Bangor care home worker achieves new qualification
Carolyn Williams, the deputy manager at Ceris Newydd and Glyn Menai care homes, completed the Level 5 Leadership and Management in Health & Social Care qualification.
This new qualification allows learners to draw on their experience in the health and social care sector while further developing their skills and gaining qualifications.
As her final project for the higher apprenticeship, Ms Williams researched and launched a dementia-friendly café for residents at Glyn Menai, which she hopes to open up to the wider community.
She signed up for the Level 5 course after completing Level 4 Preparing for Leadership and Management through Grŵp Llandrillo Menai's further education pathway.
Ms Williams said: "I enjoyed the Level 5 course, it was interesting.
"It helped that I had a lot of insight from doing the Level 4.
"It was a lot of work, especially on top of working 40 hours a week, but it was worth it for the final project.
"I created a dementia-friendly café which our residents go to on a Monday, so they get to attend a café with family members and staff but remain on the site.
"It's been popular, and my plan for the project is to introduce it to the community, so that people who have a dementia diagnosis can have the opportunity to be part of our community.
"I hope it will be a way of being introduced to the setting, so that it's not so overwhelming when they do come here.
"Also, it can be a way of sharing information between new residents and old residents and ones who've been here longer."
READ MORE: New Age UK campaign urges midlifers to be more active to prepare for later life
Ms Williams has supported her staff at Fairways in completing their own qualifications through work-based learning and has built a close working relationship with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.
Her assessor Liz Wainwright said: "A huge congratulations to our first successful achiever on the new Higher Apprentice qualification.
"I'm so proud that Carolyn has achieved this.
"She has worked extremely hard to complete the qualification, and her confidence has grown throughout.
"I'm looking forward to continuing working with Carolyn and the team at Fairways supporting their staff through their Health and Social Care qualifications."
The Level 5 leadership and management in health and social care higher apprenticeship has been developed to equip the social care sector with more highly skilled workers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Scotsman
Terminally ill man behind Church of Scotland assembly on the 'really difficult' assisted dying conundrum
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was a speech he never expected to make, but one that he hoped will offer insight and comfort for others living with or supporting friends and family with terminal illnesses. Now, a man who delivered a powerful address to the Church of Scotland's General Assembly about his own experience with life-limiting disease has called for a major upsurge in investment in palliative care and questioned the assisted dying legislation passing through Holyrood. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad John Williams, 71, has been undergoing dialysis treatment for the past seven years - a situation complicated by the fact he has also been diagnosed with cancer of the small bowel that has spread to his lung and spine. Such health problems have given Mr Williams cause to think deeply about assisted dying, an issue that has occupied the minds of those in the church, MSPs and wider civic Scotland in recent months. John Williams addresses the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. | Andrew O'Brien It has also made Mr Williams even more aware of the crucial and compassionate services provided by palliative care specialists, having been referred to St Columba's Hospice after being referred by Dr Tony Duffy, his palliative care consultant. Call for hospices to receive better funding package He said he wished he had been made aware of palliative care sooner, and described the resources afforded to hospices as a 'disgrace' that had to be urgently addressed. 'There just isn't the capacity there, and the number of people who die in hospices is just a tiny figure,' he said. 'The hospices are just not supported or properly funded and they need volunteers just to run things.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As things stand, Mr Williams, who has no idea how long he has left to live, said he could not support the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill that passed an initial vote at Holyrood last month. But he said there was an opportunity to work towards 'better' legislation provided key issues were addressed. 'How are you going to square doing this with the medical profession - how is that going to work in practice?' he said. 'I think that's the really difficult one. It's not going to be easy, whatever happens, and I honestly don't know what will come next, but there has to be detailed thought given. I'm concerned the Bill is being rushed through.' Liam McArthur's assisted dying bill is currently progressing through Holyrood. | PA The Bill, brought forward by Scottish Lib Dem, Liam McArthur, will go back to the Scottish Parliament's health committee for stage two, with a deadline for amendments in the autumn. Mr McArthur intends to bring in an amendment raising the minimum age at which people should be eligible to 18. It is expected there will be moves to impose a time limit on what is defined as a terminal diagnosis. 'Why me and not other people?' Mr Williams will be among those following the Bill's progress. There have been times where the pain has been so great that he has considered stopping dialysis, and he knows that if his cancer becomes too heavy a burden to bear, that option will remain open to him. It is an option very few people have, and Mr Williams said he found it difficult to reconcile the fact that others living with terminal illness did not have such a choice available. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You think 'why me and not other people?' he told The Scotsman. 'I can understand people who want to go down that road. I just hope that anyone who does it does so for the right reasons, and that everything else has failed. You've got to be really, really careful as to how it's worked out and what discussions take place beforehand.' Such conversations are something Mr Williams draws strength from and, for the time being, he is hopeful that he will be able to manage his cancer and continue dialysis. 'Obviously, some people will say that God will decide when it's your time, but I think it depends on how you look at it,' he reflected. 'It's like the parable of the drowning man who refuses a lifeboat and a helicopter, and when he meets God, it's explained that it was God who sent the rescuers. 'At present, the medication I'm on is not working great, which is down to the spinal cord cancer, and I can't get radiotherapy for that. It's a case of changing the medication quite drastically. If I can keep doing that with dialysis and the cancer keeps in check, I'll keep going. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But if nothing was working, and I found that I couldn't get anything under control, would I consider stopping dialysis? Yes, I would have to consider it, because even with palliative care, I'm going to be in trouble. But now is not the time to have that conversation.' 'Sharing your story is so valuable' Since 1974, Mr Williams has played a crucial role in the assembly, working as an audio-visual technician to ensure a phalanx of cameras, microphones and screens are fully operational so as to allow those in Edinburgh and further afield to follow the proceedings. But after more than half a century behind the scenes, Mr Williams was at the forefront of this year's gathering. Although he is not a commissioner, he was invited to address the assembly by Rev Dr John Ferguson, convener of the church's working group on assisted dying. After delivering a 14-minute speech, during which he spoke candidly about his own treatment and the plight of others, he received a rousing ovation, with Moderator Rt Rev Rosie Frew thanking him for sharing his story 'so openly and so honestly', and for helping people to understand what he was going through. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
North Wales Chronicle
5 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Wales farm visit health warning ahead of Open Farm Sunday
They have issued a warning about the potential health risks associated with farm visits ahead of the national day on Sunday, June 8. Animals, even healthy ones, can harbour diseases capable of causing illness in humans, including diarrhoeal diseases such as Cryptosporidium and E. coli. These infections can trigger symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps, with some strains of E. coli potentially leading to serious complications, such as kidney damage. Certain groups of people – pregnant women, children, elderly people, and those with health conditions affecting their immune system – are at a higher risk of becoming unwell or facing complications from these infections. A recent Cryptosporidium outbreak linked to farm visits resulted in more than 80 confirmed cases. Although most victims made a full recovery within two weeks, some required hospital treatment. Christopher Williams, consultant epidemiologist for Public Health Wales, said: "Infection can be caught from direct contact with animals or touching things that have animal faeces (poo) on them. "The risk of infection can be reduced by strictly following safety advice." He urged visitors to wash their hands with hot water and soap immediately after contact with animals and before leaving the farm. He also advised avoiding close contact with animals, such as cuddling or holding them, and refraining from eating or drinking near animals or while walking through the farm. Mr Williams added: "The bugs can survive on clothes, shoes, and pram wheels after leaving the farm. "So, continue hand hygiene after touching items which could be contaminated until the item has been cleaned. "Any soiled clothes, shoes or other items should be cleaned promptly. "Prepare for visits by wearing sensible footwear, avoiding open toe shoes. "If you get ill after visiting a farm, contact your GP or 111. "Ensure good hygiene to avoid passing infection to others." To further lessen the risk of infection, visitors are encouraged to supervise children closely, ensure they wash their hands correctly, and refrain from eating or drinking near animals or while walking around the farm. Pregnant women should be particularly vigilant and avoid contact with lambing sheep, other animals giving birth, and newborn or baby animals. Individuals who become unwell with a diarrhoeal illness following a farm visit should not return to work, school, or nursery until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours.
Rhyl Journal
5 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Wales farm visit health warning ahead of Open Farm Sunday
They have issued a warning about the potential health risks associated with farm visits ahead of the national day on Sunday, June 8. Animals, even healthy ones, can harbour diseases capable of causing illness in humans, including diarrhoeal diseases such as Cryptosporidium and E. coli. These infections can trigger symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps, with some strains of E. coli potentially leading to serious complications, such as kidney damage. Certain groups of people – pregnant women, children, elderly people, and those with health conditions affecting their immune system – are at a higher risk of becoming unwell or facing complications from these infections. A recent Cryptosporidium outbreak linked to farm visits resulted in more than 80 confirmed cases. Although most victims made a full recovery within two weeks, some required hospital treatment. Christopher Williams, consultant epidemiologist for Public Health Wales, said: "Infection can be caught from direct contact with animals or touching things that have animal faeces (poo) on them. "The risk of infection can be reduced by strictly following safety advice." He urged visitors to wash their hands with hot water and soap immediately after contact with animals and before leaving the farm. He also advised avoiding close contact with animals, such as cuddling or holding them, and refraining from eating or drinking near animals or while walking through the farm. Mr Williams added: "The bugs can survive on clothes, shoes, and pram wheels after leaving the farm. "So, continue hand hygiene after touching items which could be contaminated until the item has been cleaned. "Any soiled clothes, shoes or other items should be cleaned promptly. "Prepare for visits by wearing sensible footwear, avoiding open toe shoes. "If you get ill after visiting a farm, contact your GP or 111. "Ensure good hygiene to avoid passing infection to others." To further lessen the risk of infection, visitors are encouraged to supervise children closely, ensure they wash their hands correctly, and refrain from eating or drinking near animals or while walking around the farm. Pregnant women should be particularly vigilant and avoid contact with lambing sheep, other animals giving birth, and newborn or baby animals. Individuals who become unwell with a diarrhoeal illness following a farm visit should not return to work, school, or nursery until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours.
