Danielle did an Apprenticeship in adult social care, after being inspired by the care her grandmother gave her great-grandfather.

While Danielle was in her final year at high school, she was sure that she wanted to work with older people, having been inspired by the care that her grandmother was giving to her 95-year old great-grandfather and the work her sister was doing on a dementia unit.

Danielle was just as sure that she didn’t want to go into further education, the prospect of two further years of study with limited practical application of her learning did not appeal. When her school social worker told her about Apprenticeships, Danielle realised that the combination of on the job learning and study would be perfect for her.

After visiting her local job centre and enquiring about specific Apprenticeship opportunities, Danielle attended interviews and was offered a placement at Manor House, a residential home for older people.

From her very first day, Danielle was given real work to do and she quickly adapted to her new role, learning new skills including the management of residents’ personal care, showering and bathing, feeding and carrying out activities with residents.

One of Danielle’s key challenges was learning how to speak to residents. With little experience of older people, she felt shy and unsure initially, but soon learned from her mentors, and from the residents themselves!

Working four days a week at the home, Danielle attended college on Tuesdays to study for a level 2 qualification in health and social care. The new experiences she had encountered at Manor House were invaluable, bringing practical knowledge to the theory she was learning on the course.

Just under one year after starting her Apprenticeship, Danielle was delighted to be offered a permanent full-time position at Manor House, and is rightly proud of her new title of ‘health and social care assistant’.

Danielle said: “If I had just done my qualification at college, I wouldn’t have been able to do the work as well as I do it now – it was so much better for me to learn on the job.”

She’s now preparing for further study and is determined to continue and progress in this field. She’s proud of her achievements, and that she has such a satisfying job.