Caring Plymouth experiences of the workplace, an insight into Learning Disability in Plymouth.

Caring Plymouth, Plymouth City Council’s Health and Social Care Skills Partnership works city-wide and system-wide, to strategically coordinate efforts to focus on attraction, recruitment, retention and skills development for our vital health and social care workforce. Aligning action with the Government’s three key shifts to govern our direction of travel: Hospital to community, Analogue to digital, and Sickness to prevention. With continued need for more nurses, care workers and home carers, this sector has the highest overall demand for job vacancies in Plymouth.

During March, the Caring Plymouth team supported the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Health and Social Care Sector-Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), delivered by On Course Southwest. The programme supports 10 learners currently undertaking a two‑week employability course, giving them valuable insight into the health and social care sector. The themed day focused specifically on Learning Disability services, aiming to inspire participants to explore careers in this vital area.

Throughout the programme, learners developed sector knowledge and core employability skills, preparing them for their next steps and for meeting prospective employers at the Health and Social Care Careers Showcase. The Caring Plymouth team facilitated opportunities for learners to engage with employers through 1:1 discussions and will continue to provide ongoing information, advice and guidance post‑event to support them into employment.

For the work experience aspect of the programme, the day was split into two sessions: a morning visit to The Vine and an afternoon tour of Meadowview, Plymouth’s new purpose‑built care facility for adults with learning disabilities, located on Outland Road.

The Vine Visit:

Led by Lucy Wilson, Unit Manager at The Vine, learners were introduced to her career journey and the roles within the service. They explored the diverse needs of the individuals supported at The Vine and discussed the upcoming relocation to the new Meadowview site later this year.

Learners then took part in a range of activities including muffin‑pizza making, skittles and felting—opportunities that enabled them to apply communication, creativity, teamwork, and person‑centred approaches, all essential skills when working with individuals with a learning disability.

Feedback from participants included:

“It was good meeting the customers at The Vine and helping prepare the pizza. From this experience I have developed time keeping skills and ensuring I work in a caring and professional manner.” – Ian, On Course Southwest learner

“This day was very exciting; I was able to understand the support and help people using the service need.” – Elizbieta, On Course Southwest learner

Meadow View Site Tour:

In the afternoon, learners visited the new Meadow View development, supported by Devon Contractors. The site manager provided an overview of the building design, progress, and how the facility has been developed to meet the needs of Plymouth City Council and future service users.

The visit helped learners connect their morning experiences at The Vine with the future vision of care delivery at Meadow View, offering first‑hand insight into how modern, purpose‑built environments can enhance quality of life and create meaningful career opportunities for staff.

“Today I learnt about all the different activities that you can do as a Support Worker and the site tour provided an idea of what is needed to give the service users a good quality of life.” – Freddie, On Course Southwest learner

Claire Schofield, Health and Social Care Lead for DWP Plymouth, added:

“I was genuinely impressed by the fantastic new facilities at Meadowview. This service will make a huge difference to service users and their families. I’m looking forward to bringing more DWP claimants to visit once everything is fully up and running. A big thank you to Devon Contractors for kindly showing us around and explaining the vision.”

Daniel Welch, Caring Plymouth shared:

“Learners had the chance to observe a live care environment, meet customers, and see first‑hand the meaningful impact that high‑quality support has on individuals and their daily lives and this was such a valuable experience and a fantastic way to connect learning with real‑world practice, build confidence, and inspire people to consider a rewarding career in care.

For support:

• Being connected to opportunities in Health and Social Care, visit Mondays @ Skills Launchpad Plymouth, led by Caring Plymouth, 10am to 3pm, First Floor, Cobourg House.

  
  

• With skills and training opportunities visit On Course Southwest website

• Employment and apprenticeship opportunities with The Vine, visit the Plymouth City Council website to see the latest vacancies.