For the first time since the COVID pandemic started, new staff got to meet other joiners in person and hear direct from senior leaders about working at Oxford Health instead of via Microsoft Teams.

The first of these new look corporate induction L&D events was held at our offices at Unipart House, Oxford, with a refreshed focus on the Trust’s visions, values, the NHS People Promise and our strategy.

Overhauled based on feedback from staff, the new monthly programme has been carefully designed to make new starters to feel welcome, valued and excited about their new roles, as well as helping them understand the organisation and its culture. Everyone learnt about our values of being caring, safe and excellent and about our People Promise – and was welcomed into the #OneOHFT family.

At the event on Monday 7 November, CEO Nick Broughton personally thanked new starters for joining the Trust. He told them our ambition was for Oxford Health to be the best mental health and community NHS trust in the country – and the best such trust to work for.

Nick talked about our culture of openness and inclusion where everybody is valued, saying: “We are one big team. Everyone is valued here. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

“You all have a voice. Don’t be afraid to speak up – and speak out – if you see something which is not good enough. I value all feedback, all our managers value feedback.”

Finally, Nick added: “Look out for each other, be kind to each other. That’s what we’re about. We’re a caring organisation and we need to care for each other, as well as our patients.”

The audience, with a broad spread of staff from dieticians and nurses to dental officers and wellbeing practitioners, then took part in a series of interactive sessions providing key information and signposting to services around the Trust.

They also got to wander around an induction marketplace after lunch, visiting stands representing 18 key teams from across the Trust, including Patient Safety, Patient Involvement and Experience, and Oxford Health Careers.

New starter Assistant Clinical Psychologist Alexandra James-Bott

Our new starters praised the new induction programme.

Assistant Clinical Psychologist Alexandra James-Bott, said: “It’s been really nice meeting new people from the Trust and getting to know other people joining.

“Learning about all the wellbeing stuff and hearing about how supportive the Trust is was great.

“I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Chief People Officer Charmaine De Souza

​​​​​​​Chief People Officer, Charmaine De Souza, chairing the event, reflected on the day, saying: “It’s been a really great day. You can just feel the energy in the room. We are a caring, compassionate organisation and making social connections with our colleagues is really important for bringing that to life. That’s why it’s so important we’re back to providing inductions face-to-face.”

“For new starters, seeing the support structures that are here for them, seeing the stalls with our charity, Unison and You Matter – this helps people feel they’re joining a supportive, caring trust.”