Our free NHS Cadets youth programme gives young people aged 14-18 years, or up to 25 for those with a disability and/or special education needs, the chance to explore exciting opportunities in healthcare. Through fun, interactive sessions, they’ll develop their communication, leadership, and teamwork skills while helping to build their confidence and readiness for the workplace.

We aim to reach a diverse range of young people, especially those from underserved communities and who are underrepresented in the NHS and St John Ambulance. This is why we offer the opportunity for schools and youth organisations to self-deliver the programme to their young people. We’ll provide all the resources and materials you need and one of our National Leads will be on hand to support you from start to finish.

‘The resources are of the highest quality we have been provided with and are so supportive to enable the Tutors to deliver the vision that the programme aims for.’

Karl Haskett - Curriculum Manager, Royal Mencap Society 

Looking to become an NHS Cadet yourself? Learn more about finding a programme near you; NHS Cadets for individuals.

How NHS Cadets benefits young people

  • Boosts their CV and develops their employability skills
  • Learn vital first aid skills that can help save lives
  • Builds their confidence and make new friends
  • Explore different career options – including clinical and non-clinical roles
  • Gain the skills and knowledge to find local volunteering opportunities
  • Get tips and insights on how to get ahead in future health pathways

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What NHS Cadets get up to

Our NHS Cadets programme is split into two learning pathways:

  • Foundation Pathway - ages 14 to 16 or years 10 and 11 at a school, (up to age 25 for young people with a disability and/or special educational needs)
  • Advanced Pathway - ages 16 to 18 or years 12 and 13 at a school (up to age 25 for young people with a disability and/or special educational needs)

Each pathway includes modules to build a young person’s skills, experience, and understanding of working or volunteering in healthcare. They cover a wide range of topics like types of healthcare roles and systems, patient communication, mental health, and much more.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) programme

For young people up to the age of 25 with a disability and/or special educational needs, we offer an adapted version of our Foundation and Advanced pathway. This programme is ideally suited for young people with moderate or complex needs. They would need to complete fewer modules over the 36 weeks therefore giving more time for your staff to adapt the sessions to their needs. If you’d like to find out more or have any questions, please email nhscadets@sja.org.uk.

At the start of the programme, all young people will get an NHS Cadets polo shirt and a certificate at the end (80% attendance is required).

While both pathways complement each other, young people don’t have to do both and can start on the Advanced pathway. If they complete the Foundation pathway under the age of 16, they can go straight onto the Advanced pathway – they don’t have to wait until they’re 16.

Extra learning opportunities

There are lots of opportunities for NHS Cadets to complete extra courses and awards, all helping to boost their personal and professional development. We promote a range of courses and awards to suit a wide range of interests. These include:

Who the programme is for

Alongside the NHS, we aim to have a workforce and volunteer base that is representative of the communities we support. Diversity and inclusion are important, and we want to support young people from all backgrounds whether they have considered a future in healthcare or not.

We particularly welcome applications from schools or youth organisations with young people who:

  • are at risk of not being in education, employment, or training (NEET)
  • are a looked after child or care leaver
  • are a young carer
  • are from a lower income family
  • have exam grades that were/may be lower than expected or hoped for
  • have mental ill health, learning difficulties, disability, or long-term illness
  • are a refugee or asylum seeker

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the application process, please email nhscadets@sja.org.uk.

How NHS Cadets is delivered

Self-deliver with our support

We provide all the materials and training for your staff to deliver the programme to your students or young people. One of our National Leads will provide you with ongoing support from start to finish including in-person or online meetings. You’ll also have access to our Teams site - a great source of information and a place to chat with other schools and youth organisations also taking part in the programme.

Where and when

For schools, the programme can be delivered through 36 sessions across the academic year. For youth organisations, the programme can be delivered across 20 weeks. Each session is around 1.5 hours long. However, these can be flexible and adapted to suit your setting. They can take place wherever is safe and accessible, during or after curriculum time.

There is no minimum or maximum group size.

Cost - free

Our NHS Cadets programme is free. It is fully funded by NHS England and St John Ambulance so there is no cost to you or your young people.

Application process

Once you’ve expressed an interest via our online form, one of our National Leads will be in touch to arrange a meeting. We’ll discuss your suitability and how we can support you to deliver the programme. If you’re happy to go ahead, then you’ll need to complete a signed agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) before you can get started with the programme.

Interested NHS Cadets?

If you’d like to find out more about NHS Cadets for your school or youth organisation, please complete our ‘Expression of interest’ form and our team will be in touch.

Thanks to our partners

We deliver the NHS Cadets programme in partnership with various NHS Trusts across England.

'We’re delighted...to work in partnership with St John Ambulance to grow and support NHS Cadets, who are valued members of our local communities.'

Kath Evans, Barts Health NHS Trust

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