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Meet our expert home care trainers
There is nothing about care that our trainers don’t know. All of them have been carers themselves, and so truly understand what you need to know to be the very best carer yourself.
Our training team runs in-depth courses every week of the year that involve a combination of interactive classroom sessions and practical exercises. Thanks to their knowledge and expertise, our carers can feel confident as they take the first steps on their journey into care with Helping Hands.
Carer Training Officer
Lisa Barley
Lisa is one of the trainers behind our award-winning carer training programme. “What we do is so important,” she explained. “I am always so conscious that we select, train, and only pass the very best carers – if they aren’t good enough, they just don’t pass! I never forget that we are caring for vulnerable people of all ages, with many challenging conditions.”
Lisa enjoys sharing her passion, experience and favourite stories on the training courses. “It’s incredibly rewarding as I now get the opportunity to pass on my knowledge and hands-on experience to new live-in carers.
“I’ve worked hard and been rewarded – I’ve developed from carer to trainer, and now to regional trainer. Helping Hands really develop their team and want them to succeed,” she added. “I’m a good example of what is possible!”
Carer Training Officer
Alex Doyle
After caring for a family friend for 14 years, Alex decided to take a step into care sector and worked on a thoracic and vascular ward before going on to hold a fast-paced role in Worcester’s A&E. She now trains our new carer recruits at our training centre in Warwickshire.
Experienced and knowledgeable, Alex knows what it takes to be a fantastic carer. And it all starts with the training. “The carers are so lucky to have the opportunity to undergo classroom based learning, it makes such a difference.” She goes on to explain how this sets Helping Hands apart, “at some of my previous companies, the concept of comprehensive training didn’t even exist.”
Alex enjoys being able to inspire others as they embark on their careers in care. “I get to train other people the subjects I am so passionate about. Even if the carers learn just one thing from me, I’ve succeeded!”
Moving & Handling Trainer
Julie Mills
After starting out as a carer herself in 2002, Julie joined the training team some years later to pass on her experience and knowledge to new care assistants. She now specialises in safe practices for moving and handling.
“I specialise in ensuring that all of our moving and handling training is of a consistently high quality as more people are providing moving and handling training to carers.”
Among Julie’s impressive list of qualifications, including three NVQs, coaching and mentoring, and providing care for conditions such as stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s (to name a few), she is also a Level 2 Risk Assessor at Helping Hands.
Specialist Dementia Trainer
Jayne Vale
Jayne switched careers in 2004 to join for Helping Hands. She said about the move, “Looking back, I wish had started working in care years ago. Now I make a positive difference in people’s lives.”
Following many years as a carer herself, and supporting people living with a wide range of conditions, Jayne joined the training team to pass on her knowledge and expertise to other carers. She now trains new carers coming from Spain and leads our dementia training.
Jayne talked about the people she trains on a weekly basis. “We get to meet a variety of people from all walks of life, all with very different personalities, but they all have one thing in common: they all want to help, support and provide care for those that are not able to do so for themselves.”
Regional Trainer
As the Regional Trainer for the South West, Glyn travels across the region, delivering our training to potential visiting carers. As a Dementia Champion, Glyn thoroughly enjoys raising dementia awareness to our carers and was named our Trainer of the Year in 2018.
“The most rewarding part of my role is seeing the confidence build within the new carers as their journeys progress and knowing that they will go on to make a difference in the lives of our customers. Meeting such wonderful, caring people every week is a privilege and to be selected as Trainer of the Year is a humbling reward for something that I get so much pleasure from on a daily basis.”
After spending 35 years in the Royal Navy, Glyn then wanted to move into a training and mentoring role. He then went onto work for a charitable ‘Welfare to Work’ scheme, mainly supporting single parents before moving into care work. His impressive array of qualifications includes: PTTLLS Level 4, Mentoring Young Adults Level 3, NEBOSH Diploma, EFAW Level 2, Level 2, 3, and 4 in Health and Social Care, and qualifications in Infection Control, Nutrition and Diet, Effective Communication Skills and Dementia Care.
Other people are interested in...
We’re here to talk through the many job opportunities available here at Helping Hands. Call us on 03300371644 if you’d like to join our team.
