26th January 2004
NVQ awards for Norwood care staff working at Ravenswood Village
Forty of Norwood's care staff who work at Ravenswood Village, the organisation's community of adults with learning disabilities in Crowthorne, Berkshire, took part in an award ceremony on the grounds of the 120-acre site on Thursday 22nd January 2004, marking their successful completion of part or all of their National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) awards. This latest award ceremony brings to 100 the number of carers working across Norwood’s residential services for adults with learning disabilities, to have received care industry awards in recent weeks. This has helped to further establish Norwood as one of the front-runners within the sector aiming to meet the national standards set out by the Government in its Care Standards Act 2000, a year before the 2005 deadline when it becomes required by law.
During the ceremony, five members of staff received their final NVQ award, whilst four members of staff received their assessors awards (qualifications to assess colleagues working towards their NVQ qualifications) and one member of staff, Louise Finnie received her Internal Verifier award (a qualification allowing her to support several assessors). The remaining thirty members of care staff received awards, recognising that they had successfully completed units towards their NVQ qualifications. The modules, which covered Care level 2 and 3, included a wide range of topics of care specifically relating to care and promoting independence for adults with learning and physical disabilities.
Speaking after the ceremony, Norma Brier, Chief Executive of Norwood said: “At Norwood, we recognise that that there is an on-going staff recruitment and retention crisis which is evident across the entire sector, which is why we place so much emphasis on the importance of training and development opportunities available to our employees. National Vocational Qualifications are not only important to the organisation, but they are of vital benefit to our service users. Staff who have achieved these awards have demonstrated through their practice that they know how to care for others to a nationally agreed standard, and have the appropriate knowledge to provide the best possible care to people of all ages with learning disabilities. I am delighted that we are meeting these national targets, as set down by the Government way ahead of the 2005 deadline.”
For further information please contact Ronit Shebson, Public Relations Manager on 020 8420 6900 or email ronit.shebson@norwood.org.uk
