NHS England have launched a new partnership with the Mary Seacole Trust (MST) to raise the profile of internationally/diaspora educated nurses and midwives and their contribution to the healthcare system and communities in the UK.

This inaugural programme will operate as a pilot / trial with a view to taking place annually thereafter. The benefits of the pilot to those involved will be evaluated prior to one year post-launch. If the programme continues following the pilot, those who are already part of the network would assist in the ongoing delivery as mentors.

The programme will provide successful applicants with the skills and tools to deliver talks through an induction day and the appointment of a mentor to provide guidance and accountability in the initial stages. Once they have delivered their first trial talks (one internally within the NHS and one external), filmed their 3 minute profile video and provided their short website bio, they will then formally become part of the network and be invited to attend a celebration day with their mentors and guests of NHS England and MST.

MST will launch the ‘Mary Seacole & Me Storytellers’ website page, which will host the profiles and take enquiries for those organisations looking for inspirational speakers. The website will host video extracts and also short biographies of each of the speakers.

For Mary Seacole & Me Storytellers:

• Providing a platform to tell their story so that they can feel recognised and appreciated for their contribution to the healthcare system and communities in the UK;
• The support of an experienced mentor;
• Contribution to building a Curriculum Vitae;
• Creating a community of peers to facilitate connections and establish a feeling of belonging;
• Developing their confidence and communication, building their resilience, becoming comfortable with presentations and public speaking to further their professional development and leadership skills.

For MST and NHS England:

• Promoting Mary’s story by developing a community of speakers;
• Building upon Mary’s legacy by empowering those who embody her values to tell their story and overcome their own challenges;
• Creating a diverse network of speakers to fulfil requests from organisations and the NHS; and
• Promoting positive stories of internationally recruited nurses and midwives to encourage and inspire younger generations to enter into the profession.

The programme will only be open to applicants who:

•  Are nurses or midwives (NHS, Health & Social Care and independent sectors)
• Band 5 to 7
• Are available to attend the induction day: Thursday 4th April 2024 in Richmond, London
• Are available to attend the celebration event: Wednesday 9th October 2024 in Richmond, London
• Have trained outside of the UK
• Have valid NMC registration and have been nominated by a mentor
• Can meet the commitments of the programme
• Have an interesting journey or story to tell, particularly where they have overcome challenges as an international nurse or midwife
• Have approval from their line manager or equivalent, diaspora group executive sponsor to apply for the programme

Please click here to download a letter and consent form to send to your line manager. The completed consent form will need to be uploaded as part of your application form

If the pilot is successful, the intention is to open this up to a wider cohort, to include other health and social care professionals.

The applications will be considered by a panel of judges, consisting of representatives of the Mary Seacole Trust and NHS England. Depending on the number of applicants, there may be a need to generate a shortlist.

The successful applicants will then be selected based on the following criteria:

1. An aspiration to raise the profile and awareness of international nurses and midwives and recognising their contribution to the healthcare system and communities in the UK
2. An engaging story or journey to tell where they have overcome challenges
3. A parallel / comparable story with Mary Seacole’s journey and/or values
4. A desire to develop public speaking and other key skills
5. A commitment to be part of the Storyteller network and deliver talks and presentations to various organisations for a minimum of two years

Successful applicants will be contacted by email to be advised that they have been successful, together with full details of the induction day.

Once the successful applicants have completed the induction day, their mentor will guide them through the delivery of their first talks. This mentorship will include:

• Regular touchpoints (by phone or video) ahead of trial talks to assist with the development of the presentation, including perhaps a practice session
• Discussing and perhaps sourcing appropriate trial talks
• Appraisals following each trial talk

Trial Talks:

Successful applicants will have 6 months from the induction day to do their first talks:

Internal: Delivered internally within existing (NHS, Health & Social Care and independent sectors) meetings or initiatives within the community, as part of a series of shorts, or at NHS Board level

External: Such as schools or private organisations

Mentors will assist with this process if necessary and carry out an appraisal following each talk.

Bio Video:

Each ‘Mary Seacole & Me Storyteller’ will be asked to film their own 3 minute video. This will be edited and branded for use on the MST website page and will form part of their profile. An example and guidance will be provided at the induction day.

They will also be asked to provide a short written biography, in a pre-determined format, for their website profile.

When they have successfully delivered their trial talks, their profile will be live and they will then be formally appointed as a ‘Mary Seacole & Me Storyteller’.

Mentoring

Mentors will usually be the nominator of the applicant, however if someone requires a mentor, one can be appointed. This will likely be someone from the appropriate International/Diaspora Nurses Association. They must have some knowledge of Mary Seacole’s story or be prepared to learn through accessing the Mary Seacole Trust website. There should ideally be one mentor assigned to each Storyteller and the programme will require a commitment by the mentor to a series of short virtual meetings over a period 6 months for guidance, appraisals and assistance with identifying and sourcing appropriate talks for the Storyteller.

Mentors will also be invited to the celebration event.

There will be an event after the 6-month stage to evaluate and celebrate the success of the first round of talks and to welcome the Storytellers to the network. It is also a further opportunity for the Storytellers to meet their peers.

This event will take place on Wednesday 9th October 2024 at Moore Barlow’s offices in Richmond. The evaluation session will be held in the afternoon, and run as a focus group, followed by a celebration event in the early evening attended by external guests.

Storytellers, their mentors and guests will be invited to attend.

The event will involve screenings of the 3 minute videos and will provide an opportunity for networking. The online platform will be launched shortly afterwards.

Storytellers will be asked to complete an evaluation form prior to attending the event, which will include questions from the NMC Revalidation process so that participants can easily include their involvement in programme as one of their Reflective Accounts.

The talks will then be advertised through the MST website and MST will also direct those enquiring about talks to this page.

The page will host the profiles of the Storytellers in the network and their videos and short bios.

Enquiries can be made either directly to the storyteller or via MST.

Organisations from the independent sector engaging one of the Storytellers will be encouraged to cover the Storytellers’ travel expenses and make a donation to the Mary Seacole Trust, which will be allocated to the programme funding going forward.

Following the evaluation and celebration event, the feedback will be collated and a report will be prepared and sent to NHS England. The evaluation report will be used to help shape the programme going forwards and see whether it can be expanded to have a wider impact for change for internationally recruited nurses and midwives’ experiences within the healthcare profession.

a) What does the induction day involve?

Two experienced coaches will hold sessions throughout the day to help applicants develop the skills they will need to tell their story confidently and effectively. More information about the event, such as logistics and any important instructions, will be sent out closer to the date via email.

b) What is the level of commitment expected from me?

4 days total:

Induction Day = 1 Day
Calls with mentor = 4 hours over 6 months – regularity and format to be agreed between mentor and applicant
Preparation and delivery of trial talks = 6 hours (3 hours per talk)
Attending evaluation and celebration event = 1 Day (afternoon and evening)

c) What if my employer is not prepared to support me in this process?

You will require the support from your line manager prior to applying for the process. However, you could also obtain approval from the equivalent, diaspora group executive sponsor to apply for the programme.

A letter is available to download here, which gives information about the programme and advocates for your release to fully participate. Please let us know whether you require any further assistance with these discussions.

d) After the 6 months, once I am part of the Storyteller network, what if I cannot fulfil the obligation of providing a talk?

It is a voluntary programme and therefore you are free to turn down any approaches based on availability or location; however we would ask that Storytellers commit to delivering any talks that they can reasonably deliver.

e) What if I cannot make the induction or celebration day?

We ask that all applicants keep the dates clear in the event they are successful. If they cannot attend either event, their application may be re-considered and turned down, however their details will be held for the following year.

f) Will I be paid for my time?

The programme will cover your reasonable travel expenses to the induction day and celebration event up to £100 per event. Accommodation expenses are not included. Expenses to deliver the talks externally will need to either be met by you or the organisation requesting the talk. If there is significant travel involved, please contact the planning committee. Please note that a lot of talks will probably be held remotely.

g) How do I claim my expenses for the induction and celebration days?

Please email Sophie Winstanley, Trustee / Secretary of the Mary Seacole Trust, at Sophie.winstanley@moorebarlow.com with your receipts and we will arrange for reimbursement.

h) Can this experience be used as an NMC credit for training?

Unfortunately not at this stage. The hope is that following the pilot, we can demonstrate the benefits of the programme and seek accreditation in the following year. However, this does not prevent Storytellers from using their experience as part of their NMC revalidation process and the evaluation phase assists with this.

If you have any queries, please contact the Mary Seacole Trust at storytellers@maryseacoletrust.org.uk or one of the Storytellers planning committee directly, whose details are below:

• Felicia Kwaku OBE, Associate Director of Nursing/Senior Head of Nursing for Acute Speciality Medicine at Kings Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Trustee of the Mary Seacole Trust felicia.kwaku@nhs.net
• Jeni Caguioa, Nurse Advisor, NHS England Jennifer.caguioa1@nhs.net
• Charmaine Case, Secretary of the Mary Seacole Memorial Association and President of the Nurses Association of Jamaica (UK) charmainecase@icloud.com
• Sophie Winstanley, Senior Associate at Moore Barlow Lawyers and Trustee / Secretary of the Mary Seacole Trust Sophie.winstanley@moorebarlow.com
• Beverly Joshua, Head of School - School of Health Sciences, University of Greenwich b.joshua@greenwich.ac.uk
• Elizabeth Pearson, Co-Founder and Inaugural President of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Association UK ezabe222@gmail.com