National Apprentice Week Interview

09 March 2018

As it is national apprentice week we took a moment to catch up with our Dudley Lodge apprentice Katie.

What inspired you to apply for an apprenticeship with Dudley Lodge?
I applied for an apprenticeship at Dudley Lodge as I was looking for an apprenticeship that allowed me to gain a qualification in childcare whilst working in an interesting and challenging environment. Looking into Dudley Lodge made me really keen to apply as it gave me the opportunity to work with a variety of people in such a child-focused environment whilst also working closely in bettering the lives of the children we work with.

What does a typical day look like? Who do you work most closely with and what sort of tasks do you do?
My typical day is very much the same as a family assessment worker at Dudley Lodge. We work with different families every day, so our first task is to look at the family's background, guidance and work plan to see what we need to focus on during that shift. This will also tell us what the family's supervision levels are, and when childcare is required for the family. We then complete our first visits, checking on the child(ren) and discuss with the families about their plans for the day to allow us to organise our shifts. Then we will work with the families, supervising tasks where required, providing childcare whilst parents are at groups or meetings, and completing the family's daily focus, be it through mini sessions, discussions or observations.

What do you think you’ve learned from your apprenticeship?
My apprenticeship has taught me how to manage my time effectively mostly! Juggling a full-time job as well as an afternoon at college a week, plus assignments can be a hard task, but it has taught me to plan my time to ensure everything can be completed within their deadlines.

What advice would you give to people looking to apply for an apprenticeship?
Applying for an apprenticeship can be daunting, at any age, but especially as an 'older' student, but apprenticeships aren't just for school leavers! Being able to gain a qualification whilst working in the relevant environment is an amazing opportunity to learn both on and off the job, as well as gaining a good insight into your future career. If you're hesitant - don't be! You'll be pleased you took the leap.

What are your plans for the next stage of your career?
My future career is just that, still in the future, but working at Dudley Lodge has given me a great insight into the social care system as well as childcare, and I know that over the next months and year working at Dudley Lodge will help make it clear to me what the next step to take will be!

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