The Trust is hosting T Level students, a two-year qualification equivalent to three A Levels, which combines classroom learning with a minimum of 45 days of real-world experience. This initiative supports the Trust’s commitment to widening participation and opening up healthcare career pathways for local young people.
The Bassetlaw Community Therapy team and Bassetlaw Paediatric Occupational Therapy team are each hosting a student one day a week for a 16-month placement. These placements aim to provide meaningful career opportunities for young people within NHS services.
AHP support workers have been instrumental in the success of these placements, collaborating with the Practice Learning team to create safe and engaging learning experiences for students Maisie and Olivia.
“"I’ve learnt how different conditions can affect a person’s mobility and independence. I’ve also learnt the importance of being compassionate and understanding towards patients, as well as using the correct techniques to safely support them with their movements and exercises. My placement has helped me think more about my future career choices. Working alongside support workers has shown me how much patient contact they have, which is something I really enjoy and would like in my future career. I’ve also seen how rewarding physiotherapy and occupational therapy can be, especially helping patients improve their mobility and independence, which is such an important part of everyday life."
“"I have really enjoyed the hands-on nature of my placement, especially the opportunity to build bonds with children and see their immediate reactions to different sensory activities. Through this experience I have learned how to adapt clinical interventions to suit a child’s developmental stage and how to communicate complex therapeutic goals to both the child and their caregivers. While I’m not exactly sure what I want to do yet, my placement has offered me days with other professionals that has kept me open-minded about the various directions my career could take."
Sally Knapp, Allied Health Professions Lead for Practice, Learning and Education, stated: “By offering T Level placements, Nottinghamshire Healthcare is helping young people develop confidence, skills and experience while creating new routes into healthcare careers. The success of the programme demonstrates the important role that AHP teams and support workers can play in nurturing future talent and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow.”
The programme is set to expand, with four additional T Level students joining community AHP teams across mid Nottinghamshire and Bassetlaw in November 2026.
Based on information from the official source:
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (19/10/2026)
