Emma became an apprentice at a local Care Home in North Lincolnshire during the pandemic studying the Level 3 Business Administrator Standard apprenticeship with CERT in August 2020. Emma completed her End Point Assessment in 2021 attaining a well deserved Distinction. We caught up with Emma 8 months later to see what she is doing now.

 

Emma, after you finished your apprenticeship what did you do next?

​

I was taken on as a full time employee after my apprenticeship by the care home. I also enrolled at university and started a degree in Business Management at UCNL. This was recommended to me by my apprentices coach and it was the best decision I could have made. I have nearly finished my first year and plan to do the full 3 year course and graduate with a BA HONS receiving my degree at Lincoln Cathedral.

.

​

What is your current job?

​

I am the Office Administrator for the care home I did my apprenticeships with.

 

​

What does your role involve?

​

I am responsible for many different administrative roles within the care home, this includes training for all staff in each department to ensure that they attend the right courses, that their training is up to date and hasn't expired. I document all training on to a digital system called a training matrix.

 

I also ensure all care plans for residents are up to date on our digital care planning system and that transport is booked for residents hospital appointments. I work closely with doctors, nurses and other health professionals to ensure all our residents health care needs are taken care of. I am responsible for the data protection of all paperwork in digital or hard copy to ensure compliance with GDPR. I answer telephone calls and respond to emails or reply to letters that come through to the care home. I liaise with suppliers and order necessary items for the care home on a weekly basis and I also take minutes of meetings, type them up and file away.

.

​

What is your typical day like?

​

My typical 7 hour day at the care home is never the same as the day before. When I arrive I check any emails that have come through and respond in a timely manner. I answer telephone calls and check any post that has come in.

 

Working within a care home I always make time for the residents and I like to go around of the home to see how everyone is doing. I have set jobs that I need to carry out on a daily or weekly basis but I also assist the manager with different tasks that need completing. Residents family members book visits and I ensure that these are booked into the visits diary, the phone can ring up to 20 times a day and the door has a regular stream of visitors. The care home office can be a fast pace environment one day and a chilled day the next. No two days are the same.

​

Thinking back to the goals that you had at the start of your apprenticeship, where are you at now with your goals ?

​

At the start of my apprenticeship I wanted a new career and a change. I wanted to feel a sense of self worth in my occupational choices. I wanted to have a steady income were I could live comfortable and treat my family.

 

I feel I have achieved in most parts my goals. I certainly feel a sense of achievement and worth in my job role - I know I am an important part of the team here which is a lovely feeling to have.

It is not just a job I go to, I make a difference.

Financially, I am more stable and I can treat my  family a lot more. Having a qualification certainly opens up different prospects of better paid employment. My work/family/university balance was a worry for me initially but I adapted well to this and worked better under the pressure of knowing assignments were due in.

​