National award recognises our role in supporting local careers

Published: 21 January 2026

We’re really pleased to share that our work to support people into health and care careers has been recognised nationally with the NHS England Silver Award for Work Experience.

The award highlights the commitment of staff across the organisation who give their time to welcome work experience learners, explain their roles and help people gain a real understanding of what it’s like to work in health and care.

Every year, colleagues from a wide range of services support school students, young adults and adults changing careers. Through everyday conversations, encouragement and the willingness to share skills, they help learners build confidence, try something new and explore future career pathways.

We take our responsibility as the largest employer in Torbay and South Devon really seriously and work experience plays an important role in creating opportunities for local people who may not have considered a career in health and care.

Amber Watson, Work Experience Administrator, led the Trust’s submission for the Work Experience Quality Standard, bringing together examples from experiences across the organisation.

Amber said: “This is a real team achievement. The award recognises the importance of ensuring we provide the best work experience we can to individuals from pre to post placement. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who makes time to support learners — the Silver Award is a lovely recognition of that commitment.”

The Silver Award reflects the strengths of our current work experience programme and also provides helpful guidance on areas for future improvement.

Jess Piper, Acting Chief People Officer, said: “We are extremely proud of this achievement and of the colleagues who make work experience possible. Their kindness, enthusiasm and support open doors for people of all ages, helping to grow the health and care workforce of the future.”

Joe Teape, Chief Executive, added his thanks to everyone involved: “This award belongs to all our colleagues who welcome learners into their teams. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together.”