Blackheath Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre pride themselves on their commitment to patient-centred care. The recent co-production of staff and patients in interviewing new job candidates really epitomises that commitment.
One participant who really enjoyed this process was Temi, from the Heath Side Ward. Temi came to Blackheath in April. When she first arrived at Blackheath, she relied on a Zimmer frame for mobility and had significant weakness in her right arm.
Today, she walks unaided and can independently move and hold objects with her right hand. Temi’s background is in child care, where she worked for 12 years and hopes to open her own nursery in the future. Although currently, she is looking for work in human resources or maybe some reception work once she leaves Blackheath.
In preparation for the interviews, Temi collaborated with another patient from the ward, Chantelle, to develop insightful questions for the candidates. Here are two examples of the questions they came up with:
“How will you deal with staff-to-staff, staff-to-patient, or patient-to-patient disputes?”
“What is the utmost importance of rendering care to someone?”
Reflecting on her experience, she said, “I loved it. It was very important for me as a patient to be able to interview new staff. It gave me a chance to have some input on behalf of all the patients and be able to pick the right staff member for our care.
“I was included in the discussions after the interviews to express my views and help select the right person for the job. I would be very happy to participate in the interviews again.”
This initiative shows the importance of co-production and the valuable insights that patients can bring to the hiring process. By involving patients like Temi, we ensure that our colleagues are not only qualified but also aligned with the values and needs of those we care for.
We are incredibly proud of Temi and all the patients who participated in this process.
For more information on Blackheath, please visit their webpage.
