QUALIFICATION SUCCESS AT FIELDHEAD
Four people with learning disabilities have successfully gained a new qualification at Fieldhead Hospital, which is part of the South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust.
The four clients, Gary, Veronica, Sarah and Paula, all attend Ackworth Villa Therapy Services, based at Fieldhead, and have completed a food hygiene training course at Foundation level. They took part in the 10-week course and then sat an oral examination at the end of it.
They were presented with their certificates by Trust chief executive, Judith Young, during a special event held at Fieldhead on January 9. During the presentation Judith congratulated the clients and said, ‘We are here to celebrate this great success. You have all done so well and I am glad to be here to present you with certificates amongst friends and people who are very proud of you’.
Each of the clients now holds the same qualification as many of the staff who work at Fieldhead, which is required if you have to work in food preparation as part of your job. Both Gary and Veronica now both work part time for the Salvation Army in Castleford, helping out in the kitchen.
Therapy assistants, Barbara Ward and Hazell Wood have been helping clients complete this particular course for about 2 years and have seen 12 successes, however this is the first time that a 100% success rate on the course has been achieved. The course success has been thanks to the Therapy Team as well as the Facilities Department and the Education Centre, all based at Trust HQ, Fieldhead.
Speaking about the recent success of these four clients, Hazell Wood said, ‘These clients have shown exactly what can be achieved through occupation, care and support. Through occupation, people can achieve fantastic results and it can have lifelong effect. We’re really proud of them’.
Sue Ross and Catherine Richards, who were course facilitators, echoed these sentiments, ‘Gary, Veronica, Sarah and Paula gained excellent results and their new qualifications may open up avenues for work in the catering trade. It’s a tremendous achievement’.