A Swindon care home is investing in its workforce in an unusual way, offering employees access to hundreds of educational courses ranging from professional qualifications to beauty therapy and football management.
Willowbrook View has announced a partnership with Open Study College that will give staff access to more than 400 courses at heavily discounted rates, with the majority funded by parent company Connaught Care.
The initiative is designed to encourage lifelong learning and personal development, with employees asked only to demonstrate how their chosen course could ultimately benefit residents.
Courses available through the scheme range from GCSEs, A-Levels and professional qualifications to more specialist subjects including animal care, nutrition, beauty therapy and complementary therapies.
Investing in the person, not just the role
The programme builds on existing training opportunities already offered within the care group, including apprenticeships, leadership development and role-specific qualifications.
However, company leaders say the new partnership takes a broader approach by recognising that staff interests often extend beyond their day-to-day responsibilities.
Laurence Feather, Head of People at Connaught Care, believes personal growth and professional development go hand in hand.
“There is already a very strong focus on professional development across the care sector, and rightly so,” he said.
“For me, however, what is often missing is a genuine investment in the personal development of staff.
“At Connaught Care, we believe that if you grow the person, you grow the professional.”
He added that residents also benefit from being surrounded by staff who are motivated, engaged and continually developing new skills.
Bringing new skills into care
Several employees have already enrolled on courses.
At Willowbrook View, Chef de Partie Lathino has signed up for a Nutrition Consultant and Weight Management course, which he hopes will support the home’s wellbeing-focused approach to dining and menu planning.
Elsewhere within the group, staff have enrolled on subjects including beauty therapy and psychology, with participants expected to apply their learning in ways that enhance life for residents.
Deputy Manager Ilona Kreciszewska, who is studying Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Psychology, said she hopes the course will strengthen both her leadership skills and communication with residents and colleagues.
“I’m really looking forward to better understanding how people think and communicate and using that to connect more closely with both residents and the team,” she said.
Addressing recruitment challenges
The initiative comes at a time when the care sector faces significant workforce pressures.
Industry forecasts suggest hundreds of thousands of additional care roles will be needed nationally over the coming decades as demand for services increases.
Connaught Care believes schemes that support both personal ambitions and career progression could help improve recruitment and retention across the sector.
Andrew Wrensch, the group’s Training, Learning and Development Manager, said the aim was to create something genuinely different for employees.
“For us, this partnership is about recognising that people have interests and ambitions that extend beyond their jobs, and that nurturing those talents means everyone around them benefits,” he said.
Willowbrook View provides residential, dementia and respite care in Swindon, alongside day services through its Members Club programme, and operates an all-inclusive pricing model for residents.
