First College Placement Finished!

Just under 2 weeks ago, I started my first ever College placement. As most of you know, I am studying a Course in Health and Social Care and as part of that course, you have to do 50 days of placements throughout 2 years.

This Placement was in a Care Homes Day Centre for elderly people with a wide range of different problems. I was extremely nervous about starting at first as i'd never done anything like this before but I survived and got on OK!

All of the staff at the Care Home have been great. They were all made aware about my RSD so were understanding if I couldn't do anything (though most things I could as it was only talking with the residents, pushing wheelchairs etc - nothing too physical because of my age).

The Day Centre had a wide variety of activities happening every day. I had to go for 6 hours Monday through to Friday so that I could get a taste of work life. It was hard because of my RSD as I got tired really easily but I got through it and am happy to say, I completed all of my 10 days.

The time seems to have gone really quick. It only seems like two minutes since I started at the Care Home. I have really been kept busy having to communicate with the residents, help serve dinners and set tables, help them participate in crafting activities etc. It's been really fun and I think I could definitley see myself in the Caring Profession.

I've developed a lot of skills during the 10 days I have been on placement and it's given me a real insight into work life. I've really improved confidence wise and am able to talk to people that I don't really know now which I wouldn't do before unless I was absolutely forced to.

My Placement Superviser has been really good. I met up with her today and she went through my placement booklet with me and commented on how well i've done. I was given a lovely box of chocolates from her and all of the residents when I left and a card which was really nice! All of the residents semt to like having a younger person in as they could talk about their grandchildren and things with me. They had lots of interesting things to say and said they were all sad to see me go with brought tears to my eyes!

Were talking about trying to get my second placement in a Child Care setting so i'm looking forward to that. Child Care is something i'm interested in so hopefully i'll enjoy it! My next placement isn't until April so at least we have plenty of time to organize it!

I need to catch up with all of my school work that i've missed now! I have been given some to do at home for college and school so will probably be busy with that over the weekend as it's back to college on Monday! Were hoping to have a meeting with school soon as the school centre I am at at the moment, doesn't seem to be giving me that much work so were going to discuss me going back to mainstream school or at least giving it another try. I'm not sure how that will work at the moment or whether i'll be able to cope with it but I guess we wont know until we give it a try. I'm just afraid that if I stay at the place i'm at now, I wont get all of the grades I need to go onto the higher level college course. Hopefully my school will be understanding and put me in a class with the few of my old friends that actually talk to me!

I'll keep you all posted! Thanks for the support!