Students from the Health & Social Care course at Solihull College & University Centre have recently completed their year placement at a local charity.
The College formed a partnership with Solihull Carers Centre recently to allow their students to gain work experience whilst studying. Solihull Carers Centre is a local charity that provides support and advice to all unpaid carers within the Solihull borough from the age of 5-90 years plus. Carers could be anyone who is helping to look after someone who has an illness, disability, mental health condition, alcohol/substance dependency or HIV/AIDS.
Naomi Perryman, Peer Mentoring and Befriending Volunteer Coordinator at the charity commented:
“It is the first time we have worked with the Health & Social Care placement team at the College to provide students with a placement opportunity with ourselves. Through the support of Shamira within the College’s placement team, we have worked together to identify students that would best be suited to our organisation.”
Students from the College Leyla Akmal and Faith Eckersley were eager to complete their placement at the charity and began their work last year and enjoyed the placement so much that the students decided to volunteer at the charity after their placement. Naomi continued:
“We worked together with the students to ensure that they maximised their placements week and through the students commitment they decided to become volunteers with ourselves ahead of their formal placements. The support that they have provided to us through their volunteering has supported Carers of all ages across the borough. As a result of this additional volunteering the students have been able to gain a greater amount of experience during their placement weeks. Our continued commitment to them has been to support them through providing a structured placement that incorporated all areas of the service that we provide.”
Since completing their Health & Social Care qualifications, both Leyla and Faith continue to volunteer at Solihull Carers Centre. Leyla volunteers on a regular basis and Faith volunteers each holiday period when she returns from university.
Naomi concluded: “We are really looking forward to continuing to develop our strong partnership relationship with the College by providing students with a rewarding placement weeks in future.”
The College is hosting an open day on Saturday 26th November, 10am-2pm at both of their Blossomfield and Woodlands campuses to give prospective students the opportunity to meet with tutors, tour the facilities and try out a number of activities throughout the day.
For more information on the courses available at Solihull College & University Centre and the open day visit the courses page or call 0121 678 7000.
