After seeing an online recruitment advert from Treloar's, Percy decided to learn more about what we do and it wasn't long until she decided to apply for a Healthcare Support Worker position. Today, almost 2 years later, she can't recommend working at Treloar's more. Find out what is special about being a Healthcare Support Worker at Treloar's.
A typical day for a Healthcare Support Worker
"My day starts at the residential house, which is where some of our students live. I help students get up, get ready for college. I also help them with their personal care routines, prepare their meals and help prepare them for college pick-ups.
"The most fun is when I go from the house to the classroom—there I can assist them with different tasks, for example, college assignments. Some students are not able to use computers so I become their helper and assist in surfing the net. We sometimes go out to do community skills which involve leaving the college and going into the community—this can be going shopping, trips to practice and gain confidence communicating with people outside their usual social circles at Treloar's. And it's quite fun—it's not something I have done before.
"I also support students offsite. A recent trip I have done was a power boat cruise with Wet Wheels. It was a lot of fun—I had never had such an opportunity—I even got to drive the boat! And thanks to these sorts of experiences that not everybody can do, your confidence and self-esteem go up! We also help with offsite activities such as going to a restaurant for lunch: students do the bookings themselves, they choose the restaurants but sometimes students need our assistance so we accompany them during those trips too."
Training for Healthcare Support Workers
"We receive a lot of training and I love the medical part of it the most; all that medical training I have received has helped me in so many ways—it has assisted me every day, including while away on school trips. Training like this allows us to keep students safe—on and off site."
The best parts of being a Healthcare Support Worker
"I think it's all about learning for me. In my role, you really learn every day. Learning every day is a good thing—I want to know more, I want to explore more, I want something more challenging. I love a challenge so everything that's new to me, I simply embrace.
"Healthcare Support Workers do a lot of networking too. When we go out on school trips, it's not only about students—it's also about me. When they are doing their activities, I am also learning in the process. That part for me is huge—I'm given a chance to learn, experience new things. We form partnerships with students—you get to understand the students better and as a result, we know a lot about them. For example, I work with students both on the house and in the classroom, so I follow them throughout the day so can you imagine: working with someone and being with them all day all the time—I feel I get to know them really well."
Gaining new skills
"To be honest, since starting at Treloar's, everything I have learnt is a new skill! For example, at home we administer medication, but administering medication by someone medically trained is different. So since I joined Treloar's, I have gained a skill of medication administration!
"I have also learnt how to be patient. Students needs are all different, their needs vary. Communication for example, some students at Treloar's take time to communicate and have different ways of doing it so one has to have patience and perseverance—just like my name. You need to persevere too because you not only work with students but also with your colleagues. We need to learn how to work together, embrace our different backgrounds so it requires a lot of patience.
"Communication—can be verbal or non-verbal. So I have learnt that every type of communication matters as some of the students are non-verbal so they use AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices which sometimes do not work in the way the students would like them to so one has to be a very good listener and give them time to express their needs. Some students use the Eye-Gaze to communicate and then you have to pay attention to yeses and noes because sometimes a wink for one student might mean 'yes' and 'no' for the other. This experience has taught me a lot."
About perks of working at Treloar's
"There are a number of perks of working at Treloar's and one that's important to me is free parking, but there are other benefits such as HSF Health Cash Plan, which allows you to spread the cost of your healthcare not covered free by the NHS. Recently, I had a chance of changing my glasses and that's thanks to HSF!"
Career progression at Treloar's
"Currently, I am doing my Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and that means I can progress in my career and apply for the position of the Team Leader and from there you can move up to Level 5 which is a managerial level so I could become a manager if I wanted to. There are options for progression.
"To anyone looking for a job, I would say: 'Come to Treloar's! There's no better place than Treloar's. It's a multicultural organisation and you can meet people of all backgrounds, people who you can connect with and talk to.'
"The types of roles available at Treloar's will help you find your purpose, they are fulfilling: when you enter the room of the student you support and when you leave it at the end of your shift, you really find your peace and purpose. I would say to anyone: 'Come and work for Treloar's—it's a place for you.'"
Treloar's staff profiles
Treloar’s is so much more than just a school and college. We are a charity; we deliver outstanding nursing care, therapy, independence training and education to around 170 disabled children and young people aged 4-25. Every day we are preparing young people to live as independently as possible and reach their future aspirations. But we wouldn't be able to do so without our fantastic staff.