News

During National Apprenticeship Week, we’re proud to celebrate the incredible contribution our apprentices make across our trust.

From clinical roles to corporate services, apprentices bring fresh ideas, commitment, and compassion that strengthen our services and improve patient care every day.

Apprenticeships at Oxleas offer real career pathways, combining hands-on experience with learning and supporting people to grow skills, gain qualifications, and build long-term NHS careers.

Thank you to all our apprentices, mentors, and teams who make these opportunities possible. Your dedication is helping to build a skilled, diverse, and resilient NHS workforce for the future.

Jane Wells, Chief Nursing Officer, said: “National Apprenticeship Week is the perfect time to celebrate our apprentices and the valuable experience, insight and commitment to learning they bring to our trust on their apprenticeship journey.”

For further information on our nursing apprenticeships, please see our website.

For any queries about these, please email:  oxl-tr.nursingapprenticeships@nhs.net

Meet our amazing apprentices:

Norbert Laczko (HMP Wandsworth) and Rasaq Adeoye (Bromley Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team) are both first year Student Nursing Associate Apprentices.

The first six months have been both challenging and rewarding. Balancing academic learning with clinical practice has pushed us in ways we did not always expect, but we are grateful for the opportunities to learn, reflect and be part of teams where we feel valued and supported to grow personally and professionally.

Sarah Donohoe (Frailty Case Manager) is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprentice.

I am grateful for this opportunity and for the ongoing support provided by both Oxleas and the University of Greenwich. 

I'm thoroughly enjoying the learning experience and the opportunity to develop my clinical knowledge, skills and professional confidence as a nurse.

Sinda Ghazouani (Mental Health Nurse, Betts Ward) completed the 18-month Band 5 Mental Health Nurse Top-up Apprenticeship.

Balancing full-time clinical work with academic study required resilience, discipline, and strong self-belief. This journey pushed me beyond my comfort zone and helped me grow both personally and professionally.

Studying at Greenwich University while working in practice allowed me to apply theory directly into patient care, strengthening my confidence, clinical skills, and professional identity as a mental health nurse. Qualifying as a Band 5 Mental Health Nurse is one of my proudest achievements.

Ryan Lord (Data Analyst) has completed a Data Analyst Level 4 Apprenticeship and is currently studying as a Data Science Level 6 apprentice.

Without the apprenticeship scheme I would not have had the opportunity to build my data skills to the point where I can be employed as a full time Data Analyst. 

The mix of practical work and study means that unlike in many purely academic courses, you get the opportunity to use your skills immediately in ways that can help people that you work with immediately which I have found very motivating.

Ruth Valland (Bexley Heart Failure Team) is studying an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship.

I’ve strengthened my expertise in clinical assessment, am more confident in autonomous decision-making and have developed my professional judgement. 

As I approach completion in the summer, it will be as a clinically skilled, research-informed clinician who is fully prepared to lead, influence and improve patient care at an advanced level.

Sophie Ellul, Project Coordinator and Administrator, has completed Level 2 and 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeships.

Having been an apprentice and experiencing the journey into the world of work through one, I believe apprenticeships are invaluable is giving learners an opportunity to secure a job without any prior experience. 

I was trusted to manage my own learning and development and felt my skills were seen and valued.