Gemma starts a Level 2 Accredited Programme with GRoW

Posted on by heathercette

GRoW participant Gemma joined the programme following traumatic home circumstances which saw her having to uproot and move home with her young son a number of times.  Her local job centre adviser recommended the GRoW programme to help her prepare for finding a job and Gemma is now on the way to achieving a Level 2 qualification in Childcare.

Gemma said “I’m not always great at asking for help even if I really need it.  That’s one of the areas GRoW has been able to help me because they make a point of keeping in touch to make sure I know support is always available.  They have been really good at helping me with the things I struggle with such as job application forms. Tosin has been a great help as far as that is concerned.

When my son was very young I did have a job but because my home life was quite unstable it was difficult to manage the caring responsibilities and so I wasn’t able to continue.  That didn’t mean I didn’t want to work, it is something I really wanted to do and in fact I did recently have an interview for a mid-day supervisor job at a local school but unfortunately lockdown came into play and the job was put on hold.  I am still hopeful that I will be successful and will be able to start the job when schools re-open.

In the meantime I want to improve my employability skills as much as possible and GRoW’s Lockdown Training Programme is the perfect opportunity to do this, especially as I can do the whole course online in a flexible way that fits around homeschooling and entertaining my son while his school is closed.

I chose to do the Level 2 Qualification in Childcare and Education because I would really like to get a job in a school as a teaching assistant as the term-time working would be ideal for me to fit around caring for my son.  I already have a Level 1 BTEC Introductory Diploma in Sports (for which I achieved a distinction) and I also did the Level 3 National Certificate in Sports when I was at college.  To get a job in a school though it would be really helpful to gain a qualification specifically around caring for children and young people. I have seen quite a few jobs advertised for PE Teaching Assistants which would be perfect for me but because I don’t have the relevant qualifications I haven’t been successful in applying.

I am finding the Level 2 course really quite easy to do. I tend to do more work in the evening when my son is calmer.   I have a dedicated tutor to help me through the course and she recommended I work 3 hours a day.  This would mean that I could effectively complete the course in 5 to 6 weeks rather than the 10 week period that is allocated for it. I’ve almost finished my first assessment which is due this Friday and I’m on schedule to complete the course by 28th July.

The course is all online and if I get interrupted I can easily just stop and pick up from where I left off.  I find having a pad and pen to take notes while I read through the course the best way to do it as I then have everything I need when it comes to completing the assessment at the end of each module.

I am really excited about gaining this qualification as I feel that it will really equip me and stand me in good stead for when schools reopen hopefully in September.  I anticipate that schools will likely need more staff to help children catch up on what they have missed over this lockdown period and with my new qualification I will have so much more to offer them.

 

 

Week #8 of Lockdown and Counting

Posted on by heathercette

by Heather Ette, GRoW Team Member

So as we enter Week #8 of Lockdown I thought I would share some of the ups and downs this period has shown me.  I hadn’t really expected Lockdown to affect me as much as it would most people because I didn’t think much would really change for me. 

I have been working from home permanently for the past 15 years now and am therefore used to being indoors most of the time, most days only really leaving the house to drive the kids to school and pick them up again.  I thought this would mean that Lockdown would be a breeze but actually I was wrong and this week it really does seem to be taking its toll.

I can’t quite put my finger on what is bothering me the most.  Is it the tediousness of staring at the same four walls or is it that weekdays are blending into weekends and in fact now being one and the same thing with nothing much to look forward to at the end of the week?  I was waiting with baited breath to hear Boris’s announcement on Sunday evening to find out how restrictions might be lifted and get some hope of some return to normality.  This is despite knowing that the only sensible thing is to continue to stay at home if we are to save lives.  I suppose it is natural to want to get back to the way we lived before but we all know that this is not something we can do anytime soon.  I didn’t think I would actually miss the school run but in fact I realise I do!  I also never realised how important it was to me to be able to walk around a supermarket at my leisure, being able to walk in whichever direction I liked!

I have felt better the past few days since the government announcement that we can now meet up with one other person from outside of our household.  It’s nice to know I can have some company on my dog walk and I’m sure my dog will be delighted too to see her little doggy friends again.

I think it’s so important during this time to try to look after your mental health.  It’s hard not seeing your family and friends and being stuck indoors.  It’s hard to try to homeschool your children, especially if they are not doing as much school work as they are supposed to be doing and especially if, like me, you constantly worry about how they will catch up when they finally return to school.

I’m having to remind myself that I can only do so much. I’m continuing to work every day, I’m continuing to cook and try to make healthy meals. I’m phoning and video calling my family and friends, checking in with people to make sure they are OK.  I’m outwardly remaining upbeat, positive and calm to keep anxiety levels low and in all of those things I think I’m doing a pretty good job.

How are you doing?