I recently visited Care Plus Group's Rehabilitation and Reablement Unit at Cambridge Park and was delighted to see how they have been coping throughout these trying times and how the Government's Kickstart scheme has benefited them.
Care Plus Group provides various community-focused health and care services across North East Lincolnshire. These include palliative care, adult autism and ADHD services, employment support, care when transitioning between hospital and home and various disability and rehabilitation services.
I spoke to several young men who are working at Care Plus through the Government's Kickstart scheme, which is designed to provide funding to employers to hire young people who are at risk of long term employment. I spoke to Liam, Jordan and Jason, who said that they are finding working for Care Plus a hugely rewarding experience.
Liam works as a chef, Jason works as a patient liaison and Jordan works as a handyman for the site. Both Jordan and Jason in particular spoke of how working in the care industry wasn't something they had considered prior to joining Care Plus Group, but now they are both finding much to enjoy about their work through the social interaction that it brings.
Physiotherapist Kylie Farbrace and Employability Services Manager Sharon Stead told me of how difficult it is for Care Plus Group to find suitably trained support workers in Lincolnshire. This shows how vital the Government's Kickstart Scheme is proving to be in supporting employers. Whilst there are definite skills gaps being experienced by employers, the Kickstart scheme enables young people to gain introductory experiences in their field of work which they may wish to pursue further.
