Hannah is a Service Manager at Transitions Care Ltd which provides care at home services. She first started her Modern Apprenticeship in Social Services and Healthcare in September 2016, before continuing with her education while working and finally completing her leadership and management in care services qualification in October 2023.
Why did you choose a modern apprenticeship?
When I was in school, I wanted to be a PE teacher but unfortunately didn’t get the grades. I moved school in the middle of my exams which had an impact as there was new criteria and coursework that I had to start from scratch. I worked hard in school but I wasn't very academic. I found I could complete the work and do well through the year but when it came to sitting exams I really struggled.
When I went into S6, I felt a bit lost so I decided to leave school. My dad always had a good work ethic and said I couldn’t leave school unless I had a job to go to. I lived along the road from a care home and decided to apply. I have always been a very caring person and thought maybe this could lead me into nursing as I knew you could do an apprenticeship and earn at the same time.
I worked at the care home for just over a year and completed my SVQ level 2. I decided I wanted a change from the care home and moved to a care at home service. When I started working at Transitions Care they offered to put me through my SVQ level 3. I was delighted as it was something I wanted to do anyway. I moved up in position at work and became a team leader, then went on to do my SVQ level 4. When my manager left I was offered the position as service manager and completed my care services leadership and management qualification.
I chose to do a modern apprenticeship because I felt it would be a lot better for me as it is more of a hands on experience and documenting how you dealt with different situations. It would help me gain the qualifications I need to move up within my role and expand my knowledge and understanding in the health and social care sector. I feel that working in the health and social care sector has happened for a reason and got me to where I was meant to be.
What has your experience been?
My experience of four different levels of an apprenticeship has been insightful. My assessor was fantastic. I was lucky enough to work with the same assessor when I moved from the care home to my current employer. I built a bond with her and I feel this helped me when carrying out my SVQs. My assessor has been part of my life since 2016 so we know each other well and it allows her to understand my study and working techniques which made things a lot easier for me. I feel that everyone’s experiences are different but mine has been very successful. My knowledge and confidence within my role has grown so much which has allowed me to feel more competent and whenever something is thrown at me, I can deal with it. When I first came into my role as service manager, I was very shy and felt a little overwhelmed with the responsibility that was now on my shoulders. It has been the best experience and I am so glad I took advantage of completing all the courses so I could get to where I am today.
What is a typical day like?
A typical day in my role is very busy. I’m managing around 20 members of staff and over 60 service users. My day consists of six main tasks which are, communicating with staff to retrieve service user information, updating rotas, liaising with the care management team, sending updates to my team, dealing with any concerns with other health professionals and communicating with service users.
My staff team rely on me to deal with concerns around clients, for example a medication query. I then contact the correct health professional for guidance and deal with this. Since COVID-19 this task has become a lot more frequent and I am having to fight a lot more with health professionals for myself and staff to be heard but this is due to the doctors and hospitals being more under pressure.
Individuals working in the health and social care sector are also experiencing the pressure but my knowledge and understanding from completing my apprenticeship, gives me confidence when trying to be heard. I know the right legislations to use and the rights that individuals have for dignity and respect. It really has made my typical day more positive due to me gaining this knowledge.
I deal with a lot more than the above when I am at work like supervisions, audits, staff training, spot checks, service user reviews. The knowledge I have from my leadership and management qualification helps my understanding on why these things must be done. I have to ensure that each individual is fully trained so they are also competent in their roles. Carrying out audits allows me to assess the standard of care and support my team provide to individuals in the community. If I see any improvements that could be adapted in their role to be even better, I discuss it at supervision and we can make a development plan.
I also carry out six monthly reviews with service users to ensure they are getting the right care, if they are happy with the support they receive or if any changes are needed. I love carrying out reviews with individuals as it lets me get to know the person and I am always happy to help them in any way possible. Overall, I have a lot of responsibilities and a very busy role, but I am so much more confident than I ever have been before.
What do you like most about your job?
I love so many things about my job but mainly that I can be a part of ensuring individuals maintain their independence and remain within their own homes for as long as possible.
My staff provide the forefront of this task but it is my responsibility to manage it. I like that I can build trust and rapport with individuals. This could be service users and their families, staff and care management. There is a lot of people I talk to daily to build trust with and I love when I receive positive feedback. I love that I can just make people smile, when you pop in to visit a service user for a catch up or a review and you end up in deep conversation of what they used to do when they were my age for example. I just find it all very heartwarming and it really does help give you a sense of each individual. Health and social care is a hard sector to work in, as it is busy and can be emotional but all the warmth and care you provide outweighs all of that.
How relevant is the qualification requirements to the work you are doing?
I think the qualification requirements have been relevant to my role and have got me to where I am today. I feel that the courses have been very focused, especially the level 4 and leadership and management. It has made me a better manager and much more confident. I believe that when you first start an SVQ you think it’s just common sense to do certain things, like turn the lights on, knock on someone’s door before going in, but when you get further into your qualification you realise that there is a lot more explanation of the impact on you doing certain tasks. Turning the light on enables an individual to maybe see better and reduces risk of them falling, or knocking on the door is polite and allows them privacy. You tailor their routine to their individual needs and preferences. It has been very insightful.
What words of advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship?
Do it. It is honestly the best thing I have done. As I mentioned before, I wasn’t very academic and much better at learning on the job. If this is how you see yourself then an apprenticeship would be a fantastic opportunity for you. An apprenticeship allows you to work on the job while you learn, meaning you also have an income. This was a great factor for me as I knew I would struggle to afford to study at college or university without a job, but being able to have an income while I completed my qualification was amazing.
Apprenticeships definitely are becoming more of the way forward and I would advise anyone to consider it. If you are under 25 years old then you receive funding but if you are over 25 then there is a fee you may have to pay, however you can apply for further funding to help towards it.
I was 17 when I started my first SVQ and have since then complete four qualifications under an apprenticeship scheme. I started off as a care assistant at 17 years old in a care home where I did my level 2 in Social Services and Health Care and I have just completed my Care Services Leadership and Management Qualification.
Never in my life would I have thought that doing an apprenticeship would have got me into an amazing position that I am now as service manager and only at the age of 25. Overall, it is an amazing opportunity and I hope that my story encourages other to consider an apprenticeship in social care.