THE DAILY TELEGRAPHTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009| VThe Daily TelegraphVOCATIONS CAREERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR MILES DONOVAN; WELLCOME TRUST; RCNNURSING’SWEARING THE UNIFORM WITH PRIDENEW he modern nurse would perhaps be barely recognisable to Florence Nightingale — with the profession taking over more responsibilities from doctors there has been a movement towards greater levels of academic training. If current plans reach fruition, all new recruits will be graduates by 2014. “Nursing has changed,” says Gill Robertson, Student Advisor at the Royal College of Nursing. “ThePRE-MODERNTHE BILL DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO JOIN THE POLICE? ASKS NATASHA MANN. COMMON SENSE, PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES AND SOUND JUDGMENT ARE A GOOD START ick Johnson certainly knows what it’s like to be at the sharp edge of modern policing. Chief Superintendent in charge of the Metropolitan Police’s hard boys — the Territorial Support Group — he works at the front of the frontline. Over the years Johnson has policed poll tax rioters, anti-capitalists, football hooligans, Broadwater Farm protesters, and had petrol bombs thrown in his direction. “You are always in the thick of the action,” Johnson, 48, says coolly from the TSG headquarters in Clapham. “But that’s what makes it exciting.” Known for their tough training, the TSG are called in to handle public disorder situations, CBRN (chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear) response, rapid entry, evacuation and aftermath in a terrorist attack. They also give support in high-crime areas. Every five weeks they undergo specialist training, including exercises in riot scenarios. Recruited from serving police officers, they have to be of a much higher fitness level than an average officer. “It can be a difficult job to sell to people,” admits Johnson, who was recently deployed to the anti-Israel demonstrations in London, where some protesters clashed with police. “As a police officer you have to be a bit removed from the situation. You have to look at things from a legal point of view. We are trying to keep the peace and stop people from affecting other people’s rights.” Chief Inspector Neil Kerr, 43, in charge of recruitment at Strathclyde Police, and based in East Kilbride, says: “The training today is much better than it was in my day. We have better equipment: stab-proof vests, incapacity spray, improved handcuffs and better communications. When I joined all I had was a wooden baton.” Kerr also notes that while technology leads to new ways of committing crimes, it can also be used to catch criminals. Cadets at Strathclyde recently helped in an intelligence gathering operation by identifying young people posing with weapons on social networking sites. On top of basic training, which includes general police duties, evidence gathering and officer safety, some police jobs require specialist tuition. As a result of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report by Sir William Macpherson, training for family liaison officers was changed. “Family liaison officers are part of the investigating team,” says Detective Inspector Catherine Owen, 49, of the family liaison advisory team for the Met. “In a case such as homicide it is their job to establish a detailed lifestyle report because such background information can help identify the attacker. “They have a foot inside the family’s door, but they are not there to be a friend. One of the biggest challenges is diversity: families and their sensitivities differ widely.” Although policing challenges change, many core qualities needed to do the job remain the same. “There’s no upper age limit for joining,” says Kerr. “Basically we are looking for common sense, good communication skills, team players, problem solving abilities and good judgment.”FITTING T MTHE MOVE TOWARDS GREATER NURSE RESPONSIBILITY MEANS RECRUITS TO THE CARING PROFESSION WILL HAVE TO MEET MORE ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS, WRITES ADAM RAMSAY role has increased and nursing now follows patient health all the way through, from bedside care to consultant nurses who prescribe drugs and make autonomous decisions on admitting and discharging. The scope for nursing has broadened and, as long as this continues to improve patient care, then it is a good thing.” Training has also changed, from all ‘hands on’ in hospitals to a halfand-half balance between practical and theoretical, with study at universities for degrees and diplomas. “I think in the past nurses were there in a general care role, very much a subservient position,” says Caroline Joyce, Assistant Director of Nursing at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). “There were nursing schools attached to the hospitals, where trainee nurses were employees of the hospital, and the majority of their training was practically orientated and based on the wards. Now there is a push towards academic accreditation. “While this means that nurses today have to adapt more to the responsibilities of working on the ward, the career opportunities are endless and nurses can continue to train in specialities like paediatrics, mental health and midwifery. Nurses at GOSH will do three years in children’s medicine, but they can choose to specialise.” Ghislane Stephenson, Modern Matron for Medical at GOSH, says: “When I did my training it was very hands-on. Nurses entering now are mostly graduates, and there are lots more courses to increase skills so that we can take a far more important role in identifying causes of illness, diagnosis and treatment. “Today you still have the traditional responsibilities of patient care — but may need to have a greater level of specialised training and clinical knowledge.”AGEUntil the second half of the 19th century nursing was not considered a true profession and the work was most often done by nuns and monks.FLORENCE NIGHTINGALEThe 1850s, when Florence Nightingale tended the Crimean War wounded, are seen as the beginning of professional nursing. The uniforms were floor-length dresses with long pinafore-type white aprons, which had long sleeves with starched white collars and cuffs. Frilly caps were often held on under the neck.PLEASE SIR, CAN WE HAVE MORE TEACHERS? DESPITE HALF A MILLION WORKING IN BRITISH SCHOOLS THERE IS A SHORTAGE — ESPECIALLY IN MATHS AND SCIENCE, SAYS ADAM RAMSAY@JOBS ONLINE: jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ careers-insiderInterest in public sector teaching is on the rise and there are plenty of opportunities for people with the right skills to get into the profession. In maths and sciences alone the TeachingDevelopment Agency (TDA) is aiming to recruit close to 12,000 trainee teachers in the next two years. “Now is a great time to get into teaching,” says Graham Holley,Chief Executive of the TDA, the national agency responsible for training and developing the school workforce. “Teaching is a great career where you are working with kidsand really have a chance to improve their lives. There are great benefits such as 12 weeks’ holiday, a good pension, and flexible working hours, as well as decent pay. What’s more, thepublic sector offers much sought-after job security.” But teaching is a tough business, with teachers facing the challenge of controlling pupils as well as engaging them in their studies on a daily basis. “Of course there are challenges in the classroom,” says Tracy Stone, head teacher of the Rookery primary school in Birmingham. “You are always going to have tricky behaviour, and teachers have to deal not only with the child but also with the family, which can be a real challenge. “But if the teacher is positive, upbeat and has a real love of learning, then the class will be the same. “Recently we have seen rather dictatorial government initiatives which take responsibility away from teachers. “But in the last couple of years there has been some movement to give back some control to them. As I see it, teachers need to personalise learning because that’s the way we’re going to bring lessons to life, engage the kids and make them move forward.” Stone explains: “If teachers are to bring excitement back into the classroom then you need to find the right people for the job. People who are bright, effective communicators, and who are really passionate about working with young people.” To achieve this, public sector educationalists are trying to capitalise on the current interest in the profession to encourage the brightest and most enthusiastic students to become teachers. “There are a range of incentives,” says Graham Holley. “For priority subjects like maths and science there is a £5,000 one-off payment at the start of the second year of training, as well as a £9,000 bursary for the training period. “For languages, ICT, DT, RE and music there is a £2,500 payment and about £6,000 as a bursary. Once established, experienced teachers’ salaries are between £35-40,000 a year and a head teacher can earn more than £100,000 in some schools.”EARLY 20TH CENTURYNurses from around 1910 wore a white apron and belt as well as a frilly bow. The device on their belt would have been used for carrying medical implements.WWINurses played a vital role in the First World War. At this point they were wearing tippets, short shoulder-covering cloaks which bore a badge or insignia of their rank, and elaborate headgear.THE 1930SAn advertisement for outfits between the wars.POST-WWIITHEUNSEENHEROES SOCIAL WORKERS UNDERTAKE A VARIETY OF VALUABLE BEHIND-THE-SCENES DUTIES WHICH GO LARGELY UNNOTICED UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG. ADAM RAMSAY REPORTSUntil the 1970s, when rules about appearance became less strict, nurses wore the uniform and cap from the nursing school where they completed their training. Each school had its own uniform and cap as well as methods for indicating the student’s level of training.Social workers have one of the most difficult and vital roles to play in society, yet a lot of their work is done behind the scenes and only when something goes wrong does the spotlight fall on them. They are responsible for a variety of care, from arranging adoptions and fostering of children, to placing the elderly in homes and helping people with mental health problems, learning and other disabilities cope in the community — and they can occasionally face relentless media and professional scrutiny. “The biggest problem for social workers is that the highly sensitive work that they do islargely out of sight,” says Ian Johnston, Chief Executive of the British Association of Social Workers. “They tend to be judged on the few high-profile tragedies that occur and attract bad publicity, rather than the many more situations that are satisfactorily resolved. “So while there are currently enough people applying for social work training, there is a relatively high drop-out rate,” explains Johnston. “Many qualified people whose skills equip them to work in a range of settings find employment away from the sharp end of child protection and other highly stressful roles, with the resultthat job vacancies continue to average higher than 10 per cent.” In a move to revamp the sector in the long term, the Department for Children, Schools and Families is running some pilot schemes of a social care system called Social Pedagogy, and Essex County Council has started to implement the programme to train its residential workers. “Social Pedagogy is a way of working with children that doesn’t just care about them but for them — meaning that the staff interact with them to a greater degree, are more inclusive of them and really try to reflect their views,” says Maureen Caton, Head of Residential and PlacementProvision for Essex County Council. “This system has had great success in Germany and Scandinavia where they have seen a marked improvement in academic achievement, behaviour and social ability. “We’re running a three-year programme for all our residential social workers, which involves training some staff as Social Pedagogy agents. “This additional training gives the social worker a practical understanding, which allows them to be more aware of the kids’ individual needs, and to really engage children who may have come from very difficult backgrounds.”And what about the view from the ground? “The main thing with the scheme is an emphasis on building relationships as opposed to a procedural approach,” says Nigel Wekes, Senior Residential Social Worker for Essex council. “It’s much more a human thing in many ways rather than ticking boxes, and we can use this to really help the young person develop their potential. “There’s a sense that there is a real relationship between the carer and the young person. You never know where a relationship is going so you have to be able to take it as it comes. Otherwise it is just trying to fit it into prescribed boxes.”MEN IN NURSINGIn the 1960s and 1970s men started to enter the profession. TODAYNursing attire has left the frills behind and is designed along more practical lines.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPHGREATER REWARDS FOR HELPING OTHERS page 2At your serviceVocation, vocation, vocation WORKING AT THE SHARP END OF THE COMMUNITY page 5BBC IS THE STUDENTS’ FAVOURITE page 8Screen testMILES DONOVANThe Public Sector Thursday, February 19, 2009CAREERS INTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009The D
II|THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHCAREERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR OVERVIEW GETTYThe Daily TelegraphTGOING PUBLIC THEA JOURDAN SAYS PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY ARE BEING OFFERED MORE DYNAMIC CAREER OPPORTUNITIESestimates calculated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPHTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009| IIIThe Daily TelegraphTRANSFERRING SKILLS CAREERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTORCROSSING THEDIVIDE SKILLS DEVELOPED IN THE PRIVATE SPHERE ARE IN DEMAND AMONG PUBLIC SERVICES. BY JO CLARKE “I am a psychology graduate specialising in applied psychology, which took
THE DAILY TELEGRAPHTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009| VThe Daily TelegraphVOCATIONS CAREERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR MILES DONOVAN; WELLCOME TRUST; RCNNURSING’SWEARING THE UNIFORM WITH PRIDENEW he modern nurse would perhaps be barely recognisable to Florence Nightingale — with the profession taking over more
IV|THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHDirector of Policy London SE1 Full time Salary – £55,000 to £70,000 (more for an exceptional candidate) Do you share our dedication to supporting the 11 million children young people in England and improving the world in which they live? 11 MILLION l
VI|THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHCAREERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTThe Daily TelegraphAOf those trained, 90 per cent are still in the public sectorAfter a rigorous recruitment process, successful graduates complete four six-month placements in departments within their host
THE DAILY TELEGRAPHTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009| VIIThe Daily TelegraphTHE NHS CAREERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTORA DAY IN THE LIFE DR JENNY STEPHENSON IS A GP PRINCIPAL, GP TRAINER AND PRIMARY CARE TRUST DIABETES LEAD WITH SHEFFIELD PCT. HER PRACTICE OVERSEES 10,300 PATIENTS.SEARCHINGFOR NEW BLOOD DANIEL M
VIII|THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHCAREERS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR MEDIA BBC PICTURESThe Daily TelegraphSARAH MONTAGUE, PRESENTER ON THE TODAY PROGRAMME, ARRIVED AT THE BBC VIA AN UNCONVENTIONAL ROUTE DID YOU START AS A GRADUATE TRAINEE AT THE BBC? No, after studying Biology at Bristol
