Calvary Health Care’s support care workers virtually joined training from the Port Augusta and Whyalla Home Care offices recently to complete the next module in their year-long traineeship.

The seven trainees are about half-way through the Certificate III in Individual Support and receive on-the- job training while continuing to provide domestic support services to several clients a day. At the end of the traineeship, they will be qualified to provide personal care in the home.

Calvary Service Centre Manager Home Care Flinders Far North, Fiona Williams, said it was important to create career pathways for support care workers to deliver job satisfaction, while also ensuring Calvary’s clients had access to local qualified care.

The training is split up into online and in-person training, depending on the module being undertaken at any one time, and it allows the trainees to dive into the complexities of providing care for someone in their own home, using real experiences to identify challenges and employ strategies to maintain quality and safety. In addition, long-term support care staff are trained in mentoring to support the new trainees.

Trainees Stacey Smyth, a Port Augusta born-and-bred local, and Renalyn Kapsis, who moved to Australia from the Philippines about four years ago, both said they enjoyed their jobs and were looking forward to the additional opportunities this traineeship would allow them to embrace in their home care careers.

“After 12 years in customer service in the automotive industry I was ready for something new, and this traineeship with Calvary lets me train and learn and feel comfortable in the work I’m doing,” Ms Smyth said.

“Currently, I see three to four clients a day to do cleaning, going for walks, taking people out for their doctor appointments and helping people with shopping. After this course finishes, we’ll be able to do personal care, help with medicines and be qualified to work at the Calvary Cottage providing respite and overnight care.”

“I’ve never been so appreciated in my life, being thanked every hour of every day to do something that means people feel good, and that makes me feel good,” she said.

Ms Kapsis said caring for older people was part of her cultural make up, and after spending time as a cleaner in Australia’s hospitality industry, she decided to move into home care when she relocated to Port Augusta about 18 months ago.

“I used to look after older people back home, including my grandparents, and I decided along with the training from Calvary I could do that here and be part of the community helping people.”

“The training is wonderful, I enjoy it. It has boosted my confidence with my language skills talking with people and I enjoy spending time with my clients, especially those who are on their own,” Ms Kapsis added.

Calvary has two intakes a year for home care trainees. If you're interested, please click here.