Gloucester-based healthcare company, Flexicare, has praised the Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) programme delivered by Gloucestershire College and Serco as invaluable in helping staff progress their careers.

SSW is a programme developed to upskill employees from small and medium-sides enterprises (SMEs) in Gloucestershire through bespoke training courses and accredited qualifications.

Flexicare was one of the first local businesses to take up the training and was prescribed a bespoke training plan to help the company meet its goals. Free training for 28 staff included dementia awareness, infection control awareness, stroke awareness, mental capacity, safeguarding, principles of safe moving of people and basic health and safety principles and awareness.

Company founder and CEO, Jeanette Phillips said: "The training has been extremely useful for Flexicare UK. The flexibility and content of the courses has enabled us to take our own training programme to the next level, and the quality of the teaching has been invaluable for the company. This will help our employees progress in their careers and enable us to meet the needs of a changing business environment."

Sarah Jennings, Gloucestershire College adviser, said: "The training we have been able to provide to Flexicare through SSW will support employee awareness and understanding of many aspects of their personal care roles, completion of their care certificates and their progression on to higher level NVQs or apprenticeships."

Any SME business in the county can benefit from this fully-funded training, provided the staff to be trained are over the age of 19 and living and working in Gloucestershire. Training is available in team leading and management, business and customer service, food hygiene, IT, construction trades, business administration and health and social care, with courses starting now.

Visit www.gloscol.ac.uk/esf  for more information.