Ayrshire College scoops trophies at College Development Network Awards 2017

The Health & Social Care team at Ayrshire College was presented with the Developing a Regional Curriculum Award for its ‘Prepare for Care - A Career in Care’ programme.

Ayrshire College’s thriving relationships with local and national employers earned them a Highly Commended award in the Employer Connections Award category.

The College’s use of learning analytics and predictive analytics to identify students at risk of withdrawal also returned a Highly Commended award in the Innovative College Award.

Elsewhere there were Commended award wins for former Sport & Fitness student Kayleigh Haggo in the Student Citizenship Award category, and for Sport & Fitness events organised with Supporters Direct Scotland in the Inclusive College Award category.

The events, called One ‘Ayrshire - Many Cultures’ and ‘#EqualityIsQuality’, were held in order to eradicate racism in sport and to address the gender gap in sport.

‘Prepare to Care - A Career in Care’ was designed to address recruitment and retention in the Care at Home sector. The Scottish Government’s 2020 vision is to have integrated health and social care, with a focus on prevention and supported self-management. The vision states that whatever the setting, care will be provided to the highest standards of quality and safety, ensuring that people are able to get back into their home or community environment as soon as appropriate.

Ayrshire College responded with developing a demand-led programme which would provide the required skills and knowledge set out in the 2020 vision. The College responded to a request from North Ayrshire Council to develop a programme to address recruitment and retention in the Care at Home sector.

Julie Maxwell, Director of Learning and Skills at Ayrshire College, said “The success of the Prepare to Care course is evidenced by the high number of students who have gained employment within the sector.”