Carolyn is first to achieve new Health and Social Care Higher qualification
Busnes@LlandrilloMenai’s Health and Social Care team are celebrating after Carolyn Williams became the first to achieve a new Higher Apprenticeship qualification.
Carolyn, the deputy manager at Ceris Newydd and Glyn Menai care homes in Bangor, is the first to have completed the Level 5 Leadership and Management in Health & Social Care.
This new qualification enables learners to draw on their experience in the health and social care industry while further developing their skills and gaining qualifications.
As her final project for the Higher Apprenticeship, Carolyn researched and launched a dementia-friendly café for residents at Glyn Menai, which she hopes to open up to the wider community.
She signed up to the Level 5 course after completing Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management through Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Further Education pathway.
Carolyn said: “I enjoyed the Level 5 course, it was interesting. It helped that I had a lot of insight from doing the Level 4. It was a lot of work, especially on top of working 40 hours a week, but it was worth it for the final project.
“I created a dementia-friendly café which our residents go to on a Monday, so they get to attend a café with family members and staff but remain on the site.
“It’s been popular, and my plan for the project is to introduce it to the community, so that people who have a dementia diagnosis can have the opportunity to be part of our community.
“I hope it will be a way of being introduced to the setting, so that it’s not so overwhelming when they do come here. Also, it can be a way of sharing information between new residents and old residents and ones who’ve been here longer.”
Carolyn has been a strong advocate for her staff at Fairways completing their own qualifications through work-based learning, and has developed a strong relationship with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
The Health and Social Care work-based learning team are over the moon to see Carolyn achieve the Level 5 qualification.
Her assessor Liz Wainwright said: “A huge congratulations to our first successful achiever on the new Higher Apprentice qualification!
“I'm so proud that Carolyn has achieved this. She has worked extremely hard to complete the qualification, and her confidence has grown throughout. I'm looking forward to continuing working with Carolyn and the team at Fairways supporting their staff through their Health and Social Care qualifications.”
The Level 5 Leadership & Management in Health & Social Care Higher Apprenticeship has been designed to provide the social care sector with higher level skilled workers. It offers progression to experienced staff to obtain the professionally required qualification for management and leadership in social care. Learn more here or go to gllm.ac.uk/courses/