The Zorghub is a great stepping stone to a permanent job in healthcare

Kim van Dodewaard (33), a single mother of three young children, has been working at the De Bieslandhof nursing home, part of the Pieter van Foreest care organization, through Zorghub since October 2022. She is doing so well that she has been accepted to take the Care and Welfare Assistant course and a permanent position is in sight.

Due to a pregnancy, Kim, at 20, was unable to complete her vocational training in Care and Welfare. A divorce, a traffic accident, and the coronavirus pandemic left her unable to work for an extended period. In 2019, she applied for benefits and in 2022, she entered the Zorghub program. This is a collaboration between Werkse! and Delft healthcare organizations to create jobs in healthcare for people on social assistance.

Hostess at De Bieslandhof 
With my background, Zorghub was the perfect place to start. Since October 2022, I've been working as a hostess at De Bieslandhof with elderly people with dementia. I provide food and drinks for the residents, but also organize activities with them. And because I spend a lot of time with the residents, it's also my job to report on their situation to the caregivers.

Happy with care hubbers
Kim is one of four care hubbers working at De Bieslandhof, under the supervision of team manager Darya Wortel. Darya is pleased with them: "We see it as a social responsibility to help these people find paid employment again. But their help was especially welcome during the coronavirus pandemic. After all, we had to pull out all the stops to provide people with a quality of life when visitors were barely allowed."

Sufficient guidance increases the chance of success
Darya advises employers to recruit people through Zorghub, provided they can provide sufficient support. "That increases the chances of success, especially in the beginning. You shouldn't view people as extra hands, but truly as students who need guidance to learn the trade." She's enthusiastic about Kim: "She's doing a fantastic job. She has a good connection with residents and colleagues."

Permanent job
Kim is doing so well that she's been accepted into the Care and Welfare Assistant program through Pieter van Foreest. "It's the same program I had to drop out of when I was twenty. I'm so happy about that! We're working towards a permanent position as a caregiver," she says.

Darya can't say whether a permanent position is in the offing for every Zorghub employee at Pieter van Foreest. "It's different for every candidate. Some move on to a permanent position quickly, while others take longer. But where possible, we work together to achieve that permanent position. It's a step-by-step process: gradually getting used to the schedule, keeping appointments, dealing with your employer, and so on."

Care hub: a great stepping stone
Kim recommends welfare recipients who prefer healthcare work to do so through the Zorghub: "The Zorghub is a great stepping stone to a permanent position in healthcare. If you have any problems, you can discuss them with your job coach. You're given time to adjust your home situation to the irregular schedule, and you get help if needed. For example, childcare has been arranged for my one-and-a-half-year-old son, right on the grounds of De Bieslandhof. Isn't that fantastic?!"