Career change advice needed

[Sarah8418]

Hi All,

So things are going really well at home but my work life sucks. I've just passed the 10yr mark in the NHS and have worked my way up from the bottom of band 2 to a band 4. I was an assistant in a small community team prior to giving birth and I loved the team and most of my role but there was zero progression opportunties and after my mat leave I worked my notice, found a new role and left.

My new team is large and I can go days without seeing or speaking to people. I work part time atm but looking at increasing my hours from 22.5 - 30/37.hrs pw.

My problem is that with the additional cuts to funding for tuition I can't further my career any more. I did want to train to be an OT but I have a student loan debt (didn't finish the degree due to depression) a mortgage and a child. Even with an 8k bursary it's not enough and the apprenticeship routes are taking nhs trusts years to figure out. Even if i could do that, there's a ton of assistants who've been with the team/trust much longer than me who would be considered first.

I've felt miserable going to work since August last year. I have firmly decided to quit the NHS. But I have no idea what else to do.
I did consult a career coach but she was too expensive.

Any ideas for websites to look at? Advice forums? Or just on here would be appreciated.
I am very organised and like the office management side of things. A few people have said I should go into project management.

I did wonder if working from home would be good atm for me and my family as we are renovating our house for the next few years at least. I have no idea! Please help!

Well done for working your way up career wise. Are you are HCA or what exactly do you do as band 4? Why type of ward/experience and what areas would you like/definitely dont want ? Depending on what you do, there might be options in the private sector, schools, medical centre or even airports which have a large medical team. Sometimes its a matter of looking outside the NHS, but need a bit more info.

I'm an assistant practitioner in a stroke team in the community. I do some.asoecta of nursing but I mainly carry out therapy treatments plans. I started out in forensic mental health. Went to do my nursing but after a year knew it wasn't for me. Became a ot/physio assistant, then dietetic (all in hospital). Got bored as was doing way more than my band (pretty common theme) was a pa for senior NHS management for a while which gave me a good insight into how the NHS works. Went back to clinical/acute as a b4 otti but was micro managed and didn't feel safe due to understaffing. The trust put into special measures. Got headhunted for a community dietetic assistant role and was doing that for almost 4yrs but the area was super dodgy, aload of us got our cars keyed when we moved in 👍and I was just bobbing along at the top of band 3 being denied any training opportunities.

So I've had quite a career but I don't regret it. However as my husband has said, the NHS is full of glass ceilings and I'm tired of looking up and not being able to move forward.

Whow, you certainly have a great deal of experience within different areas. Have you considered osteopathy? My osteopath studied part-time, and kept her regular job while studying. She now rents a room at the back of a pharmacy, works the hours she wants and couldnt be happier. She grew up in a rural area, and also added on an animal osteopathy course, so can also now also treat dogs, cats and horses! Sometimes treating the rider and horse!

If blood doesnt bother you, what about a phlebotomist? I don't know what banding that is, or if it would be a step back?

Working as a HCA within a GP practice- taking blood, blood pressure checks, doing ECG's, dressings etc?

I would think that unless you did further training, there unfortunately would be a ceiling if you stayed within NHS.

Hi, thanks very much for your reply. I've not considered osteopathy, doesn't interest me to be brutally honest. Neither phlebotomy which is a band 3 in the NHS so I'd be going back a step, same as a community HCA.

I totally agree, I am trapped because I need a degree to go any further in a clinical role and I can't afford that. I think I need to look into another role. I did apply for a project coordinator role with parkinsons uk for a new pilot scheme for improving access and uptake of activity in older people. Which I would have loved as I am passionate about health promotion. Alas didn't even get shortlisted :(

I've heard of nursing associates which are HCA's training to be nurses. I dont know if that is an option, or the one you mentioned where you wouldnt get enough pay? Our local hospital run many apprenticeships, some clinical, but many arent. Lots of things I'd never considered and they pay for the training. Have you asked your local hospitals what they can offer?

Yes nursing associates are band 4. I did intially study to be a nurse but it's not my thing. I can't do the shifts either as I have a toddler and no family support nearby for childcare so nights etc wouldn't be an option for me.

Apprenticeships are picking up speed but very slowly. It's going to take years for them to be implemented for other roles than nursing sadly and I don't have the time to wait.

I completely feel your pain. I'm in a similar position to you but with much less NHS experience. I'm a band 4 therapy assistant. I did have a decent career before this but got sick of it and needed a change.

If you're not a qualified clinician in the NHS then you're stuffed basically. There is a complete disconnect between moving from band 4 and band 5. I already have a degree but I really can't see how I can move up into anything relatively decent without going back to university full time. It's easy to move up as a nurse in our trust via the apprenticeship scheme but that doesn't appeal to me either.

I have spoken to quite a few women who are in exactly the same position and everyone is stuck. No one within our trust seems to have any answers. The matron for one of the hospitals was trying to poach me the other week but beyond band 4 she had absolutely no idea which way I could progress. She assures me that therapy apprenticeships are on their way but I won't hold my breath!

Also, a couple of the OTs I have spoken to said that they have only used about 10% of their degree. Everything else they have learned on the job. It doesn't really inspire me to go back to uni to spend a shit load of money and waste another three years really.