Specialist dementia-care providers Camelot Care have taken on another new apprentice at Acacia Nursing Home on Hendford Hill in Yeovil.
Hannah Long, 18, has joined the team as an administration apprentice, working alongside the home’s professional administrator, Shirley Turner.
Shirley said: “Hannah is proving to be a real asset to the team at Acacia Nursing Home. She’s enthusiastic and she’s thorough, with exactly the right kind of approach for the work we do and she gets on really well with our residents, who love her.”
Hannah, who lives locally and is a former pupil of The Gryphon School in Yeovil, said of her new position: “I’m really enjoying what I do and I’m learning something new every day.
“My tutor from Yeovil College helped me choose which units to study – units that would reflect my interests and tie in with the work I do here – and it’s great to be working towards a recognised 
qualification that should give me access to an interesting career.”
Hannah is being supported to take responsibility for Acacia Nursing Home’s training matrix, which involves keeping track of all staff training and making sure everyone is up-to-date with both mandatory and required training for their particular role.
Her other day-to-day responsibilities include handling mail and telephone calls, payroll duties and assisting with administration connected to staff recruitment.
The apprenticeship will last for up to 18 months, during which time she will attend college for six whole-day business master-classes, as well as completing online assessments.
Outside work Hannah loves travel and musical theatre: she is a keen member of Yeovil Amateur Operatic Society.
Clare Woodhead, operations manager for Camelot Care, said: “We have employed and trained apprentices for over ten years, focusing on equipping people for careers as care workers, but we are now spreading our wings and offering other apprenticeship routes.
“Hannah is our first administration apprenticeship, but before she arrived at Acacia the team there was joined by Matthew Wright who is an apprentice activities co-ordinator.”
“Camelot Care believes in being at the forefront when it comes to developing professionals to work in the care sector, especially since more will be needed with each year that passes to support the ever-increasing number of people living with dementia.”
“I think apprenticeships are a great way to give young people both the training and the qualifications to take them forwards in life, and who better than an established expert in the field like Camelot Care to help bring on the next generation?”
For further information visit www.camelotcare.co.uk
