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Choice Care Group’s Training Drive Pays Off
Managers at specialist care provider Choice Care Group are celebrating after the past year saw a big increase in the number of its social care workers achieve the relevant vocational qualifications.
The Reading-based company, which runs care homes for adults with learning difficulties and other complex needs in Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Hampshire, has gone from having 48.8 per cent of its staff with NVQ qualifications at the end of 2008, to 73.2 per cent by the end of last year.
As such, it now comfortably exceeds the minimum 50 per cent level recommended under the National Minimum Standards, introduced under the Care Standards Act 2000, and is already on track to improve the figure further in 2010.
The Choice Care Group employs over 800 social care workers across its 39 homes, who work to help ensure service users’ needs are catered for and they are able to live active and fulfilling lives within their home.
At the beginning of last year, Colin Carter was appointed as head of training to co-ordinate staff training efforts across the company. A number of partnerships were set up with training providers, including specialist firm Paragon Skills for Care and Industry, while further staff received in-house NVQ training from Telford College of Arts and Technology.
Colin said: “I would like to thank all the Area Directors and home managers for really getting behind the NVQ drive.
“We will continue to step up our training efforts this year – our aim is for all of our homes to be rated as ‘excellent’ by the Care Quality Commission, and staff training plays and important part in that.”
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