Diversity within the Health Service workforce: raising the aspirations of migrant housekeeping workers

Abstract

Internationally there are growing numbers of migrant workers in the field of health who may represent an untapped resource in terms of workforce development. Although these workers often have higher‐level skills and qualifications, they often find themselves in unskilled roles. This paper reports on a case study in the South West of England that looked at the learning needs of migrant workers currently employed as housekeeping staff within the UK National Health Service (NHS). The project set out to enable these workers to explore their own learning needs further, and gave them the opportunity to explore career progression pathways within the Health Service. The project was funded by Aimhigher, and offered a programme of learning to migrant housekeeping staff, developed in collaboration with a local hospital trust. This programme of activities was focused on aspiration raising and personal development and mapped onto the six core themes of the National Health Service Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF). The notion of habitus is used to explore the tripartite schema which impacts upon migrant workers’ experiences and abilities to engage in learning. It suggests that providing opportunities which allow migrant workers to build confidence about their learning abilities and realise their aspirations and dreams can be viewed as a way of supporting the migrant ‘habitus’ to adjust itself to the demands of the host society, as well as the organisations which employ them.