Case Studies
VIQU’s NHS IT Volunteer Initiative
IT volunteers placed in NHS Trusts
Saved by the NHS through VIQU’s IT Volunteer Initiative
Of voluntary placements resulted in paid contracts & permanent work
In March 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we read about the huge pressures facing NHS Trusts across the UK. Whilst many businesses were closing their office doors and asking their employees to work from home, NHS Trusts across the country were busier than ever. From implementing quarantine measures and capacity constraints to staffing shortages and the enablement of NHS workers to work remotely where possible, the squeeze on NHS resources was getting tighter and more severe.
At the same time, many businesses were pausing projects and putting headcount freezes in place. We were receiving numerous phone calls and emails from out-of-work IT contractors. Many had been struggling to secure paid opportunities for 4-8 weeks, and were willing to volunteer their time in order to keep their skills up to date and add good experience to their CVs.
Bringing NHS Trusts & IT Contractors Together
We started looking for ways to support the NHS and the IT contractors we were speaking with. We decided to try to connect both parties.
After an initial introductory email to the IT department of every NHS Trust, we had several positive responses from Trusts that were interested in learning more.
We quickly evolved relationships with a number of Trusts who wanted to temporarily fill roles in areas such as development, project management, business analysis, cloud engineering, and infrastructure support / deployment.
Initially, these IT volunteers were needed due to shortfalls in specific skillsets, often due to self-isolation or sickness. However, after experiencing their support and expertise, many Trusts realised these IT volunteers were a fantastic asset. They used the opportunity to take IT volunteers on board to assist with projects and supply expertise they wouldn’t be able to secure in normal circumstances, largely due to funding and other internal factors.
Many of our IT volunteers valued the experiences they had and the impact they made. Some roles were particularly impactful and heart-warming, including an instance where we arranged for multiple volunteer IT Engineers to configure 200+ iPads and personally visit the Trust’s ward for end-of-life patients. They showed the patients how to use the technology so they could stay connected and spend time with their friends and family who were not able to visit in-person.
A lasting partnership
Over the course of 2020, we placed 260+ IT volunteers into NHS Trusts across the country, saving the NHS approximately £1.95 million.
In addition to supporting NHS Trusts, we partnered with other local Emergency Service providers, including the Police and Fire & Rescue services. We were pleased to support these organisations at a time of national crisis.
We received incredibly touching feedback from many of the IT volunteers who took part in the initiative. Whether they volunteered part-time, full-time, for a week or 3 months, for free or at a heavily reduced rate, they all benefited from excellent public sector experience that helped them in the long-term. In fact, 45% of our IT volunteers received paid work opportunities, on a contract or permanent basis, due to taking part in our initiative.
We are pleased to have formed many long-term partnerships off the back of our initiative. The extensive insights we received into the workings, operations and pain points of IT departments within NHS Trusts, have propelled forward our service offering for such organisations and we are pleased to now be actively supporting many NHS Trusts and other local emergency services.
"A highly rewarding partnership"
This is my 10th year in the IT recruitment industry and I can honestly say it has been the most fulfilling one for me. Seeing the burning desire so many IT professionals have to donate their time has been truly humbling and something I will never forget.