Hard work pays off at Castleford Lodge!

A career in care  at Orchard Care Homes comes with plenty of opportunities to grow both personally and professionally - just ask Nicola, Senior Care Assistant at Castleford Lodge Nursing Home. Having recently achieved her NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care, Nicola tells us all about why she chose to work in adult social care and what her new qualification means for her career!

Nicola Limbert, who joined our Yorkshire nursing home over 11 years ago, told us how happy she was to achieve her latest qualification in health and social care. “I’m so proud of myself for passing my NVQ Level 3 after months of hard work - as a nationally-recognised qualification for senior care workers, this NVQ opens a whole new career pathway for me at Orchard Care Homes. I’m really excited to see what the future holds!”

The qualification, which Nicola completed in July, offers in-depth training in essential areas like communication, safeguarding and duty of care. What’s even more fantastic is that Louise was provided with this exciting opportunity through our Orchard Academy! These invaluable skills not only offer a better understanding of senior care practices, but will help prepare Nicola for further leadership or management roles.

Sarah, Interim Home Manager at Castleford Lodge Nursing Home, said that she’s looking forward to seeing Nicola progress even further in her career. “Nicola is a great member of the team and someone other colleagues frequently look up to. She has a natural talent for leadership, and we are so proud of her for completing her Level 3 Diploma.”

Nicola, who has been a Senior Care Assistant for 2 years, enrolled on the course after an opportunity came up within the Orchard Academy to progress her career in care. “I was a Care Assistant for 9 years, and although I loved the role, I felt it was time to take a step up. This new senior role allows me to develop my skills in areas I haven’t tried before, such as managerial and mentoring people.”

The new qualification was celebrated by the whole Castleford Lodge team, including Activities Co-Ordinator, Shelly. “It’s been wonderful to see Nicola thrive as a Senior Care Assistant. Working alongside her over the past few years, I’ve seen her come on leaps and bounds - and her ‘can do’ attitude makes our days brighter!”

We are so proud of Nicola’s latest achievement and can’t wait to see her progress in her career over the coming years! Thank you so much to Nicola for sharing her story with us; we wish her all the best for the future.

Did you know, when you join one of our award-winning care homes, you’ll have access to a variety of learning opportunities thanks to the Orchard Academy? Our  expert in-house team can offer a wide range of support for all colleagues, including specialist courses in dementia care and qualifications in management and leadership skills. If you’d like to join the Orchard Care Homes group, why not check out our latest vacancies?

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