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Success for Lorraine Huguet.
Lorraine Huguet’s aim had always been to consolidate the skills and knowledge she had developed within the care sector over a number of years and to gain accreditation for the expertise she had acquired whilst doing a job she loved.
With ten years experience working in hospitals and care homes as part of a nurse bank in and around Edinburgh, and having spent the last five years as a nursing assistant with Caddon Healthcare Ltd, based in Melrose, Lorraine was delighted to be given the opportunity to do something she never thought she would.
When allocated a place on the Health and Social Care Modern Apprentice Programme Lorraine was delighted that she would be able to continue doing her job and gain a qualification at the same time. However, returning to learning and training after many years away was a difficult and daunting decision.
Caddon Healthcare directors Val Lacon and Diane Stavert had this to say. “We are so proud of what Lorraine has achieved. Her enthusiasm and motivation were a joy to experience. Despite being nervous and uncertain of her capabilities, Lorraine grasped the challenge with both hands and never looked back. Since gaining her well deserved qualification she has consolidated all she has learnt into everyday working practice, she has developed a questioning and enquiring attitude to work, she has gained confidence and 'fine tuned' her skills which can only be of benefit to all our clients. We are so pleased for her and know that she is a perfect role model and an inspiration for other potential candidates who feel undertaking an SVQ would be a daunting experience.”
Lorraine was concerned by the comprehensive standards presented in the portfolio and fearful that she would be unable to evidence or adequately record the work she did on a daily basis. She need not have worried! Within a very short period of time it became clear, especially to Lorraine’s assessor, that here was a superb candidate with a great deal to say and demonstrate in the course of her everyday work.
Assessor, Carol Spalding, says, “Lorraine produced excellent detailed reflective accounts and her observations always generated evidence of a very high standard. Her work practices were first rate and as the SVQ programme progressed, she became more confident and so enthusiastic about it.”
Despite being very nervous about embarking upon her SVQ, she admitted that she has greatly benefited from it and has been thrilled at her achievements. She thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of her experience and would recommend the SVQ programme to anyone. She felt that she learned such a huge amount during the process and gained enormously from the experience: it wasn’t terrifying as she had expected; nor did she ever feel that she was working in isolation. Lorraine received lots of encouragement from her managers and the flexible and supportive approach by her assessor, Carol Spalding, meant that she was never short of evidence opportunities.
“I would recommend the SVQ to anyone,” commented Lorraine. “I really wanted to do this; to be able to do my job and know my job more fully, so that I could do it as well as possible. The qualification is really all about what you are already doing and much more. You don’t realise what you know and what you don’t know: if I can do it, anybody can!”
Having achieved her SVQ Health and Social Care Level 3 within eight months, Lorraine now applies her honed skills and heightened knowledge in all aspects of her work; approaching her role with much more confidence and an increased awareness of all situations in the various settings in which she works. An ambition has finally been realised and now, equipped with her qualification, Lorraine is ready for anything and making her own positive and compassionate mark on all that she does! Well done!