A Lancashire mental health service has made a pledge to support armed forces veterans and their families looking for a career in the NHS.

Lancashire and South Cumbria’s primary mental health service is supporting the ‘Step into Health’ programme which connects skilled candidates from across the military community with employers and new opportunities in the health service.

In practice, LSCft’s recruitment team works directly with applicants who are veterans and their families, offering them tailored advice and support during the application and interview process, which continues if they are successful and start working for the Trust, when they are offered a mentor.

Speaking about their support, Head of Recruitment at Lancashire, and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft), Farzana Kauser, said: “Service leavers, veterans, members of the wounded, injured and sick community and military family members bring a unique and highly valuable set of transferable skills which are suited to the NHS including leadership and management, communication and teamwork, loyalty and commitment and an ability to adapt.

“We are really proud to support this scheme as we know that those who have worked in the armed forces bring so much that we, colleagues, and our patients can benefit from and we can also offer them a career which suits their needs and aspirations, while allowing them to continue in public service.

“We are a veteran friendly as an employer and provider of mental health services, remaining committed to the Armed Forces Covenant so that those in the UK military and their families are treated fairly.

“If you would like to know more or would like to come and work for us, see what we have to offer at lscft.nhs.uk/vacancies. Let us do more for you.”

The Trust, which holds Veterans Aware and Gold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) statuses, is also a member of the Veterans Covenant Alliance, sharing and driving best practice in NHS care for people who serve or have served in the UK armed forces and their families.

You can find out more information about what the Trust has to offer veterans at lscft.nhs.uk/military-veterans.

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