delighted to announce that we’ve been awarded the NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award for providing best practice pastoral care for international nurses.

In her letter, Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, praised the Trust's work saying: “We are delighted to congratulate you and your team on achieving the NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to providing best practice pastoral support to internationally educated nurses.

“This award recognises the incredible work being carried out in your trust to ensure these colleagues receive enhanced and tailored pastoral care as they start their NHS journey and onwards in their career.”

Launched in March 2022, the NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award scheme is helping to standardise the quality and delivery of pastoral care for internationally educated nurses and midwives across England to ensure they receive high-quality pastoral support.

Through the scheme, NHS trusts can apply for a quality award based on their international recruitment practices for nurses and midwives. To achieve the award, they must successfully meet a set of standards for best practice pastoral care, which have been co-developed with regional and trust international recruitment leads and international nursing and midwifery associations. In addition, trusts must also demonstrate a commitment to supporting internationally educated nurses and midwives at every stage of their recruitment and beyond.

Kate Howard, Chief Nurse at CCS, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and I’d like to express my thanks to everyone at CCS who’s committed to supporting the wellbeing of our international recruits across the Trust.

“We know that enhanced pastoral support has a positive impact on both recruitment and retention and also supports staff wellbeing, and I’m incredibly proud of the work that’s been undertaken to ensure the safe arrival, induction and ongoing support for our internationally educated or recruited colleagues.”

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For further information, please contact Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust’s Communications Team on 0300 555 6655 or email ccs.communications@nhs.net

Notes for editors

Background

The NHS has always benefited from overseas recruitment and from nurses coming from other countries to live and work in England. Recruitment from outside of the UK continues to feature as an important part of the workforce supply strategy of NHS organisations, in line with the NHS People Plan. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out the ambitions for the NHS over the next 10 years, identifying ethical international recruitment as a workforce priority.

NHS England and NHS Improvement’s International Recruitment Programme is delivering an ethical and sustainable recruitment model, and the programme supports NHS organisations to increase and develop their international recruitment plans.

The safe arrival, induction, and provision of support for new people joining the NHS workforce is our number one priority for international recruitment.

Based on feedback from internationally educated nurses and trust international recruitment leads, we know varying levels of pastoral care are provided across the NHS. We also know that enhanced pastoral care has a positive impact on recruitment and retention.

Once trusts have achieved the award, they will be reassessed every two years.

More information about the award can be found on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website.

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust provides the following extensive portfolio of services:

• A range of children’s services to children, young people and families in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk
• iCaSH: Integrated Contraception and Sexual Health Services in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk
• Dental services in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Suffolk
• Musculoskeletal services and pelvic health physiotherapy services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
• Children and adults’ community health services for the residents of Luton
• Children and adults’ community health services for the residents of Bedfordshire, provided in partnership with East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT).