social care apprenticeship programmes case studyThe Manor House, Chatburn, Lancashire

Danielle Parker, aged 17Health and Social Care Assistant (former apprentice)

the

apprentice’s

view

The Manor House is a 50-bedroom residential

and nursing home for older people in the village of

Chatburn, Lancashire. The 93-strong workforce is

augmented by apprentices in a variety of roles.

about

The Manor House

choosing an apprenticeship

While Danielle was in her final year at high

school, she was sure that she wanted to work

with older people, having been inspired by the

care that her grandmother was giving to her

95-year old great-grandfather and the work her

sister was doing on a dementia unit.

She was equally sure that she didn’t want to go

on to further education, since the prospect of

two further years of study with limited practical

application of her learning did not appeal. But it

was only when the school social worker told her

about apprenticeships did she realise what her

next step was actually going to be. Not having

heard of apprenticeships until this point, Danielle

realised that the combination of on-the-job

learning and study would be perfect for her. On

top of this, Danielle was pleased to learn that

she would also earn £95 per week as an

apprentice. She could see that an apprenticeship

would greatly enhance her prospects for future

employment, and set out to find a suitable

placement.

Having achieved good grades in her GCSEs,

including Science and the all-important Maths

and English, Danielle visited her local JobCentre

Plus to see what specific apprenticeships were

available. There she came across two

opportunities in social care; one for a local

nursery and one at Manor House, a residential

and nursing home for older people.

After attending both interviews, Danielle was

even more certain about the path she wanted

to take, and was delighted to be offered a

placement at Manor House.

work and study

Danielle was understandably nervous as she

started her apprenticeship, but Karen Taylor,

training manager at Manor House took Danielle

under her wing and ensured that support was

always available. Danielle worked closely with a

senior member of staff at all times, firstly observing

and then undertaking the work under supervision.

From the very first day, Danielle was given real

work to do and she quickly adapted to her new

role, learning new skills including the management

of residents’ personal care, showering and bathing,

feeding and carrying out activities with residents.

One of Danielle’s key challenges was learning

how to speak to residents. With little experience

of older people, she felt shy and unsure initially,

but soon learned from her mentors, and from

the residents themselves!

Working four days a week at the home, Danielle

attended college on Tuesdays to study for her

NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care. The new

experiences she had encountered at Manor House

were invaluable, bringing practical knowledge to

the theory she was learning on the course.

challenges

As with any new job, Danielle initially found the

scale of things to learn quite daunting. She

hadn’t realised quite how wide-ranging the job

could be until she started. But the support she

received soon helped her to settle in and

gain confidence.

Unsurprisingly, dealing with the death of

residents was one of Danielle’s biggest

challenges, especially working with bereaved

families. But she is grateful for the help she had

from senior members of staff in this area, and

now finds the support she is able to give to

families very rewarding.

success

Danielle completed her five study assessments

comfortably, and attained her NVQ level 2 in

July 2009.

Towards the end of her apprenticeship year,

Danielle also underwent a workplace

competence assessment. When this was fully

signed off, her apprenticeship programme was

complete and she could now be considered

for a permanent position.

Danielle is certain she made the rightdecision in becoming an apprentice.She’s proud of her achievements, andthat she has such a satisfying job.

if I had just done my NVQ at college, I wouldn’t have beenable to do the workas well as I do it now– it was so muchbetter for me to learn on the job

Danielle ParkerHealth and Social Care Assistant (former apprentice)

the future

Just under one year after starting her

apprenticeship, Danielle was delighted to be

offered a permanent full-time position at Manor

House, and is rightly proud of her new title of

‘health and social care assistant’.

Danielle is certain she made the right decision in

becoming an apprentice. Her year within the

programme cemented the idea of working in the

care sector, especially with the older people.

She’s now preparing for further study and is

determined to continue and progress in this field.

She’s proud of her achievements, and that she

has such a satisfying job. Furthermore, Danielle

is now helping and supporting the new Manor

House apprentices as they start their own

programmes.

Skills for CareWest Gate

Grace Street

Leeds

LS1 2RP

Telephone 0113 245 1716

Email apprenticeships@skillsforcare.org.uk© Skills for Care 2011

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