Before joining Helping Hands I completed my degree at University, and, after studying English Literature for three years, it’s safe to say I was a complete novice when it came to the care industry! With no prior knowledge or experience in care, I was apprehensive about beginning the training; however, by the end of the week, it was hard to believe I had gained such a vast and in-depth awareness of the role in such a short amount of time – this is particularly important for my role as a Carer profile writer as I need to properly understand the practical side of what Carers do but also to see the very specific personality types that are then matched to our customers’ requirements.
Throughout the training, I was given the opportunity to learn the key principles of care, spanning from safeguarding and abuse awareness, all the way through to medication administration and meeting nutritional needs. I also gained a deeper understanding of certain conditions; for example, an extremely insightful talk on Dementia which was, again, something I had never experienced in any capacity. Whilst listening to this talk, it was very interesting to learn more about what Dementia is, but also what Dementia is not; which, I soon realised, is as equally important. Our Dementia specialist Carers can then go on for much more indepth training.
My favourite part of training was the final two days, which focused on moving and handling. With the support of the trainers, we were given the opportunity to use all of the equipment that might be required when meeting the varying care needs of customers whilst in placement, such as the variation of hoists to carry out transfers. Volunteering myself to be transferred from a wheelchair into bed by my fellow trainees was a real eye opener for me, and made it all seem very real. At this point, being able to see everyone utilising and implementing all of the skills they had acquired throughout the training week was an absolute pleasure to be a part of.
I would genuinely recommend the Helping Hands training week to anyone who is considering pursuing this line of work and would reassure our customers and healthcare professionals that the training received at Helping Hands is second to none. The combination of such a comprehensive training programme, along with the enthusiasm, support and passion of the training team, has provided me with a true insight and fundamental understanding of what it is to be a Helping Hands Live-in Carer and hourly visiting Carer.
