For this week’s Learning at Work Week, Positive Action Engagement Officer Jaffa shares how his NWAS career has allowed him to give back and make a difference to others.

Jaffa in NWAS uniform standing at a NWAS careers fair stand with various banners and promotional materials.

“My role is to help make sure our workforce is representative of the variety of communities we serve, including raising awareness of our various career opportunities, and providing information and guidance to colleagues around these.

“I’d always had an interest in working for the ambulance service, and the chance to help, give back and make a difference to people. But it wasn’t until 2018 after being made redundant from a banking job that the opportunity arose.

“I started off as a service advisor and then a 111 call handler, where I also joined our 111 champions team and became a mental health first aider. I then used these skills to become a quality assurance officer.

“I wanted to progress further and had some help applying for the emergency medical technician role. But despite getting on to the course, I couldn’t pass the training stage.

“I’ve always seen setbacks as something to learn from and build on. My friend Sarah told me about her wonderful role of an ambulance care assistant – supporting and caring for patients with different mobility, disabilities and ensuring their safety and care on their journeys – which led me to working on our patient transport service for over a year.

“I started my current role in August 2024. I’m really enjoying it and have learnt so much about myself. I want to keep thriving, help potential applicants join NWAS, and hopefully stay with the trust for the rest of my career.

“I’ve had lots of training throughout my various roles, including the NHS Pathways course, mental health first aid, and the patient transport service foundation course prior to working as an ambulance care assistant. All of these emphasised the need for empathy, caring and good listening.

“I’ve also felt proud to work for NWAS and have met many amazing, caring people who have helped shape me and elevate me to where I am today.

“One of my proudest moments was in 2022 when I was invited to the NHS 74th anniversary reception at Downing Street and meeting the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.”

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