I came from a banking background when I joined Home Instead. It was initially daunting. I had to do the training through e-learning and also in the office with Amanda. The first day I was in the office for training, I met all the lovely ladies. I met the Managers, Coordinators, and I was shown around. Everyone made me feel very welcome.
After the training, I was shadowing various calls. I had asked to do extra calls as I wanted to make sure I knew what was needed. The carers were very gracious, and I soon cottoned on what to do.
The carer’s world is something very different to what I have ever experienced before. I was assured by the fact that I was a phone call away when I didn’t know what to do. When I felt uncertain or overwhelmed, I had a very caring team at head office with a heart to listen and advise the best way forward.
I enjoyed meeting the people, and they soon got used to me. I was later I was given the opportunity to study further and complete a Level 2 in Adult Care.
There, I met my very attentive tutor. She explained everything and made sure that I knew what to do. I struggled at first. It was quite a project, but with her help and advice, a polite nudge when I needed it. She would simply help me to finish what seemed like a mountain.
She was always happy to receive my work and said she always learned something she did not know before. I gave a lot of evidence and really enjoyed the learning process, when I was not procrastinating.
I am so thankful for the development and for the consolidation and expansion of the information that I had received in the beginning.
My confidence and competence grew as I grasped the modules and put what I had learned into practice. When I made a mistake, I had learned not to beat myself up but look and see what went wrong, get feedback and plan how to avoid that mistake in the future.
I would say my that the NVQ was a blessing and an enrichment to the good training I received from Home Instead.
Tracy was patient, kind and very helpful, especially in my preparation for the exams. I ended up with an overall distinction, which is a grade I never was able to achieve in school!
Angela, Level 2 Diploma in Adult Care – Apprenticeship