Competitors from the College of West Anglia and South Devon College scooped the first prizes in the two initial qualifying heats in this year’s WorldSkills UK 2017 Health and Social Care Competition, which were held at South and City College in Birmingham and are part of the world’s largest vocational skills competition.
Heat 2 Winner Chelsey Small of South Devon College
The first two of six qualifying heats were held on the 23rd and 24th May 2017 and the first of this year’s competitors from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, were able to demonstrate their skills in delivering health care in a competitive environment. This year’s competitions are organised by Profiles4Care and sponsored by the NHS Leadership academy.
Heat 1 on 23rd May saw some fantastic skills being delivered with personal centred health care being demonstrated throughout, resulting in the following winners:
1st place – Molly Pickels, College of West Anglia
2nd place – Harriet McDonald, College of West Anglia
3rd place – Megan Clarke, College of West Anglia
Speaking after her win, Molly Pickels said; “I feel completely overwhelmed. I am so proud of myself and really want to thank my tutor Ann who has been fantastic. The competition has been so much more than I was expecting but what an experience. Nothing will come close, I really think it was a once in a lifetime experience and I would do it again four times over if I had the chance.”
Heat 2 on the 24th May witnessed further excellence with the following competitors achieving:
1st place – Chelsey Small, South Devon College
2nd place – Emily Bonner, South Devon College
3rd place – Chloe Bishop, South Staffordshire College
Chelsey Small, winner of Heat 2, said; “I’m really surprised about my potential. I enjoyed every part of this. The actors we worked with were so realistic.”
Organised by Profiles4Care Ltd, the WorldSkills UK competitions are part of WorldSkills International, the world’s largest vocational skills competition. The competition aims to find the best adult health and social care workers in the country. A total of six regional qualifying heats are taking place between May and July, with the eight highest scorers from across the country going forward to the National Finals at the Skills Show, being held at the NEC in Birmingham this November.
Over the course of the day competitors needed to demonstrate the delivery of excellent health care in a mix of written tests and live activities, assessed by a panel of expert judges from across the country. The activities, which includes working with older people and people with learning disabilities, were devised by Profiles4Care Ltd to replicate situations which health and social care workers would be expected to face in their everyday roles.
Health and social care students and staff from South and City College Birmingham also played a central role in the competition.
Marc Jones, Director at Profiles4Care Ltd said: “The expertise and leadership demonstrated by our frontline care workers has once again been a pleasure to observe. To see competitors confidently showing what they can do when supporting people is a privilege. Health and social care has a lot to look forward to from the people who have taken part in this competition.”
Making the awards, Lead Judge Pat Pearson said: “WorldSkills just gets better and better as a competition and a real showcase for how well social care is carried out. It was a pleasure to observe such committed competitors taking part in the heats at South and City College Birmingham and to award prizes to some outstanding care workers and students.”
Molly Pickels, College of West Anglia and SCCB Principal Mike Hopkins
