National Apprenticeships Week

Meet Alison, our HR Officer, she completed an apprenticeship CIPD in HR. Alison joined Hallmark as a temp and enjoyed working for Hallmark so much she wanted to stay and progress further in her field. Alison is proof that hard work, passion for the care industry and dedication can lead to great things.

See more of our career opportunities here: Hallmark Care Homes Recruitment

1. Can you share your journey of how you got started in the care sector and what motivated you to pursue an apprenticeship in adult care?

After over 20 years working in the travel industry in many different roles, I was offered some temporary HR work at Hallmark and have been here ever since, now in a permanent role as HR Officer.

Having never even been in a care home before I came to Hallmark I was overwhelmed by the care and compassion shown by our team to residents when I was able to visit our homes and knew that this was the industry I wanted to stay in.

?Whilst I personally don’t work in our homes, as I am based at Central Support within the P&P Team, I have so much respect for the work that our team members do and am proud that I am able to support them in my role.

18 months ago whilst discussing my own personal development having been a HR officer for many years, I was very clear that I wanted to stay at Hallmark and further my experience within HR and I was offered the opportunity to complete my HR CIPD by means of an apprenticeship.

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2. Balancing work and personal life is crucial. How do you manage to maintain a healthy work-life balance while studying and working in the care sector?

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To be honest it has been hard, and at times quite stressful, due to my own personal circumstances and still carrying out my full time role, but I was determined to gain my CIPD and was very fortunate to have colleagues who were very supportive and helped and encouraged me through it.

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3. Hallmark is known for its commitment to team development. How has the company supported you in your apprenticeship journey, and what specific resources or opportunities have they provided to aid your professional growth?

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Firstly they identified that to gain my CIPD, which is a professional HR qualification, I could do so by way of an apprenticeship, enabling me to learn and gain the relevant experience needed whilst carrying out my HR Officer role.

They allocated my line manager as my mentor, and she was instrumental in ensuring I was exposed to key elements of the HR Business Partner role to help with my development, We had weekly updates to discuss my progress and she set relevant objectives in-line with the requirements of the CIPD qualification.

I had stated at the beginning of the process that my aim was to become a HR Business Partner in the future, so they gave me a portfolio of our 6 care home in Wales where I am their first point of contact for HR matters.

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?4. As you advance through different levels of your apprenticeship, how have your responsibilities in adult care evolved, and what new skills have you acquired along the way?

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In the beginning of the process, my experience was mainly around just giving employment advice, and providing admin support to the HR team, but during this process I have really developed my knowledge of ‘the bigger picture of HR, such as analysing stats and what they tell us and what we can do to make improvements, devised and carried out training sessions to help managers in their roles and been involved in more complex employee issues which previously would have been overseen by the HR Business Partners which have really helped to develop my knowledge even further in HR.

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?5. Can you share any memorable experiences or achievements during your apprenticeship that have positively impacted your perspective on the care sector?

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For me, my most memorable achievement has been the feedback I have received along the way from managers in all areas of the company and my colleagues in the P&P team who have all commented on how they have seen me grow in confidence and experience and really contributed to P&P and the company in achieving goals and supporting team throughout the business.

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6. What advice would you give to someone considering an apprenticeship in the care sector, especially with regards to finding the right balance between education, work, and personal life?

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My apprenticeship wasn’t specific for the care sector; however, I would imagine the following would still apply:

?Think carefully about your work/life balance before you commit to the apprenticeship as you will need to put in hours above your day-to-day work, but do not let this put you off. If you stay focused and motivated and keep thinking about the end goal it will be worth it in the end.

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7. What goals or aspirations do you have for your career development, with the support of Hallmark or otherwise?

Now that I have a CIPD qualification, I can apply for a HR Business Partner role if one should become available.

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