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About

I CARE is an initiative with a long term view, designed primarily for Healthcare students. It is also relevant and open to all those who are preparing for caring professions.

This pledge embodies the I CARE philosophy:

I will be empathetic Compassionate and patient in my Approach to others. I will be Respectful of their needs and when necessary I will Escalate concerns appropriately with advocacy as my only motive.

Aspiration

The aspiration of I CARE is to get people thinking and talking about what it means to say "I care".

This dialogue has the potential to challenge an emerging anti-care culture which is regularly featured in the media and national reports.

Partnership

I CARE hosted seminars and a conference in June 2014. In addition, working in partnership with local NHS Trusts the I CARE Merit Badge Award Scheme was launched. Conferences continued to be organised on a yearly basis with a fallow year in 2020 due to COVID-19. We aim to come back bigger and better in 2021. Each conference has taken on a theme that embodies what it means to say I care, one of the themes surrounding the ability and what it means to say sorry, encompassing the transparency of the Duty of Candour.

This will create the opportunity for patients and/or relatives to nominate students for a badge, if they feel that the student has demonstrated the principles embodied in the pledge.

Icare has been encapsulated by the Icare team and also in some poems by healthcare students.

Ambassadors

I CARE has also recruited its first student ambassadors; their input will help to shape future events.

I CARE is an exciting opportunity to channel the enthusiasm we have for our future profession to ensure a positive change.

A change we'll be able to see directly on the wards we are placed on.It will get us all thinking about ways in which we can challenge the negative light the media seem intent on casting us in, whilst showing recognition of those who demonstrate great attitudes to care provision to their patients in placement.

We don't want the unfortunate recent events in healthcare tarnishing a career we haven't even started, yet are working so hard towards to achieve.

I CARE will give students the opportunity to uphold the values to a profession we can be proud to belong to and hopefully a bigger voice to make a difference.

Emily Bradwell, Student

Excellent, money is always good. It will help with marketing and a range of activities; however what has been of tremendous benefit is the support offered to the initiative by the Student Experience Projects (Steps) team. This has been invaluable.

Marcia Ogunji, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery Practice and I CARE Project Manager