Students who believed working in care would lead to a “dead end” in their careers have had their views on the industry turned around thanks to a Fenland care home.

Askham Village Community in Doddington welcomed Christopher Obhiero-Thomas, Clara Etoruom-Echebima and Rhita Moroyiwa on a five-week placement from September.

The trio, all second-year mental health students at Anglia Ruskin University, were sceptical at first about the benefits of what the care community offers.

“People often have a preconception of social care, which is at odds with the reality. Christopher, Clara and Rhita were no different in that regard,” Priscilla Masvipurwa, head of rehab and nursing services at Askham Village Community, said.

“They believed that working in care offered limited career progression and was effectively a dead end when compared against other aspects of healthcare.

“By the end of their placement, their view had changed completely.”

After going on a tour of the premises to gain an understanding of what services are provided, Priscilla said the students were in awe of the scale of care on offer.

The trio also gained access to Askham’s new rehabilitative robotics equipment, as well as learning how to offer hands-on care and allowing them to talk, grow and develop.

“They were able to practise all areas of nursing. They understood how competent and confident a nurse has to be at all times in a care home,” Priscilla said.

“They realised how much autonomy you have as a nurse in a care home – you have to know everything about anything, and have good sense and intuition.”

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Feedback from the students on their placement was positive, rating Askham amongst the best having already been on several previous placements and all three said they would like to return.

Despite their initial thoughts, Priscilla said the village community could not be more grateful to help the students improve their prospects for a future career in care.

“One of the students actually burst into tears on placement as she had never experienced such intense care from an entire team. We involved them in every discipline which they would have struggled to achieve elsewhere,” she added.

“In some settings, a student is seen as an inconvenience – but that couldn’t be further from the case at Askham. We recognise their value as the next generation of care providers.”

For more information on Askham Village Community, visit https://askhamvillagecommunity.com/ or to find out about a possible career, email info@askhamvillagecommunity.com.