28/10/10
Cardiff trainer honoured for services to the caring profession
A local woman from Llantrisant who swapped her building society job for a new career training and assessing the skills of carers, has been shortlisted for a coveted 2010 Wales Care Award.
Susan Connolly, an NVQ assessor for the Cardiff-based company ACT/Schools Assist, has been short-listed to receive a Commitment to Training and Workforce Development award following her dedication to ensuring that carers are trained to high specifications and able to offer an excellent level of care.
The winners are due to be announced at a high-profile awards ceremony at City Hall, Cardiff on 29 October, organized by the Care Forum Wales to highlight good practice in the caring profession.
Susan, 50 was inspired to switch careers after a chance discussion with a care worker. A new job supporting people with learning disabilities enabled Susan to get hands-on experience while also gaining valuable qualifications. After 14 years working in the care sector, Susan then became a full time trainer, teaching the next generation of carers through ACT/Schools Assist, South Wales’ largest work-based training provider.
Susan said: “On completion of my own training I was able to provide better quality of care and I felt that my increased confidence had a beneficial effect on my whole team. This inspired me to train my own team, then other teams in my workplace and it just snowballed from there.”
“It’s lovely to be recognised and nominated for the award, but what really motivates me on a day to day basis is seeing each learner transform over the course of their training. Whether they walk through the door with years of experience or with obvious nerves, all of them leave with a better understanding of the skills required to do the job and with increased confidence in their ability to provide an excellent service to the people they care for. Through training, I’m not only making a difference to their lives, but also to the lives to those they care for and support. That’s a really big responsibility and one I simply hope to live up to each day.”
Susan was nominated by colleague Rhian James, centre manager of Schools Assist, part of the ACT group in Cardiff, who said: “Susan strives to ensure that the training she provides not only makes a difference to the lives of our learners but also the people they care for. She instils our learners with the skills and confidence they need in order to provide a top-level of care making them desirable employees.”
Mario Kreft, Honorary Chief Executive of Care Forum Wales who organise the awards, said: “The Wales Care Awards is now firmly established as one of the highlights in the Welsh social care calendar. The dedication, professionalism and quality of the workforce within the care sector is, I am pleased to say, increasing and improving year on year.
“It is occasions like the awards night that enables Care Forum Wales to recognize and celebrate such skills, talents and commitment. Our aim is to recognise the unstinting and often remarkable dedication of the unsung heroes and heroines working in the care sector. It is a pleasure to honour the contribution of all the finalists. Each and every one of them should be very proud of their achievement.”
