New state-of-the-art Care Skills Training Centre

The Care Skills Training Centre at Guildford College gives students a unique insight into careers in clinical health and social care.

360º virtual tour of the Care Skills Training Centre

The Care Suite

Designed in partnership with Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Health Education England and Skills for Care, the new industry-standard facilities at Activate Learning’s Guildford campus are used by the students at Guildford College studying Health and Social Care and Access to Higher Education programmes.

The facility is also utilised by nursing professionals from Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust and Surrey and Borders NHS Trust for their own training requirements.

Other care providers within the local community are also invited to use the training facilities within the Care Skills Centre. 

With £500k funding contribution from Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, this best in-sector facility provides students with opportunities to practise and refine the skills they need to prepare them for life in the workplace.

Helping to meet Surrey’s health and social care challenges of the future

There is rising demand for care services as a result of an ageing population and local authorities focussed on supporting people to live independently within their own homes. It is estimated that the social care workforce alone needs to grow by 750 new jobs every year to 2025 to keep pace with demand.

The Care Skills Centre will help to attract more people to consider working in the sector, giving them an excellent preparation for their career, as well as developing the skills and expertise of those already employed by the NHS.  Equipping our health and social care teams with the essential skills and hands-on training they need is crucial to ensuring a positive future for care services throughout the county.

The facilities support training in areas of health and social care including dementia and end of life care, infection control, medication administration and wound care.

Training will be delivered within a fully immersive learning environment which is specifically designed to simulate situations that students would encounter on a hospital ward or in a care setting.

What does the new Care Skills Training Centre offer to learners?

The outstanding facilities within the Care Skills Training Centre include:      

  • A simulated hospital ward, complete with life-like training mannequins, this area mirrors a real-life, six-bed hospital ward helping students to learn clinical and care skills in a safe but realistic way. This state-of-the-art facility offers learners the opportunity to practice basic and advanced observational skills, first aid, emergency care, drug administration and wound dressing. Each of the beds is monitored via plasma screens and has allocated IT diagnostic equipment to allow more advanced learners the opportunity to practice their skills independently.
  • A high-tech 360º immersive space. This best-in-sector facility transforms an ordinary classroom into an exciting and engaging fully interactive learning environment. Learners are able to collaborate and engage in complex real-life situations. The facility allows teachers to connect with learners in a way that would not be possible through a traditional learning environment.
  • A fully-equipped residential environment that enables students to get an insight into what it is like to go to a patient’s house to care for them, therefore developing their occupational skills which gives them a head-start in their careers.

Find out more about Health and Social Care programmes available at Guildford College or contact us via 0800 612 6008.

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