Flintshire Occupational Therapist leads career webinars for over 200 schools to inspire young people

A Flintshire Occupational Therapist has been delivering a series of webinars and events for over 200 schools across the UK to encourage young people to find out more about working in the mental health sector.

A Specialist Occupational Therapist, Rebecca Boothby at Cygnet Delfryn House, a high dependency inpatient rehabilitation service for men in Mold, Flintshire, has been organising webinars for sixth form students since February.

The webinars aim to inspire young people across the country to join the profession that helps the lives of people with mental health needs, whilst incorporating interesting case studies for students to learn real-life examples.

Rebecca said: “I’m just genuinely quite passionate about what I do. My job is fulfilling because I get to see the difference in patients once they first arrive and throughout their recovery. Through this programme, I get to talk about my own career development as well as what truly sets Cygnet apart and the different types of support available.”

The response to the programme has been overwhelmingly positive as the webinars are becoming increasingly popular, with future dates being planned.

Rebecca said: “The programme has been well received by the students. They always want to hear more about the healthcare industry and the case studies in particular.”

She added: “Staff at Cygnet Health Care are really encouraging and supportive. They want me to carry on doing this so more webinars are getting booked more frequently.”

Looking ahead, Rebecca hopes to organise in-person events across the country and speak to the students face to face at university career fairs.

“Apprenticeships are a major cornerstone of Cygnet’s work, and the company is committed to encouraging new recruits into the mental health care sector, where increased demand for mental health services has led to a national shortage of healthcare professionals.” She said.

The provider currently has 19 pathways in total across the organisation, from Support Workers to Information Technology, Catering and Finance, with the plan to expand further in the future.

Cygnet Delfryn House provides rehabilitation services for men who have severe and enduring mental illnesses. More information about the service can be found at: https://www.cygnethealth.co.uk/locations/cygnet-delfryn-house/