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Health and Social Care student Jayden Jeffery is supporting those in need

May 14, 2020

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Last September HSDC student Jayden Jeffery started her one-year Level 2 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care at our South Downs Campus. Before the lockdown, she worked part time at a gym in Waterlooville and a garden centre in Horndean to earn a little bit of cash.

Jayden explains what happened when College shut:

“I found myself at a bit of a loose end. I decided to go and volunteer as a general assistant at Wellington Vale Dementia Home in Waterlooville. At the time, we didn’t have any COVID-19 cases. I was trained fully as a carer because, when the virus arrived, we quickly found ourselves short-staffed.

“I’m doing 12-hour shifts 6-7 days a week at the moment. Sometimes I don’t even go home; I just take a spare room as I’m on again the next day. I’ve been asked to ‘move in’ as a full time carer because we are so short-staffed. It’s rewarding but hard – I’ve seen so many people fall ill and unexpectedly pass away.

“HSDC prepared me in some ways for this: I knew the proper uses of PPE and other subjects we’d covered have enabled me to fly through my online training. My training has helped me to realise that you really shouldn’t be in the care industry if you don’t care.

“Lots of staff have walked away in fear of COVID-19; the ones who are left are truly the ones who care for the residents the most.”

Jayden is pictured in the full PPE she has to wear 12 hours a day: three masks, a visor, arm bags, shoe covers, an apron and gloves.

“It makes you feel like an extra from Monsters Inc!”