Start your journey Leeds

About the programme

If you are new to a health and care role in Leeds, you can access lots of exciting opportunities through the Start Your Journey Leeds programme. This includes activities that aim to support you with resilience and wellbeing, communicating with patients or service users, and building a network so that you can meet others who are in a similar situation. Through this programme, you can also access a New Starter Mentor who can act as a guide for you during the first year of your role.

Contents of the Programme

To access free support through Start Your Journey Leeds, you’ll start with a 30 minute introductory call with a New Starter Mentor. You’ll then agree a good time for your three peer mentoring sessions which will last one hour each, and are adapted to your needs, and what you’d like to talk or learn more about. You will also receive a booklet to fill in during these sessions, which you can refer back to when needed.

Your Mentor

Your New Starter Mentor is here to help you set goals, and provide a space for you to stop and reflect. They are trained Peer Mentors, and are an independent person employed outside of your organisation, who you can meet with to discuss your progress and challenges. They will be your critical friend, someone who has worked in a similar environment to you that you can talk about your experiences with. They can also advise on the different progression paths available to you, and can work with you to help you develop.

Your Wellbeing

The support you provide for people through your work is so valuable, but to do this effectively, you must prioritise your own wellbeing. To help you with this, there is wellbeing and resilience support available to you that can help you to recognise your own personal warning signs, and what to do when you notice them.

Your Network

Starting a new role can be daunting, and sometimes it helps to know that you’re not the only one. New people are joining Team Leeds every single day, and a network provides us with the opportunity to introduce you to people who are in a similar position. The group, or network, will meet virtually every couple of months and a trained facilitator will guide the conversation around a common theme or challenge which you might be facing at work.

Your Communication

Communicating with people when they’re in a vulnerable position can be really daunting, but when it’s done well it can make a world of difference to that individual. You can access a short development session from Better Conversations that will support you in communicating with service users or patients to underpin person centred care. It will also help you to develop your skills in tackling challenging conversations and communication in emotionally charged situations.

The Start Your Journey Leeds process

Enrol in the Programme

Introductory call

Your New Starter Mentor will ask you some questions to help them understand how they can best support you, and will talk you through the free opportunities available through Start Your Journey Leeds. Your New Starter Mentor can sign you up for any that you are interested in.

First session

You will set three goals that you want to achieve in the first year in your role. This will be a general discussion with your New Starter Mentor on how you’re finding the role, and any challenges you’re facing.

Second session

You and your New Starter Mentor will conduct a progress review, looking at what has gone well since your last session and discussing the next steps to work towards your goals.

Third session

Here you have time to review and reflect on the three goals set at your first meeting, what you have achieved so far and what you can continue to work on to achieve your goals going forward.

To register your interest in Start Your Journey Leeds, please fill out the form via the button below.

If you have any further queries or have trouble accessing the form please contact LHCA@nhs.net

An introduction to health and care

If you are new to the health and care sector in Leeds, this video can help you to understand what it is, and how it works.