Kick-off PCC training for caregivers!
A long cherished wish of PCC has finally become true
because this July we officially started a tailor-made programme of training and development for new caregivers in PCC.
It is a kind of in-service training programme, developed with the help of various experts and PCC insiders from Europe led by the excellent Sue Hatton from England.
You will probably know that our caregivers aren’t in the possession of any specific diplomas or certificates when they start working at PCC. There simply is no institution in Ghana, which trains people for working at communities like ours. That is why we will try and change this with our new and own programme.
We have worked for a year on the development of the programme, which will – for the time being – consist of four parts: four stepping stones on the educational road map of new caregivers. Each stepping stone will give more information, further insight and expertise.
The first step will have to be taken within 3 months, the second within 6 months, the third after 18 months and the fourth after 30 months. If new caregivers have successfully completed a step they will receive a Certificate. Their expertise and skills will be verified during an oral exam.
The programme is available on paper as well as on a computer (there are also a number of instructive videos which can be viewed) and some expert caregivers will function as mentors to new caregivers, because e.g. not everybody speaks English well and difficult words are not always fully understood.
Joe Emma will be coordinating the training in PCC and he will decide whether or not the new caregiver has shown enough progression after each step. Of course the caregiver will also be assessed on matters like diligence and commitment with regard to daily health care.
Each new caregiver will be given an easy exercise book in which various questions can be found as well as space for questions or notes of one’s own.
It is a kind of in-service training programme, developed with the help of various experts and PCC insiders from Europe led by the excellent Sue Hatton from England.
You will probably know that our caregivers aren’t in the possession of any specific diplomas or certificates when they start working at PCC. There simply is no institution in Ghana, which trains people for working at communities like ours. That is why we will try and change this with our new and own programme.
We have worked for a year on the development of the programme, which will – for the time being – consist of four parts: four stepping stones on the educational road map of new caregivers. Each stepping stone will give more information, further insight and expertise.
The first step will have to be taken within 3 months, the second within 6 months, the third after 18 months and the fourth after 30 months. If new caregivers have successfully completed a step they will receive a Certificate. Their expertise and skills will be verified during an oral exam.
The programme is available on paper as well as on a computer (there are also a number of instructive videos which can be viewed) and some expert caregivers will function as mentors to new caregivers, because e.g. not everybody speaks English well and difficult words are not always fully understood.
Joe Emma will be coordinating the training in PCC and he will decide whether or not the new caregiver has shown enough progression after each step. Of course the caregiver will also be assessed on matters like diligence and commitment with regard to daily health care.
Each new caregiver will be given an easy exercise book in which various questions can be found as well as space for questions or notes of one’s own.
Because relatively many new caregivers have been employed here this year, already 10 caregivers have started their training!
Sue Hatton herself was in PCC for a week to introduce the programme and to train Joe Emma and the mentors. Besides she has studied the first steps of the programme together with the new caregivers and exemplified when and where necessary.
That same week Sue Hatton, together with her colleague Elizabeth Atfield, found the time to also teach on her speciality – Autism – in two Workshops.
Both Workshops were very good and practical and tailored to the about 15 residents of PCC with autistic spectrum conditions and therefore very recognizable to all our caregivers.
All caregivers will receive a Certificate for attending these Workshops.
A caregiver’s work is rather complicated and our hope and assured expectation is of course, that through a specific and structured training new caregivers will be better prepared and equipped for carrying out their important work in PCC.
Sue Hatton has accomplished an amazing amount of work in the development of this training. Only recently she received a Life Time Achievement Award in England for her commitment to and expertise in the field of good health care for people with autistic spectrum conditions and her efforts in creating a better understanding of them.
As a matter of fact, we would like to highly recommend Queen Elizabeth to knight Sue Hatton for her important work!
PCC feels immensely privileged to have such skilled experts who support our work! That is why we have thrown Sue Hatton a special PCC Party shortly before her departure from Nkoranza.