Behind the scenes at Bluebird Care induction

About 1 month ago I started working with Bluebird Care as the new Marketing Coordinator. To learn more about the recruitment and training process, I decided to go undercover.

With no experience in care or the process behind training professional care assistants, I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to take part in an induction day and take a look behind the scenes.

What happens in the training room?

Thursday morning I arrived at the training office at Basepoint Business Centre. There were 5 other trainees and I found that the small group made it easy to get to know each other and remember names. I had arrived on the fourth day of induction week, everyone else already knew each other but they were all very welcoming and quick to help if I got stuck on the activities.

Our training support supervisor Nikki stated, “I try to create a relaxed, inclusive and safe environment so everyone feels encouraged to get involved in the activities and ask questions.”

Everyone had some time to get to know each other and introduce themselves, I was surprised at how many had been care assistants previously and were returning to care. Only me and one other person were completely new to care, so I was curious how the training would navigate differences in experience.

Our first session of the day was medication management and handling, Nikki started with an introduction followed by information about prescribed medication and the importance of double-checking doses and making detailed notes. We then had a practical challenge, looking at medications and whether we would administer them to our imaginary patient. I was surprised at the level of detail that goes into medication management and ensuring we give our full attention to the people we care for. Nikki has a great way of using her own 14 years of experience and stories to enrich the learning experience and give a clear understanding of what is expected from a Bluebird Care assistant.

At lunchtime, my colleague Boo from marketing turned up with sandwiches and snacks while she gave a short presentation on how to represent Bluebird Care in the community and the importance of sharing nice experiences and stories with colleagues.

During our break, while listening to everyone’s experiences I realised that although some trainees had been carers before, training, values and procedures differ hugely from one care provider to another. Bluebird Care trains all their care assistants to ensure customers and care seekers have the same great experience and care assistants are always best prepared to help the community independently while instilling confidence and values within each team member.

The afternoon was a nice mix of listening and practical learning about the importance of proper hygiene management and how to deal with different situations that may arise. Again Nikki’s stories offered a window into how to be a great care assistant and it is obvious that she cares for all the people she helps. One story that really stood out to me was about a woman that Nikki used to help. This woman's house was the last that Nikki would need to visit on her run, so she would stay an extra half hour, in her own time, to paint this woman’s nails and make her feel special. Someone emotionally caring for you along with the physical duties of care, I believe, is something we would all like to experience in our time of need.

What did I learn?

As we reached the end of the day, I realised just how much I had enjoyed the training, getting involved in the activities and being around future care assistants who were serious and passionate about their futures. A huge thank you to Nikki for taking me under her wing for the day and thank you to my fellow learners!

If you are interested in working Bluebird Care, visit our careers page here.