North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) has been awarded the NHS Pastoral Care Quality Award. 

This is for ensuring overseas nurses, midwives, and Allied Health Professionals receive a warm and supportive welcome. 

NHS England wrote to the Trust to recognise its international recruitment work and its commitment to providing high-quality pastoral care to internationally educated nurses and midwives during recruitment processes and their employment. 

The award recognises NCIC’s efforts to support recruits with the cultural and clinical challenges of living and working in a different country.  A comprehensive support package includes support with everything from accommodation, transport to registering with a GP and opening a bank account.

Shery Shaheryar joined NCIC in March 2021 as a staff nurse – in the middle of a global pandemic. He is now working as a clinical educator at the Cumberland Infirmary, supporting some of our new overseas educated nurses as they settle in.  Shery, who is originally from Pakistan, said he found the pastoral care “great, very supportive and helpful.”

He said: “I was given a timetable for bus routes from my accommodation to the hospital. The day I arrived, I was given a food pack, which was such a great gesture. In addition to this, the Trust organised a social event where we got opportunity to meet other overseas nurses. That was a lovely evening.”

“I believe, one thing which stands out the most, is in NCIC they look after you like a mother. “The pastoral team will consider and acknowledge all your concerns and will do their very best to solve any problems you may encounter.”

Anne-Marie Weller, Head of Nursing, Clinical Education and Practice Development (Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions), said: “We are delighted to have been given this award.

“The NCIC International Nurse Recruitment Project Team have worked hard to ensure that each and every nurse receives a warm and supportive Cumbrian welcome to the Trust.  Achieving the award is recognition for this. 

“The team are real ambassadors for the Trust, displaying the Trust values on a daily basis and endeavour to respond to every request quickly.

“The Trust decided to do the pastoral care project in recognition of the work which took place during Covid and beyond to help address the Trust staffing problems."