Summary
When Dagenham-based Fatmata Sawi was approached by her manager to complete a care course at ACL Essex, Fatmata took up the chance with both hands. Fatmata completed the course online and gained a qualification that helped improve the care service she was providing for the people she looks after. After studying at ACL Essex, Fatmata feels she can provide a ‘perfect service’.
When Dagenham-based Fatmata Sawi was approached by her manager to complete a care course at ACL Essex, Fatmata took up the chance with both hands. Fatmata completed the course online and gained a qualification that helped improve the care service she was providing for the people she looks after. After studying at ACL Essex, Fatmata feels she can provide a ‘perfect service’.
Here’s Fatmata’s story:
“I work in a care home for dementia patients and my manager asked if I wanted to do a qualification to empower me to deliver the service. I said yes – every little helps and I always want to learn something new. She said OK and put me forward.
“The curriculum lead at ACL then contacted me and really supported me through the application process. Once I completed that, she allocated a tutor to me, Angie.
“Angie was very good. She was really motivated and always helped me if I didn’t get things right. She’d always show me what I needed to do to achieve what I want, and I really appreciated that. She gave me work to do and when I presented it, she was very happy about the way I did things.
“I live in Dagenham but I completed the course online. My tutor would come and do assessments at the care home I work in. They’d come to assess you, tick what you have done well and then tell you how to improve.
“Doing the course at ACL has helped me to improve my ability, my talents and my work pattern. As a carer, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll always give the wrong service to the people you care for, so I really feel happy about having this qualification.
“Now that I have it, I know I can deliver a perfect service to the people I look after.
“I would advise people who work in a care setting to go for what they want, especially if they are working in certain environments. Whether you look after older or younger people, you really need the experience and to get your qualification so you can give a perfect service to the people you look after.
“I really want to speak to my age group because sometimes people get older and they think they are too old to achieve what they want. But ACL is there to support you because they have experienced, motivated and educated people who help you to achieve what you want. I really encourage people to come to ACL to learn and improve their lives.
“My advice to people who are working in a care setting is to upgrade themselves. There’s no harm in learning. I’m a qualified chef but I work in a care home; I do everything. So for me, you really have to upgrade yourself. If you are working in care, come and do something at ACL. They’re very good, they are really motivated and the tutors help you through your journey.”
To find out more about courses covered by the Nightingale Care Bursary at ACL Essex, visit http://www.aclessex.com/nightingale.
