Berkshire Care Ambassadors
LEAD ORGANISATION
ADDITIONAL ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
DATE
2010-11
PROJECT SUMMARY
In 2011 Progress South Central funded Bracknell & Wokingham College to support and further develop the work of Care Ambassadors to stimulate interest in careers in health and social care.
The first part of the project was an 'Oliver's Story' event held in February 2011 in Reading with the aim of encouraging school students to consider a career in health and social care. Young people from Berkshire schools were able to explore routes into the caring profession, via a play about a 15-year old boy's adjustment to life using a wheelchair following an accident. 'Oliver's Story' was performed at the event by local theatrical group 'Spotlight on Diversity' and has been made into a DVD. Care professionals from three local authorities were on hand to discuss Oliver's and his family's situation with the students and to explore the many routes into the caring profession. Students were given the chance to talk to professionals about their roles and gain understanding of qualifications and progression to higher education.
The day included a CPD workshop for teachers about jobs and careers available in social care, run alongside the event for students. The session aimed to demonstrate the different ways teachers can use the 'Oliver's Story' DVD back in school, to look at other activities they could use within the classroom and to raise teachers' awareness of current principles and practice relating to health and social care.
Following on from 'Oliver's Story', a new DVD 'Lily's Story' is now developed with the aim of focusing on health and caring issues around dementia. Lily is Oliver's grandmother and in addition to dementia, suffers from poor mobility due to arthritis and poor general health and has a Personal Assistant to help with her care needs. The drama explores the difficulties faced by Lily and her family and how various health and social care professionals can assist and support them as they adapt to these changed circumstances. This will enable students to develop understanding of the different careers open to them through experiential learning.
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