YMCA Cornwall benefits from tailored training led by REACH

YMCA Cornwall may seem an unlikely member of a forum set up to shape the future of social care and health skills provision in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. But Corporate Services Manager Louise Mallas is clear that the charity shares many of the challenges faced by the care providers taking part in the EU supported REACH Cornwall project.

Funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) as part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme and delivered by Truro and Penwith College, REACH Cornwall is bringing employers together to address the pressures facing the health and social care sector and ensure that those needing care receive the best possible service.

“While people working in the social care and health sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are doing an amazing job, there are simply not enough people, with the right skills, to meet the ever growing need for these services” said REACH Cornwall Project Co-ordinator Jenny Gramnes.  “We want to raise excellence and aspiration in care and health by working with employers to identify skills shortages and develop tailored courses to provide those skills.

 “Whether they are managing a small or large healthcare organisation, own a care home, run support groups or therapy services, or are involved at the grass roots level, they are all facing the same pressures.  Thanks to ESF funding from the Growth Fund Programme we have been able to create a forum in which all parts of the sector can come together and discuss how to address these issues.

 “Over the past few months we have staged a number of events for employers to meet and discuss the training they need, as well as the challenges they face in recruiting and retaining staff.  We are now working together to develop high quality solutions that work for their teams”.

 The employer led forum is currently working on developing management training, short courses and bespoke programmes, work placements and apprenticeships, and promoting career opportunities.

Louise Mallas was attending an information session on apprenticeships when she first met Dolly Mazonowicz from the REACH Cornwall project. Although the charity is not a care provider she quickly realised that they shared many of the same issues such as recruiting staff and accepted the offer to join the forum.

Originally established in 1877 to provide support for young vulnerable people in need, YMCA Cornwall now provides supported housing for young people aged 16 to 25 who are vulnerable, homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It currently has around 50 self-contained one bedroom flats and manages and supports a further 10 across West Cornwall and is in the process of becoming a registered landlord. The charity also runs a children’s nursery in Mullion.

“We provide young people with a secure, stable foundation so they can move towards independent living and access education, training and employment” explained Louise. “They can stay in the accommodation for up to two years or up to four years if necessary, with support and guidance provided by a team of dedicated workers. “

This support includes providing training and equipment for essential life skills, such as planning meals, cooking and managing a budget, as well as offering a range of activities and excursions. When a young person is ready to move on the charity offers a resettlement service which provides tailored support for up to six months.

One of the key challenges for the charity is recruiting staff – an issue Louise discovered was shared by many of the members of the forum. As a result REACH Cornwall arranged for a leading expert in recruitment to be a guest speakerat an event staged at the Eden Project.

“The speaker was brilliant and I learnt so much from the session” said Louise. “I came back full of excitement at what I had heard. We put some of his suggestions into practice the next time we recruited for staff – generating our highest number of applications.”

Louise has also attended a session on Marketing and Communications with another member of her team and is looking forward to taking part in further meetings of the forum.

“One of the most positive things about REACH is that they consult you on the support and training you need – rather than just drawing up their own programme” she said.  “This means that the sessions are targeted at addressing the challenges you are facing. We have changed the way we recruit staff with very positive results and are now reviewing our communications. “

 “The opportunity to work with REACH and other members of the forum has already proved really beneficial to our charity and I am sure we will benefit further in the future.  It was certainly a very lucky day when I met Dolly “.

REACH Cornwall is one of the thirty nine European Social Fund (ESF) funded projects from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth programme which are helping people develop new skills and qualifications so they can progress their careers or find employment. So far the Growth Programme has invested £321m of EU funding in supporting 105 projects which are helping to deliver smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

For more information about Raising Excellence and Aspirations in Care programme (REACH) visit: www.reachcornwall.org.uk