Anna Fleming

A support worker for young people, Anna was a worthy winner of our Learner of the Month Award in March 2022.

Noticing the distinct difference between college learning vs an apprenticeship, she found the qualification massively boosted her confidence. With the support of her Training Advisor Jess, she achieved a Level 2 certification in Health & Social Care. Here, she tells us all about it.

Hi Anna! Congratulations for winning our Learner of the Month award!

Thank you very much.

Could you tell us a bit more about yourself?

My name’s Anna and I’ve been a support worker for nearly three years.

What apprenticeship are you taking with us, Anna?

I’m doing my Level 2 in Health & Social Care. I’ve been learning with TSW Training for over a year now.

Are you enjoying it?

I am. I love learning more about my job and I’ve had amazing support. I’m someone who struggles to feel comfortable with my learning. I’ve had such great support from TSW.

They give me a boost in confidence and showed me different methods of learning, which I wasn’t shown before.

What appealed to you about your role with Ambito Care?

Being able to assist people with their everyday lives and learning as we do for the coursework for Level 2. And being able to progress while you’re in the job.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

I support young people with learning difficulties. It’s a rewarding job. I do night shifts now, so I assist people to bed and make sure everyone is okay, everyone’s settled. Catch up on all the paperwork.

Has the apprenticeship improved how you do your job?

I’ve learnt a lot more about how important our role is in carrying out safe practices and knowing what to do in certain situations.

Let’s talk about your TA, Jess…

We chat through email, and she says to email her with any questions. I’d email her quite a lot when I was struggling with my confidence, and she would just go through things with me. I’m always given the right amount of support to boost my confidence. She’s lovely.

Do you feel like part of a community when you’re learning?

Yeah, definitely. You realise how much of an impact you have on other people’s lives.

Does your employer support you?

I speak to my team leader – she helps me a lot and she’s the best person to go to. Before she was a team leader, I used to work beside her as a support worker.

What motivates you to learn?

Learning in a way that doesn’t feel as forced as it would in school or college is really enjoyable. It’s just the way everything is set out – it feels natural and not stressful.

Do you think taking an apprenticeship has changed your life?

I realised before that I wasn’t really listened to enough in school with learning. It’s just nice to have that support and feel confident learning.

And what advice would you give to people?

When you’re being told ‘you’ve going to be doing this coursework and this exam,’ it seems a little bit nerve-wracking at first. But when you realise you get the proper support, it’s great. It’s been really good for me, and I’d definitely recommend others to do it.

What are your career aspirations?

My goal at the moment is to do my Level 3 and become a Team Leader, within Ambito Care.

We’re sure you’ll go far, Anna!