Residential worker Review
at Action for Children
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Healthcare
High Wycombe
Review Submitted: February 2023
Overall Rating
4.3 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
4/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
In my role as a residential worker I support young people with special needs to strengthen them and encourage them to do the things they can at the best of their ability and support the family to give them a break from 24/7 care work. Providing an opportunity for them to see things with a positive approach. The young people come to us for sleepovers and we take care of their personal and health needs, and we do different activities and days out for the young people.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
3/5
The programme is good, I do it side by side with my paid work, at times it can get difficult to get things done by the planned deadlines to get the course done within the two years but the evidence required for the course is suited to my job role.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Working in this role I have learnt more about strength based approach in practice, and I’ve learned numerous different communication skills to work with the young people. I have also communicated multidisciplinary teams and worked together to provide a holistic approach. I have also progressed in my job role to lead others. One of the main skills I’ve utilised is self reflection practice.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
I have meeting with a tutor every month, I can email/ watsapp and get quick responses if I need any guidance. At first there were a lot of tasks which were time consuming but not adding a lot to my final score. However after discussing this I was able to ask my tutor to send me substantial units which covered more content.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
On the job, my supervisor will check in with me on my workload and is always willing to cover any witness statements. I also can discuss tasks with my colleagues who have previously completed the programme. I also get time allocated to complete the work, although this doesn’t always happen as I have other work to do.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
I have meetings every month with a tutor, and my tutor sends me links to sources of information directly linked with the subject questions. I also can reach my tutor over the phone or watsapp and get any feedback or advice I need. My tutor has also allowed me to complete tasks using different methods to record the information which has been helpful.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
My qualification gives me a chance to read on current policies and practice these in the workplace. I can also refresh my knowledge from training when I go over it to evidence the completion of different training we cover at work. I’ve also carried out a lot of self reflection through journaling.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
Action for children have a peoples hub, where we can access communities locally and nationally to get involved in raising money or awareness of the work we do, annually we meet with other local centres and every quarter we have a social team day. There are also opportunities to be a inclusion officer where you’re responsible to promote inclusion and diversity, the requires meeting with other organisations and learning from best practice.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Action for Children to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Working at action for children allows you to work with young people and make better changes that are visible in the child’s life. I do a job that makes me feel like I’m making a difference and supporting these young people to enjoy life and be treated with respect and understanding.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Action for Children?
Be willing to see things from the children's perspective at all times. This job is for someone who cares and wants to find the things the young people can do and celebrate them. Think about the things you enjoy and how you aould encourage the young people to find their hobbies.
