Rather than spending most of her time writing essays in a classroom, Nicole Woolgrove knew exactly what route to take when she became a carer.
She chose the apprenticeship route which would mean she would spend all her the time working in a care home and being assessed for her Level 2 in Health and Social Care.
Nicole, 29, from Middlesbrough, started as an apprentice at Roseleigh when she was just 17 and worked here until she was 23.
She them moved abroad with her soldier husband but when they returned, the first call she made was to Roseleigh if we had a job for her.
Needless to say, we were only to happy to welcome Nicole back and she is now two years into her second stint at Roseleigh, working as a Senior Care Assistant.
Nicole says: “I definitely made the right choice doing an apprenticeship at Roseleigh. It was much better than sitting writing essays and I still came out with the same qualification.”
Nicole, who is now working towards her Level 3 in Health and Social Care, says there are many reasons why being at Roseleigh is so enjoyable.
“It’s just an all-round happy place to be in,” she says.
“The staff all get on really well and we enjoy spending time with each other socially outside of work, so I think that tells you everything.
“It’s a very welcoming environment for residents and their families, so much so I am trying to persuade my grandad to move in!”
Nicole says the Covid-19 pandemic made life at Roseleigh very tough but that it was important to keep going.
She adds: “It was physically and emotionally challenging, but we just continued doing what we always do, making sure the residents at Roseleigh are well looked after.
“There was never any thought in my mind about stopping during this time, in fact I did more shifts covering for staff who were sick or self-isolating.
“The residents relied on us even more during this time so it would have been selfish not to have offered to come in.”
When she’s not at work, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family, including her two children and socialising with her sister and friends.
