Training is Fun!

We love training at Wilnash Care. We believe that high quality in-house training helps equip our carers with the skills necessary to provide excellent care. But we also believe that additional training provided by organisations such as the Hertfordshire Care Provides Association and Hertfordshire County Council enhance our life skills and gives us the opportunity to meet people working in different areas of our industry. So we can be a little bit evangelical when it comes to encouraging our staff to undertake extra training.

But we also understand that the thought of undergoing training can be a little daunting to those who may be thinking about a career in care, but who may have had a rather negative experience in formal education. So, Rae and I are planning to put a piece together for the newsletter which will take a detailed look at what training to be a carer involves. We will also look at the training opportunities available and what career benefits could result from these. But in the meantime we thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to our training manager, the aforementioned Rae Searle.

We are very lucky to have Rae. She has a huge bank of knowledge regarding health and wellbeing. She is also approachable, friendly and extremely hard working. We had a little chat about her pathway in to training.

Tell us a little about your career in care Rae.

“I have worked in care since I was 16. I have always loved helping people and doing the best that I can for their well-being. I worked at Chase Farm hospital for eighteen years and for seven of those I was a Registered Nurse. I always enjoyed being part of a team and working towards shared goals”.

How did you become a trainer?

“Well after several years of bringing up children and committing myself to family life I decided that it was time to dip my toes back in the work pool. I managed to secure myself a job as a part-time carer at Wilnash Care in February 2015 and I immediately felt at home. I enjoyed my interactions with clients immensely. I also felt that the ethos of person-centred care at Wilnash matched my own. After about a year Barry approached me and asked if I would like to become the in-house trainer at Wilnash. I accepted and have never looked back!”

What qualifications did you need to become a trainer?

“To be qualified to train at all it was necessary for me to complete a Certificate in Education and Training Level 3. I also undertook a Train the Trainer course in Moving and Positioning. I subsequently completed a First Aid in the Workplace qualification and a Level 3 qualification in Training Management. More recently I completed a Pathway in Wound Management, and I’m about to be awarded a Level 3 certificate in Assessing Competency in the Workforce. I’m also qualified to train carers in the Care Certificate. Luckily, I love training and learning new skills!”

What do you enjoy about training others?

“I love passing on knowledge to our fantastic carers. In fact, I would say that it’s more like sharing knowledge because everyone I work with, whether in small groups or on a one-to-one basis, brings knowledge and experience to training. It’s a partnership really. And being able to share my knowledge and experience is so rewarding. I also thoroughly enjoy developing training ideas. For instance, I’m currently working on developing a more ‘workshop’ based approach to training. My aim is to make the training experience as interactive as possible. Training is fun!”

What one thing would make your job easier?

“I don’t have to think very hard about that one. More hours in the day!”