The Health Care Assistant (HCA) Academy which supports the training, development, and retention of Health Care Assistants (HCAs) across Essex has been shortlisted at the prestigious 2025 Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards for the Workforce Initiative of the Year Award.
This year’s awards attracted more than 1,250 entries from across the health sector, with only 245 projects and individuals making it through to the final shortlist.
Kate Merritt, Health Care Assistant (HCA) Academy Manager, tells us more about the initiative:
The Academy was established in 2024 to build a confident, capable, and valued Healthcare Assistant workforce and it’s been incredible to see the difference it’s made in just one year.
Giving our HCAs the tools and support they need to care for patients and grow their careers is at the heart of what we do. It’s fantastic to see the team’s work recognised, but the real success has come from the open collaboration of our colleagues across the system.
Together, we’ve created a culture of shared learning that’s making a real positive impact on our combined workforce.
The HCA Academy was initially developed through collaboration between Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) but has expanded to support a total of six partners across Essex to build a sustainable workforce pipeline into registered healthcare roles.
Initiatives such as induction sessions and pastoral follow-up calls support new HCAs, while other initiatives such as ‘Boost’ training sessions and Career Conversation sessions are open to all. There is also a HCA-specific app which makes it easier for HCAs to access information.
We get a lot of positive feedback from HCA colleagues. We recently heard from Vicky Dunster, a HCA who said “[The Induction] is a good refresher, a chance to practice the basic skills with two instructors who are excellent. I found it very useful.”
Regular recognition of HCA accomplishments and celebrating career progression supports organisations to enrich the role and retain staff, with one Trust improving retention from 67.65% in 2024 to 94% in 2025.
The Academy also reduces cost and resource duplication by centralising training and using a shared infrastructure, funded through a central budget.
With strong governance, regular feedback loops, and growing cross-system collaboration, the Academy is positioned as a scalable model for HCA development and retention across the NHS.