MoD healthcare jobs and careers

Medical jobs within the Ministry of Defence

Working as a medical locum within the Armed Forces can be challenging and rewarding.
The medical jobs available within the MoD are usually a mixture of preventative and emergency treatment and combined rehabilitation & occupational health. They differ from the usual roles available to medical professionals within primary, secondary and dental care settings.

Generally healthcare professionals working within the Ministry of Defence will be working with those who you are returning to health so they can resume their normal duties. In some cases they may be working in centres of rehabilitation where personnel with extensive injuries are placed.

It is important whilst working within a military establishment to adopt a military attitude in standards of administration and presentation, follow the military command structure and strict security measures.

Several medical opportunities available to professionals seeking healthcare jobs within the MoD may be based outside of the UK. If a medical professional should wish to apply for these positions travel and accommodation are usually provided by the Ministry of Defence.

Work in this exciting environment.

Castlerock Recruitment Group offer regular Military career opportunities working for the MoD throughout the UK and Europe.

CRG are recognised by A|D|S as one of the UK’s leading military healthcare recruitment agencies, complementing our position as one of only three agencies to gain a place on the prestigious four-year Tri-Service contract with the MoD.

Castlerock Recruitment Group currently supply the following grades of staff to clients with outstanding MoD requirements:

• GPs
• Dentists & Dental Hygienists
• Nurses
• Healthcare Assistants
• Support Workers
• Occupational Therapists
• Optometrists
• Physiotherapists
• Speech & Language Therapists
• Pharmacists & Pharmacy Technicians
• Dentists & Dental Hygienists
• Extended Scope Practitioners
• Exercise Remedial Instructor

Castlerock Recruitment Group are always looking to recruit and supply all grades and types of medical and healthcare staff on a permanent or locum basis within the Ministry of Defence Tri Services: Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

All divisions of Castlerock Recruitment Group have the experience and understanding of placing civilian medical staff into military environments.CRG’S trained and experienced consultants deliver a personalised recruitment service and as one of only three staff suppliers to the MOD, you can be assured you are with the right agency!

Give us a call today on 0845 680 1599 to see how our military healthcare recruitment specialists can help you find the perfect MoD Military Medical job for you!

The Dignity Challenge

Explaining and understanding dignity

Castlerock Recruitment Group promotes awareness of the 10 Point Dignity Challenge.This challenges care providers to meet 10 principles of care to ensure their services respect dignity. It creates a way of understanding and explaining what dignity looks like in the context of treating individuals with respect in a care setting.

Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse.

Care and support is provided in a safe environment that is free from abuse. It should be recognised that abuse can take many forms including physical, psychological, emotional, financial and sexual, and extend to neglect or ageism.

Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family.

People should be cared for in a courteous and considerate manner, ensuring time is taken to get to know people. People receiving services are helped to participate as partners in decision-making about the care and support they receive.People are encouraged and supported to take responsibility for managing their care themselves in conjunction with, when needed,care staff and other information and support services.

Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service.

The attitude and behaviour of managers and staff help to preserve each person’s identity and individuality.Services are not standardised but are personalised and tailored to each individual person’s requirements and wishes.

Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence,choice and control.

People receiving services are helped to make a positive contribution to daily life and to be involved in decisions about their personal care and support. Care and support are negotiated and agreed with people receiving services as partners. People receiving services have the maximum possible choice and control over the services they receive.

Listen & support people to express their needs & wants.

Provide information in a way that enables a person to reach agreement in care planning and exercise their rights to consent to care and treatment.Openness and participation are encouraged. For those with communication difficulties or cognitive impairment,adequate support and advocacy are supplied.

Respect People’s Right to Privacy.

Personal space is available and accessible when needed. Areas of sensitivity which relate to modesty, gender, culture or religion and basic manners are fully respected. People are not made to feel embarrassed when receiving care and support

Ensure People feel able to complain without fear of retribution.

People have access to the information and advice they need. Staff supports people to their concerns and complaints with the appropriate person. Opportunities are raise available to access an advocate. Concerns and complaints are respected and answered in a timely manner.

Engage with family members and carers as care partners.

Relatives and carers experience a welcoming ambience and are able to communicate with staff and managers as contributing partners.Relatives and carers are kept fully informed and receive timely information.Relatives and carers are listened to and encouraged to contribute to the benefit of person receiving services.

Assist people to maintain confidence and a positive self-esteem.

The care and support provided encourages individuals to participate as far as they feel able. Care aims to develop the self-confidence of the person receiving services, actively promoting health and well-being.Adequate support is provided in eating and drinking.

Act to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolation.

People receiving services are offered enjoyable, stimulating and challenging activities that are compatible with individual interests, needs and abilities. People receiving services are encouraged to maintain contact with the outside community.Staff help people receiving services to feel valued as members of the community.

Dignity in Care Campaign

Improving the quality of care

Castlerock Recruitment Group is supporters of the Dignity in Care Campaign aiming to put dignity and respect at the heart of care services. The Dignity in Care Campaign is about placing a greater emphasis on improving the quality of care and the experience of citizens using services including, community services, home care assistance, care homes and NHS hospitals.
In order to win hearts and minds, change the culture of care services and ensure people have a good experience of care when they need it, the Dignity in Care Campaign includes the following actions:

• Raise awareness of dignity in care.
• Inspire local people to take action;
• Share good practice and give impetus to positive innovation;
• Transform services by supporting people and organisations in providing dignified services;
• Reward and recognise those people who make a difference and go that extra mile.

Before the campaign launched several events took place around the country to find out what Dignity in Care meant to people. The issues raised at these events resulted in the development of the 10 point Dignity Challenge. The challenge represents what high quality services that respect people’s dignity should include:

• Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse
• Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family
• Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service
• Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control
• Listen & support people to express their needs & wants
• Respect People’s Right to Privacy
• Ensure People feel able to complain without fear of retribution
• Engage with family members and carers as care partners
• Assist people to maintain confidence and a positive self-esteem
• Act to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolation

In support of this campaign, people across the country are signing up as Dignity Champions.

“Dignity in Care must be everybody’s business. I hope people will step up to this challenge and do whatever is in their power to make a difference”

Sir Michael Parkinson,
Dignity Champion

Castlerock Recruitment Group promotes awareness of the ten Dignity in Care points to everyone involved within the organisation. We believe everybody can do their bit to help influence others and change the way care services are delivered.

To support the campaign further & sign up as a Dignity Champion take a look at the Dignity in Care becoming a Dignity Champion pages.

What is domiciliary care?

Home care, also known as domiciliary care is the support and help with personal care and household tasks for the frail or those with long term care needs.

Domiciliary care makes it possible for users to remain in their own home rather than use long-term residential or institutional-based nursing care homes, enabling them to maintain comfort and personal independence within their local community.

The services provided by domiciliary care workers are flexible and include a combination of professional health care and life assistance services in order for the user to be supported in their daily life.

Home care should develop and promote the independence of service users by encouraging individuals to do as much as they can for themselves and take part in social activities. Care worker duties may include:

•  Help with getting up and going to bed, dressing, bathing, meal preparation, laundry, medication administration and reminders.
• Practical tasks around the home such as cooking and cleaning, help with shopping and running errands.
• Helping the person you’re looking after to go on days out, transportation, take part in community activity and provide companionship.

Home care recruitment agencies provide care to older people, adults, younger people and children with a variety of support and care needs, usually working in partnership with other Health & Social Care professionals. It is common for a service user to receive medical and personal care at home through the co-ordinated services of others such as Occupational Therapists, District Nurses or Mental Health Workers.

Domiciliary care may be funded by the local authority or by the individual themselves. The Council includes commissioning bodies either paying the homecare provider or providing direct payments to the service users. They have the right to buy and manage their own care package and choose their own care provider.

Castlerock Healthcare  understand the true meaning of supported  living home and as a result our care services are flexible to accommodate changes in  times of delivery or frequency. We believe in tailoring a package to  meet your needs or the needs of your friend or loved one.

Castlerock Recruitment Group is always looking for individuals who have a caring nature and a real interest in supporting people. If you enjoy looking after others and have a flexible approach to work involving daytime, evening and weekend hours, we would love to hear from you. Start your challenging but truly rewarding career in care today!

What does a job in Retail Merchandising involve?

Merchandisers are the unsung heroes of the retail industry. Whilst plenty of businesses employ their own staff to carry out merchandising work, plenty of others don’t, because these businesses recognise that Retail Merchandisers can offer a lot more efficiency and value for money in store. Jobs in retail merchandising offer lots of variety, socialising and travel options.

Retail Merchandisers don’t just work on the shop floor. Merchandisers who are permanently based at one company will be expected to plan trading strategies and sales forecasts, possessing good number skills to work with buyers and finance departments. Analysing the popularity of certain lines and being one step ahead of upcoming trends also means a good business head is essential.

Retail Merchandisers can also be employed by an external agency, working on contract in teams up and down the country. These Retail Merchandisers will visit stores for a short period of time when the company is implementing a new store format or undergoing a seasonal changeover. To work as a temporary or contract Retail Merchandiser, you must have excellent team working skills to bond with your colleagues and merge seamlessly with the store’s existing staff, as well being sociable, approachable and professional at all times.

Jobs in Retail Merchandising are very flexible, and due to the scale of some store format and changeover plans, evenings, nights and weekend work is nearly always compulsory. If you are working on contract for a retail merchandising agency, you will be expected to travel the country and stay in temporary accommodation. Employment in a retail environment is normally essential for a job in retail merchandising, but it is desirable to have at least some experience of a customer facing role. The job is also physically demanding, so some familiarity with roles that involve lifting, moving, pushing and pulling is ideal.

Fancy joining something special? We are one of the leading agencies supplying Retail Merchandisers to major retailers up and down the country. Take a look at what Retail Merchandising jobs we have to offer.

Interview Questions and Tips

Preparing for interview questions

Most people’s nerves before an interview are due to the prospect of answering lots of tricky questions from an interviewer they think is out to trip them up. This is definitely not true. You must remember that you have been invited for an interview because the employer has seen something in your CV or application that makes you stand out from the other applicants. It also takes time and money to organize interviews and liaise with candidates, so it wouldn’t be in the employer’s best interests to try and make life hard for you.

However, you will be required to answer lots of questions at the interview, and some of them might well be tricky. You might feel like there is no hope of knowing what the interviewer will ask, but in fact, most employers ask the same tried and tested techniques.

If you prepare well, and have a better idea of what the interviewer might ask you before you go in, it will not only make life easier during the interview itself, but it will also ease those awful pre-interview nerves.

General questions

Interview questions can be divided into two categories: general questions and competency based questions. Examples of general questions include:

• What made you choose to study that particular course/at that particular university?
• What did you most enjoy about studying the course?
• What skills do you feel you have learnt as a result of the course?
• What activities did you get involved with outside of your studies?
• What did you take out of your work experience/work placement?
• Where do you expect your career to take you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
• How did you prepare for this interview? Do you know what our services are/who our competitors are?
• What can you bring to the role? Why did you choose to apply for this job/at our company?

Competency based questions

Competency based questions will assess your suitability for the job specifically, and whether you have the right skills and experience to carry it out successfully. These could be:

• This role requires excellent communication skills. Can you give us an example of when you have used your communication skills to complete a task?
• Tell me the last time you encoutered a problem. How did you get around this, what did this teach you, and how would you do it differently now?
• What do you envision the main roles and responsibilities of this position to be. Which of your skills do you feel will be needed the most?

The interviewer will ask less competency based questions, but these will be alot more difficult to answer and will require you to expand elaborate more than you did for the general questions. If you are finding it difficult to answer any competency based question, just remember STAR:

Situation – What was the context of the scenario? Where were you and who were you with?

Task – What was the task at hand? What were you required to do? What was your objective?

Action – What action did you decide to take? What decisions did you make and why?

Result – What was the result of your action? What did you achieve and what skills did you develop?

Interview tips

1. Don’t rush an answer. If a question is tricky or complex, it obviously deserves more thought to compose a sufficient response.

2. Be honest and be yourself. It’s tempting to say whatever the interviewer wants to hear, but don’t. Give an honest appraisal of yourself.

3. Relax. The best candidates are always the ones that appear at ease. This is not always as simple as it sounds, but try and enjoy the experience.

The Job of a Support Worker

There aren’t many health care jobs that are more challenging than being a Support Worker, but the people working in this field are some of the most dedicated and committed in their line of work. Support Workers need specialist skills and experience, but they can make a real difference to people’s lives by enabling them to become more independent and confident in their own homes and communities.

Support Workers are sometimes known as Community Support Workers, Home Care Support Workers or Mental Health Workers.  The role of a Support Worker is extremely varied, as it involves caring for people with a range of mental health or learning disability problems, such as Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Down’s Syndrome, Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or depression.

Essential Skills

Essential skills for a Support Worker include:

• The ability to cope with people from all walks of life who are suffering with mental health or learning disability problems
• The ability to understand and empathize with the people in care, even when it might appear that the problem is self-inflicted or self-imposed
• The ability to offer emotional support, such as listening and guidance, as well as practical support, and to know when the right type of support is needed

Support Workers have to be literate and numerate, must be organized, efficient, caring, non-judgmental and patient, as well as good communicators and great communicators. The job of a Support Worker is perfect for people who like caring for the needs of others. Although no specific qualifications are needed, most Support Workers hold at least a GNVQ in Health and Social Care, but some positions offer the chance to work towards achieving this whilst working.

Roles and Responsibilities

Support Workers are sometimes based in clinics, nursing homes and residential homes, but often they are mobile and care for clients in supported housing. Support Workers in supported housing will care for the full range of a client’s needs, including washing, bathing, getting in and out of bed, assistance to the toilet, household chores and tasks, making meals, shopping, or simply spending time with the client and offering a friendly chat. The role of a Support Worker in a residential home differs slightly, and whilst a lot of the duties will be the same, there will be more emphasis on facilitating group sessions were residents are encouraged to socialize with each other.

Working Hours

Working hours for a Support Worker can be quite demanding, especially if they are caring for clients in their own homes, and often the job will involve evening and weekend work and sleep-in duties to provide full 24-hour care for the client. Support Workers are also expected to liaise with GPs, doctors, nurses, social workers and psychiatrists to assess the overall physical and mental needs of the client.

If a Support Worker job sounds like just the thing for you, take a look at the Support Worker jobs and Home Care jobs that we have to offer.

How to Become a Nurse

Nurses form the foundation of healthcare provision in Britain today, making up the largest group of staff in the NHS. To become a nurse today is therefore a very exciting prospect, as the profession offers a large number of roles in a variety of settings. Most nurses generally work in hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics, nursing homes, residential homes and hospices, but nurses are also required in schools, prisons and the armed forces. As such, careers in nursing offer lots of choice.

People often choose to become a nurse because it offers many incentives. Because nurses deal with the needs and care of patients, as opposed to diagnosing specific illnesses or conditions, nursing can be a challenging – but ultimately rewarding – career. Nurses are called on for care, advice and support for the patient and their family and friends as individuals, so no two days are ever the same. As you would expect, working as nurse in an Accident and Emergency (A&E) ward will be drastically different to working as a nurse in a school, but some practicing nurses enjoy the freedom and career opportunities that this career gives them.

Qualifications and Training

In order to become a nurse, it is necessary to gain an accepted qualification such as a diploma or degree. These qualifications are obtained after the successful completion of educational courses at institutions such as colleges and universities. Most, if not all, courses require a work placement within one of the healthcare settings described earlier. Alongside these placements, nursing courses will also offer a thorough grounding in the theory and practice of nursing. Diploma and degree courses usually last three years for full-time students, but some are even four years long. Some nursing support roles do not require any qualifications, and in order to become a nurse professionally, some people can accrue enough experience ready to go on and obtain a diploma or degree.

Five steps to become a nurse

• Do some research online into the different types of nurses, the range of healthcare settings, and the nurse’s role within these particular settings. Try and get a sense of what type of nurse you would like to become. It’s a lot easier if you try and make this clear early on as you can then focus all of your efforts into achieving that goal from the very beginning.
• Speak to a careers advisor about routes into nursing. If you are in education, they will be able to offer you advice on what qualifications you will need to further your education in that direction. Even if you have no qualifications, they will help you find a way into a nursing career through work experience and training. Next Step from Direct.gov would be the best place to start, it has lots of useful information for people who want some career direction.
• Enroll on an accredited nursing diploma or degree course at one of the many training institutions throughout the UK. There might be an institution locally, but if you are unsure, it is always best to speak to a careers advisor first who will be able to help you with this as well. NHS Careers also provide lots of information about nursing diplomas and degrees and how you can prepare.
• Search for nurse jobs online. As one of the UK’s leading healthcare recruitment providers, Castlerock Recruitment Group provide permanent, temporary and contract jobs for all grades of nurses up and down the country. Use our Job Search today to make that final step on your path to become a nurse!

What are your experiences of nursing? Would you recommend it as a career?

Looking for a Career in the NHS?

Are you looking for a career in the NHS?

Castlerock Recruitment Group are an established healthcare recruitment and locum agency based in Merseyside, with years of extensive knowledge and experience in supplying medical staff and allied health professionals to Hospitals, Clinics, Prisons, Hospices, Communities, Nursing Homes, Residential Homes and Mental Health & Learning Disability sites throughout the UK.

We recruit for:

• Nurse jobs
• GP Locum jobs
• Domiciliary Care Worker jobs
• Care and Support jobs
• Physiotherapist jobs

Plus many more. Check out what health care jobs we have for you today.