- Care UK’s new Seacole Academy of Care and Clinical Excellence produces its first graduate Andreea, who works in Care UK’s Pear Tree Court care home, and is the first nurse to graduate from the Seacole Academy.
- The Care UK Seacole Academy of Care and Clinical Excellence was launched in 2021 and oversees further clinical development for nursing colleagues.
Care UK is celebrating the first graduate from its Seacole Academy, nurse Andreea Bidea from Pear Tree Court care home in Horndean.
The Care UK Seacole Academy of Care and Clinical Excellence is designed to meet the evolving needs of residents, while also developing the careers of colleagues across Care UK’s 155+ homes.
Inspired by the work and achievements of Mary Seacole, the Academy was launched in 2021 and was founded by Rachel Harvey, Care UK’s Director of Care, Quality, and Regulatory Governance and Suzanne Mumford, Care UK’s Head of Nursing and Dementia Care. Throughout the development of each course, nursing colleagues working across Care UK homes have been invited to join working groups to share their own experiences and help shape the learning process.
The vision for the Seacole Academy is to continually develop Care UK’s nursing and care workforce to be specialists in older people’s nursing. Colleagues who are new to nursing, nursing in the UK, or who would like to develop into a more clinically focused role need a solid support network to help them succeed. For Care UK, it is a top priority to create environments where coaching and learning is everyday practice, and reflection is second nature. Everyone in care homes plays a part in this constant development by sharing their knowledge and supporting the application of learning in a safe and supportive way.
The Seacole Academy’s first graduate is Andreea, a nurse from Romania who made the decision to kickstart her career with Care UK when she moved to England. After initially joining as a care assistant, she has since embraced the training and development opportunities available to her, motivated by her passion to offer the best person-centred care to residents.
She said: “It feels great to be the first graduate of the Academy. Seeing residents’ health improve is the best part of the job, it makes me happy to know that I am supporting them with that – it’s what motivates me to be the best I can be.”
Rachel Harvey, Director of Care, Quality and Regulatory Governance explains: “The Seacole Academy of Care and Clinical Excellence serves as a comprehensive learning journey for each nurse, starting with establishing their role and gaining valuable experience. The focus then shifts to developing as a nurse of older adults and, eventually, supporting the development of others in the field. Throughout each stage, the academy helps its students to identify areas for personal growth and advancement in their careers.”
The Academy follows information provided by a resident census, conducted every year, which gathers information about residents' health conditions. This ensures the lessons that shape the academy’s curriculum not only reflects the needs of residents across all 155+ Care UK homes, but it is always accurate and up to date. This data, along with HR data and other internal feedback, is used to shape the Academy's focus on continuous clinical and care development.
In partnership with Winchester University, colleagues studying nursing qualifications can transfer their course to be completed at a Care UK home while working alongside nurses in the home, as opposed to taking the entire course from university. This allows soon-to-be nurses to gain personal experience in a care home setting whilst they are working towards their qualification, giving them a head start in their nursing careers.
In addition to this, the academy’s preceptorship programme has received national attention from the NHS. The programme provides valuable to support to new colleagues in their first year of nursing. They work alongside a nurse practice supervisor, gaining experience and evidencing their learning. Whether they are a newly qualified nurse or are joining Care UK from overseas as part of the Observed Structured Clinical Examination process, this crucial support allows them to find their feet in healthcare.
Speaking of the course itself, Andreea said: “I have loved how unique and diverse the training has been and have especially enjoyed the Namaste training. It shows that nursing isn’t just medical, and that relaxation can help improve wellbeing too. The training has been excellent and has kept up with the forever changing ways of caring – with the refresher sessions making sure you stay up to date.
“My last reflective discussion covered everything from wounds to choking. As this is covered in one session, you are able to reflect and learn so much – particularly when you are in a supportive group with other nurses. You can speak about your different stories and share experiences to ensure we are working to provide the best possible care for residents.”
As more nurses graduate from the program, the Seacole Academy will continue to grow and develop. Speaking of the program, Rachel Harvey said: “Seeing our first graduate Andreea’s success makes me extremely proud of how the program has developed and is still developing. We are really excited to see what else is to come for the Seacole Academy, and all of the nurses that come out of it.”
If joining the Seacole Academy could be for you, please do take a look at our current vacancies – https://www.careuk.com/careers
