New to Community Care? The Community Care Traineeship Programme is Here to Help

“Coming from a Corporate Communications background, I was clueless about the Community Care sector. Now, three months into my job as a Senior Care Aide at Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home (LAMOAH), I have learnt how to bathe, sponge, change diapers for and transfer seniors from bed to wheelchair,” shares Hilton Ho, who joined LAMOAH in January 2019.

Hilton (on the left, back row) and Yi Song (on the right) with other attendants of the Community Care Traineeship Programme

Although Hilton did not have any prior experience in the sector, he was inspired to contribute to Community Care after seeing the dedication of the caregivers who looked after his late father.

Hilton’s role requires him to assist in the daily activities of the residents at LAMOAH. To equip himself with the knowledge needed to perform his job duties effectively, Hilton took part in the Community Care Traineeship Programme (CCTP), which provides training for the support care staff new to the Community Care sector.  

What is CCTP?

The CCTP is a comprehensive three-month long programme that is put in place to help Community Care providers train their support care staff who are new to the sector. The HMI Institute of Health Services is AIC’s appointed training provider of CCTP. This Programme consists of three main parts:

· Classroom-based sessions (12 working days)

· Practical sessionsa t designated Community Care organisations (5 working days)

·  Workplace coaching (9 weeks)

The course modules range from general knowledge like adopting workplace health and safety practices to specific skills such as lifting, transferring and positioning elderly clients with reduced mobility.

How does CCTP help new joiners and providers?

CCTP helps to reassure new and potential joiners without prior experience that they can be ready for their jobs. In the case of LAMOAH, sending new joiners to attend CCTP also assures nursing staff that the new staff are well-trained in the basics of caring for elderly residents. With the help of CCTP, LAMOAH was able to trial and train eight nursing support staff that they have hired in the past one and a half years.

For new joiners like Hilton, who are looking for a second career after retiring from Civil Service, the CCTP offers comprehensive training needed at his work place. He was initially hesitant about performing specific job duties alone, but the practical lessons from the CCTP bolstered his confidence, and he now feels well prepared in caring for the elderly residents at the home.

Neo Yi Song, a fellow Community Care staff new to the sector, echoes Hilton’s sentiments. Yi Song used to be in Marketing and Public Relations but decided to pursue a more meaningful career in this sector. As a Therapy Aide, he assists the physiotherapists at LAMOAH.

Yi Song initially faced challenges in getting more reclusive residents to engage in therapy or activities. One of the CCTP course modules he learnt was patient-centred communication techniques with the elderly. He shared, “After spending time with the residents and understanding them on a deeper level, there are times when we were able to coax them to get involved in the programmes arranged for them. This achievement is extremely rewarding and memorable.”

Yi Song credits the CCTP for gaining applicable skills and relevant knowledge, which he could apply after returning to his workplace. “Overall, it is a well-structured course and is a great help for people interested in the allied health industry but has no experience, like me.”