One of the largest teams here at TQUK, our End-Point Assessors, are an integral part of the day-to-day.
It is here that you will find some of the most hardworking and caring individuals you will ever have the pleasure to meet. End-Point Assessment is a two-way street, and sometimes a kind face and an approachable attitude can make all the difference. It is this difference in fact, that inspired Lisa, one of our Adult Care Assessors, to become an End-Point Assessor in the first place.
In the early days of End-Point Assessment, she was working, as many of our Assessors were, at a training provider. Here she oversaw Apprentices as they interacted with the company’s chosen EPAO.
It quickly became clear that something was inconsistent about the way the Assessors assigned to the training provider were dealing with the Apprentices and that their rapport with them would have an obvious effect on the final result. This inspired Lisa to consider moving into the field herself.
“It was at that point that I knew I could be the person who could put people at ease and knew what they were doing and motivated them. I could get the best out of someone,” she explained. “So I started looking around and found this position at TQUK. I decided to go for it and here I am now.”
At TQUK she’s found a position she truly enjoys. A real people person, Lisa loves meeting Apprentices from lots of different types of care settings. In her time here she has assessed Apprentices working across the whole of the Adult Care sector.
“Working with the Apprentices is definitely my favourite part of the job – supporting them,” she says. “I love meeting such a variety of people from lots of different types of care settings.
“I’ve had Apprentices that work with ex-abusers who have had alcohol and drug issues, who are working in the sex industry and have worked supporting people with mental health issues all the way through to supporting elderly people who are in residential settings and nursing homes.
“It’s such a variety of people from such a variety of settings, but the most important thing is how passionate they are about what they do.”
Lisa takes the time to understand and respond to the needs of her Apprentices, starting with a successful planning meeting. Here she is able to get a better idea of the kind of individual she is assessing, as well as the best schedules to suit them. This allows her to adapt to the Apprentice, offering the approach they need to ensure they can perform to their best ability.
She tries to talk to the Apprentices in a way that helps them to keep going.
“It’s just me and you,” she says, “we’re just going to have a chat about your job. Pretend I’m a new member of staff and you’re going to tell me about all the wonderful things you do.”
By approaching the process in this way, she’s able to relax even the most nervous Apprentice. This allows them to tell her about the knowledge, skills and behaviours they show as well as offering plenty of examples of their practice.
Lisa prides herself on her approachability and says that she loves to listen, though she is careful to never cross any professional boundaries. Having worked as an On-Programme Assessor she finds it really difficult to not offer support during the assessment itself.
“It’s very difficult to switch off from being an On-Programme Assessor. The discussion you can have with an apprentice within the diploma is worlds apart from what you can have during End-Point Assessment. Being able to know that line is so important.”
But Lisa has been able to find a balance that works for her, using that desire to support to drive her towards being a better End-Point Assessor.
“I love my job, and I haven’t said that for a very long time, trust me I’ve not said that for a long time,” Lisa says. “It took me a long time to get into it when I first started, but I’ve been very, very supported by everybody and everyone’s just been so lovely.
“I’d say just go for it for anyone who’s considering this as a career. It’s the best thing I’ve done to be honest.”
