At St Margaret’s Hospice Care, providing the highest quality end-of-life care goes hand in hand with supporting the people who deliver it. Education, learning and development help ensure that everyone has the skills, confidence and support they need to do their job well, making high-quality hospice care possible every day.
During Apprenticeships Week (9-15 February), we’re proud to celebrate how apprenticeships help us invest in our colleagues, strengthen our services, and offer meaningful opportunities to people in our wider community.
Learning at every stage of life
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to continue learning and developing professionally, whatever their age, background or role. Apprenticeships make this possible by combining hands-on experience with structured learning and support.
At St Margaret’s, apprenticeships sit alongside our wider education and learning programmes. By nurturing skills across clinical and non-clinical roles, we ensure learning is embedded throughout the organisation – ultimately strengthening our organisation and benefiting the people we care for.
Dan’s story: learning in the heart of the hospice
Dan, a Kitchen Assistant at St Margaret’s, is currently completing a Production Chef apprenticeship.
Born and raised in Taunton, Dan has always had a passion for food. At the hospice, his role includes keeping the kitchen clean, tidy, and efficient, assisting the chefs with the preparation of meals, and delivering nutritious meals to patients and their families.
I chose an apprenticeship because you get the best of both worlds.”Dan
“You’re learning in a dedicated environment with tutors who have seen and done it all, but you’re also working in a real kitchen, alongside chefs who teach you on the job and help you put everything into practice.”
Dan spends part of his week at college, developing new skills and learning the theory behind his craft, before bringing that knowledge back into the hospice kitchen.
“The most rewarding part has been being able to apply what I’ve learned and see the quality of my work grow week by week,” he says. “I feel like I’m strengthening my role within the hospice and working towards my goal of becoming a chef.”
For Dan, the supportive culture at St Margaret’s makes all the difference.
“There’s a really strong team here that supports and encourages progression, and helps make learning work for you. I’d absolutely recommend an apprenticeship at St Margaret’s.”
Cher’s journey: advancing care through learning
Apprenticeships at St Margaret’s don’t stop at entry-level roles. They also play a vital role in developing advanced clinical expertise that directly enhances patient care.
Cher Griffiths recently qualified as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner after completing a three-and-a-half-year apprenticeship – a role that was new to the hospice when she began.
Cher (pictured left)
Previously a nurse on the In-Patient Unit, Cher wanted to deepen her clinical skills while staying close to patients.
“I’ve done the managerial roles, but I really missed the amount of patient contact that you get at the bedside,” Cher explains. “The advanced practice role allowed me to enhance my skills, develop independently, and still work closely with patients and families.”
Throughout her apprenticeship, Cher was supported every step of the way by the hospice’s Education & Learning team.
“They paved the way for the role, supported me through the interview process, and made sure I had the right study time and support throughout,” she says.
They were always there in the background, checking I had what I needed.”
For Cher, apprenticeships offered her the ability to learn in practice, remain part of a team, and continue working at the place she loves.
“You don’t lose connection with the place you care about,” she says. “You’re learning, but you’re also still part of the hospice, still contributing to patient care every day.”
Building skills for the future
Apprenticeships are one of the ways St Margaret’s ensures we have the right skills, in the right roles, always. They help us grow our own talent, retain passionate colleagues, and share opportunities with the local community.
As Apprenticeships Week reminds us, when we invest in our people, we strengthen the care we can offer to everyone who needs us.
