Why do we need the Guide?

This Guide is welcome as it will help break down barriers, dispel myths and ultimately go towards helping people to be looked after in their own homes (wherever that may be). People want to avoid going into hospital and prefer to stay “at home” and the more learners that can experience the care home as the preferred environment as residents HOME OF CHOICE has to be a very positive thing”.

Abbie Moss – Lakeside Care Home

I endorse the guide as it is a real opportunity to showcase the great opportunities that are on offer within social care to a whole range of learners and I hope this goes some way to helping to increase interest, awareness, and numbers that we can welcome through our doors.

Caroline Pressick – St Georges Care Home

Caroline Pressick

Registered Manager, St Georges (Wigan) Ltd. Care home with nursing

Caroline was a nurse in the NHS for over 40 years before she retired – But not for long! She then came back to work as a registered manager in social care. Before working in social care Caroline admits to believing all the horror stories you hear about the sector. She didn’t think for one minute, she would then choose this kind of new role and make the leap from a hospital ward to social care.

How do you actively engage with students?

“the social care sector must be part of the narrative and to get the advert out there that good quality, person-centred care doesn’t just start and end with the NHS. We must be an active part of the whole story and show students the real side of our work and what goes on.

“All of our students start with an introductory visit so that this can put them at ease even before day one. Some, (like I did) have preconceived ideas about what working within a social care setting would be like and I’ve students confess they were dreading coming to a nursing home but now can’t wait! That learning stays with them because once they start, they soon realise that social care is a great place to work and build their skills. This soon dispels the myths about not being able to have opportunities to provide evidence of competency.”

What is included in weekly teaching sessions?

When swallowing goes wrong’ or DOLS/MCA. They last about 90 minutes with a Q&A session. Once I am confident, they have understood the sessions the students have a copy of Handout and a Certificate of Attendance for their CPD file. The teaching sessions suit ALL the student disciplines.

Students are a real benefit to us, with, for example, innovations and current research ideas, as much as we benefit them in our practice exposures and support.

I believe that working in social care gives you greater autonomy as a professional and more opportunity to focus on relationships and communication as this is always key with the residents and to work with other multidisciplinary teams. I agree it is hard work and not an easy path, but it forces you to think in innovative ways to help residents get the support they deserve. If anything, the work I do now is far more complex and rewarding than my time spent on a ward.

This Guide is important because it helps to show the relationship between the NHS and Social Care which needs to be better understood if we are to be working towards a truly integrated and innovative offer. It can only be a good thing to raise awareness and a greater understanding of social care settings and services as this means greater respect, co-operation, and collaboration. The end user, be it patient or resident, will benefit in terms of person-centred care and support and quality of life. Working closely with educators we need to ensure that the real benefits of learner placements within social care are accurately understood, widely celebrated, and become commonplace.

Rowena Bolton – Cheadle Manor

Rowena Bolton

Home Manager, Cheadle Manor Care Home in Stockport

Rowena qualified in 1995 as one of the first Project 2000 diploma nurses and then worked for the NHS before moving into care homes in 2007. She has worked in a clinical lead role since 2017. Her background and passions are within stroke care, end of life care and looking after people living with dementia.

Although passionate about the role of social care and the dedicated professionals that work within it now, Rowena remembers her own preconceptions and opinions prior to her shift from student nurse then working in the NHS to when she commenced work in a care home.

MYTH “Nurses working in care homes aren’t good enough to work in the NHS.”

How wrong was I! Nurses working in care homes/nursing homes work within a different culture than those working within a ward. They deal with people all the time that have a range of very complex clinical needs. They make clinical judgements that would normally be made by junior doctors on wards to ensure residents receive the best care available. This can often mean avoiding hospitalisation which can be very traumatic or working within a multi-disciplinary team to ensure a smooth hospital discharge back to their home.

MYTH “Nurses in care homes are cutting back and preparing for early retirement.”

If the job role is too demanding, then take a rest from the NHS and wind down? Again, this is a myth as many of my colleagues and peers are young, energetic career professionals that recognise the career development opportunities that social care setting may offer. I personally developed from nurse to manager and am by no means planning to take it easy and to sit and wait for retirement.

MYTH “Student nurses draw the short straw if they must do a placement in a social care setting.”

An active part of my role is that of supporting learners to undertake learning opportunities within Cheadle Manor. We have had some fantastic feedback over the years from 2nd and 3rd year learners and it has really opened their eyes as to the real plethora of opportunities to grow, develop and gain competencies. However, as I shared my own initial views above the myths surrounding the value and worth of social care as a clinical learning environment still prevail and much more needs to be done to dispel the myths and celebrate successes in this area.

MYTH “Nurses working in social care become deskilled.”

Quite the opposite! The sheer diversity of individuals with a mix of chronic or specialist conditions living in residential care offers students and professionals the opportunity to become multi-skilled and expert within a range of diverse areas. They get the experience of working within multi-professional teams and build real relationships with people that they care for and their families often up until end of life.

Final words

The relationship between the NHS and social care needs to be better understood if we are to be working towards a truly integrated and innovative offer. A greater understanding of social care settings and services means greater respect, cooperation, and collaboration. The end user be it a patient or resident will benefit in terms of person-centred care and support and quality of life. Working closely with educators we need to ensure that the real benefits of learner placements within social care are accurately understood, widely celebrated, and become commonplace. There should be a requirement to experience a wide variety of settings that come together to make the systems work.