Training company to deliver 30 care apprenticeships

One of the North West’s leading home care providers is embarking on an apprenticeship-based training programme, offering a promising career in care for 30 members of staff.

As part of Blackpool-based Cherish UK’s ongoing expansion programme, a total of 40 new care roles have been created. The latest new recruits will be joined by existing members of the workforce who will together undertake an on-going apprenticeship programme to achieve a range of qualifications within the care sector.

Cherish UK’s chairman, Peter Watson explained: “As well as delivering excellent care to our users, we are also committed to creating strong career paths for our employees.

“Training and development is extremely important to us and apprenticeship pathways offer the perfect solution because as well as earning a salary, the work-based training is supported by a formal learning framework, which lead to nationally recognised qualifications.”

Working with Lancashire-based training provider, Holt Green Training, the team - which ranges from 18 to 65 year olds - will now complete a 12 month programme encompassing a range of knowledge and competence modules including: dementia awareness; personalisation in social care; causes and spread of infection; how to administer medication and monitor the effects and many more.

Each apprentice learns functional skills such as Maths and English; Employment Rights and Responsibilities; Personal Learning and Thinking Skills; and Employability Skills.

As part of the training package, the company is also implementing a new management system to ensure compliance with the requirements of ISO9001, Investors in People, Health & Safety, food safety and CQC.

John Keen, managing director of issosmart provider, RKMS, explained: “The issosmart healthcare system is an integrated management system that encompasses all compliance issues into one manageable format – the benefit to users is ensured compliance whilst reducing duplication and complication of the process of demonstrating compliance. “The system includes documentation, policies, procedures, registers, plans and forms to ensure compliance with CQC requirements, Investors in People, ISO9001 quality management, health and safety and food safety within the care sector.”