Proud to Care was pleased to be overall sponsor at the Outstanding Care Awards 2019 at the Riviera International Centre on a beautiful sunny evening in Torquay on Friday 28 June. It was wonderful to celebrate some of the people delivering excellent care and health across Devon. For a full list of winners, please see here.
Thinking ahead to the autumn, it’s always a busy time for careers events in schools across Devon. We would like to encourage all our 260+ Proud to Care Ambassadors to get involved in at least one event a year at a local school, sparing a couple of hours to promote working in health and social care. You can make a real difference by encouraging young people into the future health and social care workforce in Devon by sharing your own career story. If you feel the need for some refresher training, please do contact tracy.grant@devon.gov.uk and if you could spare a couple of minutes to give your feedback on being an Ambassador please complete this survey.
Sally-Ann Turner
Proud to Care Devon
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25 Sept Exeter Corn Exchange 10 am - 2 pm Jobs Fair
14 Oct Coombeshead Academy 6 pm - 8 pm Careers Fair
4 Nov Quayside, Kingsbridge 9 am - 4 pm Careers Fair
11 Nov Holsworthy Community College TBC Mock Interviews
14 Nov Torquay Grammar School for Girls 9.30 am - 1 pm Career Speed Dating
14 Nov Exeter School 6 pm - 8 pm Careers Fair
18 Nov Horizon Centre, Torquay 10 am - 2 pm Information stand
19 Nov Dartmouth Academy 9 am - 3.15 pm Careers Fair
27 Nov Ivybridge Community College 5.30 pm - 7.30 pm Careers Fair
28 Nov Holsworthy Community College TBC Careers Fair
4 Dec Plymouth High School for Girls 11.30 am - 12.30 pm Careers Talk
For more information or to volunteer please email Tracy at tracy.grant@devon.gov.uk
At 27, I often think of my younger self and what she would’ve thought if I told her that in 10 years’ time she would move away from home to University, practice nursing in 4 different UK districts and 3 overseas countries, graduate as a Registered LD Nurse and land her dream role in a Community LD team…well, I wouldn’t have believed her!
I do believe that my passion for caring for people has always existed; however, my application to school and desire to learn always took a back seat, until I was introduced to a support worker role in Children’s LD Services. The role allowed me to channel creativity, grow in confidence towards education and quickly establish my ability to be a leader. Four years on, and the long hours and endless professional meetings continued to inspire and encourage me, I soon began thinking ‘I can do it...I could be that nurse’.
I feel so lucky to have travelled the world as a part of my studies. Each country provided me with a unique experience as; Lapland, Finland allowed me to work in a clinical nursing role in their central hospital (and problem solve how to get past a herd of reindeers in 6 foot of snow). Zagreb, Croatia challenged me emotionally, as there were disturbing cultural differences; as institutions and shaded views of people with LD existed. And finally, Madadeni Township, South Africa instilled my love for working with children and young people, as we applied our nursing and occupational therapy knowledge and identified realistic and hopefully, sustainable practices the school could inherit, to help engage and support the health of students with Epilepsy and Sensory Processing needs. Recently…and much to my disbelief, my hard work and commitment to my overseas practice was acknowledged, as I was awarded with ‘UWE Student of the Year 2019 for Global Experience’.
I am now a proud member of the Devon Partnership Trust Community LD Intensive Assessment and Treatment Team. Our role is to support mainstream health services to provide support and treatment to adults with LD; to enable people to be supported in their own home in order to prevent admission to mental health or LD hospitals; to treat people with LD who have additional complex health needs, that require specialist assessment and treatment in support of behaviours that challenge and risk, in avoidance of reaching crisis.
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As always, your feedback is important to us. Please follow the relevant links to a short two minute survey if you attended any of these events:
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Plymouth - 18th September
Torbay - September
Exeter - 6th November
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Please follow this link to view opportunities, updates and news from colleagues in workforce development. There are exciting opportunities for you to get involved and shape the future of health and social care. If you have any questions please contact terrie.chaplin@devon.gov.uk for further information.
Greetings all Proud to Care Torbay Ambassadors
I thought I'd send you all a little update on what has been happening since I have been in post.
I have been working closely with Vic Thomas from Torbay Council and will be supporting her in disseminating any information useful to all of us who work in the Health and Social Care Sector in Torbay.
I am pleased to let you all know that Torbay Council will be funding childcare places for the summer holidays with Kinetic Sports. I am waiting for some promotional material from the council that I will pass on to you all as soon as I receive it.
I have also had a very productive meeting with Jill Croskell from Skills for Care and I am making links with other Proud to Care leaders in other areas of the South West. If you need any support or have any ideas please feel free to contact me. I am looking to set up a coffee morning or afternoon for us all to get together in September.
I have sent all Torbay Ambassadors an email but unfortunately not all reached their destinations. Thank you to all of you who have already responded.
If you wish to contact me you can email me at proudtocarejo@outlook.com.
Kind regards
Jo Thomas
Proud to Care Lead in Torbay
We held our quarterly Proud to Care Ambassador Plymouth meeting on 9th July and we were also joined by students from Scott Medical and Healthcare College.
The focus of the event was about Community Nurses and the District Nursing Service and we received interesting and inspiring talks from Shona Cornish, Community Modern Matron and Kelly a Nursing Associate.
Our next Ambassador meeting is planned for Wednesday 18th September from 1.30pm and we welcome new and existing ambassadors or anyone interested in joining us.
We have now bought some resources to use at careers and recruitment events including a small skeleton and life size torso with removable parts!
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There is an annual care manager's conference taking place at the Riviera Centre, Torquay on 12th September from 8.30 am - 4 pm. For more information, or to book a place please contact Kat Green. The draft agenda can be viewed here.
Ambassador resources are available from:
- Your local Proud to Care Champion. Find your local Champion here.
- Health Education England have 16 A4 books covering individual health career areas and an A5 overview booklet. Order on 0345 6060 655 or advice@healthcareers.nhs.uk Allow two weeks for delivery.
- Skills for Care have a range of care careers and apprenticeship information and booklets. Contact your local Champion.
Do you or your company have anything you would like to be included in future newsletters?
If so, please send it to tracy.grant@devon.gov.uk by the second week of the month and I will do my best to include it in the next newsletter!
     
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