At Extra Hands, we know the expertise and dedication of our staff is at the heart of providing an excellent care service.
As part of our emphasis on high-quality training, we have invested in a new room equipped with the latest technology at our Broadland office.
The facility offers a hybrid of a studio and traditional training room, providing for remote learning as well as face-to-face training.
With a range of specialist camera equipment and speakers, staff can see demonstrations from different angles and ask questions and get answers while training sessions are being held.
A library of training videos is also being developed for an app created which means staff will be able to dip in and out of learning resources whenever needed.
Our training manager Justin Mayes said the new facility offered the ability to deliver virtual sessions which are as close as possible to the experience of face-to-face training.
He said: “It is more like a hybrid studio and training room - so we have got the space to be able to do face-to-face training if and when we can after covid, but it has got proper facilities for being able to do remote training.
“For example there is a bedroom, which has a bed with hoists, and one camera at a personal level on wheels which I can move around to get the best viewpoint.
“There is another one up near the ceiling which gives a birds-eye view in the corner of the screen, so you get the full image of what is going on.
“I have got a speaker, so if I am asking questions I can hear responses.
“Training should be two-way and it is as close to possible as having face-to-face training.”
Justin explained Extra Hands had to quickly adapt to moving training online because of the covid pandemic, and there have been “huge” benefits in the remote approach.
He said: “Certain topics such as moving and handling will be going back to face-to-face training - but I think hybrid training is the way to go.
“Anything which can be done virtually will be - and then for areas that benefit from that hands-on approach, you will get people in.
“Now it doesn’t matter where they are located - you are not limited in numbers and it is more accessible.”
He added: “For example I had someone on induction who had to go and pick their children up mid-afternoon. That might have put someone off being able to come and start employment with us.
“But with Zoom you can record it and send them an email saying that’s now online and you can view the bits you have missed. It makes it much more flexible.”
At Extra Hands we have also recently developed an app, which our carers can use to instantly access forms rather than having to fill in and send back paperwork.
Justin said the app is also being developed as a training resource, which will offer ‘bite-size’ videos which staff can readily access.
“Extra Hands has always placed high importance on staff training and we do a full induction covering everything from the principles to the more practical elements,” he added.
Like most websites we use cookies to give you the best experience, by using this website you agree to their use. For more information please read our privacy policy.