Step into Health

Find out about the Step into Health programme, the benefits of recruiting from the Armed Forces community and how to pledge.

The Step into Health programme connects candidates from across the Armed Forces community with employers and new opportunities in the NHS.

Step into Health provides support and guidance for NHS organisations to review and enhance recruitment practices, so they are able to attract members of the Armed Forces community, benefit from the transferable skills and values they bring to the workforce and showcase the NHS as the employer of choice.

In collaboration with our key partners, NHS England, Walking with the Wounded and The Royal Foundation, we support pledged NHS organisations across England and Wales to diversify their workforce and offer guidance on how to become more inclusive recruiters for the Armed Forces community. Our work closely aligns with the NHS People Plan, People Promise and Long Term Workforce Plan.

We promote the NHS as the employer of choice and highlight the many roles, both non-clinical and clinical, which are suited to members of the community. We also encourage them to take advantage of dedicated pre-employment opportunities provided by pledged organisations, and communicate with organisations via the Step into Health candidate portal.

Members of this community bring a unique and highly valuable set of transferable skills into the NHS, including:

leadership and management
communication and teamwork
loyalty and commitment
an enhanced ability to adapt to change.

Below you will find information and resources to support the Armed Forces community through the Step into Health recruitment process.

Recruiting from the Armed Forces community

Who are the Armed Forces community?

This guide explains who makes up the Armed Forces community, its diverse components, and the challenges faced by candidates during the recruitment process.