RAINBOW TRAINING KEEPS SUN SHINING ON CARE HOME CUSTOMER SERVICE

Front row left to right: Rainbow Training business development manager Hilary Farrow and Wentworth Grange managing director Phyllis Lee. Back row left to right: Anamaria Ghile, Melanie Jackson, Wentworth Grange training manager Lynne McGrowther and Cosmina Szakacs.

A NORTH East care home has joined forces with Newcastle learning provider Rainbow Training in a bid to change the face of the way care is delivered.

Wentworth Grange care home in Riding Mill, near Hexham, Northumberland, is training each of its 56 staff in the customer service course offered by the multi accredited provider, in its dedication to delivering a top quality service to its residents.

After being awarded the Investors in People quality mark every year since its introduction in 1991, Wentworth Grange now has Rainbow Training, which is based in Heaton, Newcastle, to thank for its significant contribution to the home’s newest ‘Gold Standard’ award.

Rainbow Training, which also works in partnership with New College Durham and delivers courses throughout the north east, is also training the care home’s cleaners in a Cleaning Support Services NVQ, and the carers in an NVQ in Health and Social Care.

Wentworth Grange managing director Phyllis Lee said: “Customer service is not something a care home often invests in, but we want to take a fresh perspective on the way care can be delivered. It’s about altering both the staff and the public’s perceptions.

“Our guests tell us they know we value quality over quantity, and people look forward to the service from our staff.

“We offer more than just the physical care - we aim for Wentworth Grange to feel more like a hotel than a care home. Our staff are kitted out with clothes from Marks & Spencer, we provide chef-prepared meals, and we want to offer excellent customer service. Rainbow Training is helping us to achieve this.”

Rainbow Training, which responds flexibly to meet the learner’s needs, has been tutoring and assessing the staff on site. It awarded certificates last week to the first batch of candidates to have completed the courses.

So far, eight staff have completed the customer service course, five the cleaning course and one the health and social care.

The learning provider also offers courses in Childcare and Leadership Training, which can open the door to an apprenticeship, to other employment-based opportunities or to further vocational training.

COUNCIL FINDS CHILDCARE TRAINING AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

James Gould, Rainbow Training director

JOBLESS young people in Newcastle could be helped into childcare apprenticeships - and a more inspiring future - in a fresh initiative to reduce unemployment across the city.

Work-based learning and training provider Rainbow Training has clinched a contract with Newcastle City Council to offer childcare training to help those without qualifications onto the first rung of the apprenticeship ladder.

The training will be held in Newcastle city centre from March, as part of Rainbow Training’s ‘Entry to Employment’ and ‘Work Based Learning for Young People’ contract with the council.

The multi accredited provider is one of the North East’s leading suppliers of dedicated NVQ learning programmes.

Rainbow Training director James Gould said: “This programme may be the first positive learning experience many young people have had in their lives.

“Most of the learners who embark on E2E programmes will have achieved very little in the way of examination success at school.

“Lots of people with few qualifications are chomping at the bit to make a positive contribution to society but they just need the right opportunity to do so. This is the perfect chance.

“The programmes offer a new, fresh and exciting start for young people who may have felt alienated, disenfranchised or excluded from mainstream, orthodox school learning.”

The training will respond flexibly to meet the learner’s needs and offers a range of provision including numeracy and literacy, NVQ Level 1 or 2 units, vocational knowledge, and employability skills including problem solving, effective thinking and team working.

The young people may progress to a Foundation Modern Apprenticeship, to other employment-based opportunities or to further vocational training.

Rainbow Training’s contract with the Council was awarded through Trinity Solutions, an educational facility working with a network of learning providers.

Trinity Solutions quality manager Kieran McLaughlin said: “We’re delighted to be working alongside Rainbow Training in the Entry to Employment training scheme. The initiative should help many young people in the city and shows huge promise for the future of the region.”

Rainbow Training, which was granted Investors in People status in 2008 and was recently awarded national mark ‘Matrix Quality Standard’, has offices in Newcastle, Gateshead and Middlesbrough.

Mr Gould, who also offers training in health and social care, customer service and cleaning support within Rainbow Training, said: “We are very excited and pleased to be working with Newcastle City Council on this project.

“Our job satisfaction will not only be measured by delivering the programme to the city but by seeing, via our efforts, young people who might once have envisaged a future with no hope, now waking up to a more inspiring future.”