Skills Bootcamp – Healthcare Assistant

This Skills Bootcamp offers an exciting training opportunity to learn more about the role of a Healthcare Assistant for adults with a Learning Disability and Autism.

The Brook, is Devon Partnership NHS Trust’s new regional learning disability and autism unit in Dawlish. The unit is planned to open from mid-2025 and Devon Partnership NHS Trust would like you to join their team!

The course is designed for people looking to get into healthcare. This 12 week course will support you to gain the knowledge and skills required to be successful at interview and be offered employment at The Brook.

Please see links Learning Disability and Autism Unit | DPT Jobs and Healthcare Assistant | DPT Jobs.

The delivery of the course will be in-person 1 day a week for 12 weeks. This will enable the delivery of all theoretical and practical elements.

25th November to 3rd March – 12 weeks. One day a week. Two week breaks over Christmas and one week break over February half term (W/C 17th Feb).

Induction – Week 1

• Course introduction
• Introduction to the course, content outline & teaching/mentoring staff & each other
• Teachers and mentors, to outline the course content, assessment activities and mentoring process
• Introduction to Devon Partnership NHS Trust and the offer and prep for practice insights
• Introduction to the new Dawlish Unit

Week 2 to week 6

Communication.

• Understand the importance of effective communication at work
• Understand how to meet communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals
• Understand how to promote effective communication
• Speech and Language Specialist

Duty of Care.

• Understand how duty of care contributes to safe practice
• Understand the support available for addressing dilemmas that may arise, about duty of care
• Deal with comments and complaints
• Deal with incidents, errors and near misses

Equality and Diversity.

• Understand the importance of equality and inclusion
• Work in an inclusive way
• Access information, advice and support about diversity, equality and inclusion
• Misconceptions of people with learning disabilities and autism

Person Centred Care.

• Understanding person centred values
• Understanding working in a person-centred way
• Demonstrate awareness of the individual’s immediate environment and make changes to address factors that may be causing discomfort or distress. – sensory processing etc

Week 7 to 10 – Safeguarding, basic life support, taking observations, infection control and health and safety.

Week 11 and 12 – Support with job applications, interview preparation and interviews.

Each week will be a range of theory and practical skills lessons.

For more information please contact one of our Adult Advisers: Email: adultadvice@exe-coll.ac.uk Call: 01392 400170

The following entry criteria must be fulfilled:

• You are 19 years or over
• You live in Devon or Cornwall
• You have the right to work in the UK
• You have lived in the UK or EU/EAA for the last 3 years or have a residency status that makes you exempt from this rule
• English skills including written/spoken required with Level 1 being the minimum
• Have basic IT skills
• Awareness of safeguarding, equality and diversity, and basic education
• You have not completed another Skills Bootcamp in this current financial year
• If you are unemployed and meet the above criteria, the course will be free
• If you are fully employed, your employer will be asked to pay a contribution. If you are part-time employed, funding will depend on your circumstances
• If you are self-employed, you need to show commitment to building your business and provide evidence of a business plan that reflects the knowledge and skills this course has to offer
• You are committed to participating in delivery sessions for 12-16 weeks

All applicants will be assessed at interview.

This Skills Bootcamp is delivered at the Hele Building, facilities include:

• Specialist clinical hospital ward
• Learning Resource Centre (LRC)
• Cafés
• IT suites