VETERANS support charities say the opportunity to create jobs within a new mental health hospital in Rhyl could be transformative.

The 62-bed Seren Gobaith private hospital is scheduled to open next month and recruitment is currently underway for all roles within the unit - which is being built on the site formerly known as Ty Melin on Brighton Road. 

As part of this recruitment drive, the hospital is is working with local veteran's charities Change Step and Woody's Lodge to give opportunities to military veterans and former emergency service personnel from across North Wales.

They are being invited to email ty_melyn2024@yahoo.com with their CV, including their service history. The team will then review their skills and expertise and work with them to identify roles within the hospital that match their skillset.

The idea is to provide high-quality job opportunities for Welsh veterans with high-quality skills who have struggled to find work once they returned to Civvy Street.

Available roles range from maintenance and housekeeping to security, occupational therapy to nursing, psychology to consultants and hospital management.

Applicants will be assessed based on having relevant qualifications and experience, with experts able to identify military qualifications that are equivalent to civilian ones for specific roles.

Michael Harvey, Head of Service - Partner Projects for Change Step, part of the Adferiad mental health support charity, said: "The transition out of the Armed Forces can be fragmented and lack adequate support for employment.

"Civilian employers often struggle to understand military qualifications and experiences.

"Our team of Change Step Peer Mentors use their own experience to offer effective support to fellow veterans to help them gain meaningful employment. 

"Working with Seren Gobaith is a real opportunity for veterans - not just in Rhyl but across North Wales - who have experienced these challenges to apply their skills in roles that offer job satisfaction and opportunities."

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Dr Richard Mottershead, Professor of Mental Health Nursing and long-term supporter of military veterans and emergency service personnel in Wales has helped to develop this employment programme for veterans in partnership with Seren Gobaith.

"I'm so proud we have been able to create these opportunities for veterans,"he said. "Seren Gobaith will be important for mental healthcare, because it will allow patients from North Wales who currently have to receive treatment elsewhere to return home. This will help to improve outcomes for them and bring them closer to their families.

"Giving veterans a chance to use their transferable skills to support this facility and the vulnerable people it will help is really important. 

"As a nation we owe a debt of gratitude to military personnel for their service and this dedicated employment pathway is one way we can give something back." 

Woody's Lodge has also joined the programme. The charity, which has anoffice in Colwyn Bay, runs sites like Ty Gwalia Farm near Llangynhafal offering inviting, safe spaces for ex-service personnel, reservists and emergency service workers to re-engage with their families and communities.

CEO Graham Jones said the veterans employment stream would give Seren Gobaith access to a ready-made workforce well suited to creating a safe, supportive environment for patients. 

"The veterans who come to Woody's Lodge are skilled, disciplined and adaptable," he said. "Their unique experiences and strong work ethic make them valuable employees and they are trained to follow strict protocols efficiently under pressure.

"They can adapt quickly to changing environments, tackling complex challenges with limited resources. Combined with their collaborative mindset and a flexible, solution-oriented approach to the workplace, this makes them ideal candidates for any number of roles.

"With this employment programme, we are hoping to overcome the fact that often veterans' skills are overlooked. We believe their contribution is going to help Seren Gobaith quickly become a centre of excellence for patient care."