Tag Archives: Training

TRAC members at the University of South Wales

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Friday’s session was all about midwifery 👩‍⚕️💛 Ffion played the role of someone who was 9 weeks pregnant and did a fantastic job in her role. Christy played her mam, and the student nurses interacted brilliantly — speaking directly to Ffion, explaining everything clearly, and taking their time.

We also had a Learning Disability Nurse on hand 👩‍⚕️💙 who clarified things with Ffion and offered easy-read information, making sure she understood everything in a way that suited her needs. LD nurses are so important, especially when someone with a learning disability is pregnant. All fields of nursing should practice the same approach — clear communication, patience, and respect. It makes a huge difference. ❤️

Meanwhile, Gethin and Nat had just come home from the hospital with their new baby 👶🍼 And yes… believe it or not… they didn’t bicker for a change! 🤣 They were absolutely hilarious and kept everyone laughing.

A huge well done to everyone — our TRAC members and the students. ⭐ We’re already looking forward to the next session and working with you all again soon! 🙌💛

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW in the Simulation Suite! ✨

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Yesterday we visited the University of South Wales for another brilliant session with the TRAC team.

🎭 Hannah took on the role of Geraldine, who is non-verbal, has a learning disability and Williams syndrome.
🧡 Christy played the role of Geraldine’s support staff.
💥 Nat played a patient who had a fit and knocked herself out, bruising and cutting her head.

The students were amazing! 👏 They asked thoughtful questions about the best ways to communicate with someone who is non-verbal and explored what medical checks and support Geraldine would need for her constipation. They also worked brilliantly as a team supporting Nat’s scenario. The feedback was fantastic — it’s wonderful that TRAC students get the chance to teach, share real-life experiences, and help future nurses learn in such a meaningful way. 🌟 Well done everyone! 🌟

✨ Another Fantastic Day at USW with TRAC! ✨

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Yesterday Ffion, Natalie, and Gethin attended the University of South Wales as part of the TRAC (Teaching & Resource Advisory Committee) project. TRAC gives nursing students the chance to learn through real-life scenarios, helping them build confidence, empathy, and the practical skills they’ll need in hospital settings. 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️🏥

Our members acted out different hospital scenarios brilliantly:

🗣️ Ffion played a non-verbal patient
🍺 Gethin had “fallen after a night on the pop” and sported a black eye
🤕 Natalie presented with a grazed, bleeding head

They were amazing as always, and the student nurses did a fantastic job too. ✅ The feedback was brilliant, and everyone worked together with professionalism, care, and a lot of enthusiasm. Nurses—especially Learning Disability Nurses—play a vital role in ensuring that people with learning disabilities receive safe, dignified, and person-centred care. Their understanding, communication skills, and compassion make a huge difference in every hospital environment. 💙

We are proud to support projects like TRAC, where lived experience helps shape better healthcare for the future. 🌟 Well done everyone — we loved the experience! 🙌😊

Safeguarding Level 3 Training

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Last week Christy and Ffion joined Jackie Hughes from Person to Person Advocacy and Citizen Advocates from across the Caerphilly Borough to take part in Safeguarding Level 3 training with our trainer Gareth. Gareth was very kind and detailed, listened to everyone’s stories and experiences, and made sure we all understood. There were lots of good conversations, lots learned, and new friendships made.

What is Safeguarding Level 3? Safeguarding means keeping people safe from harm, abuse, or neglect. Level 3 training helps you:

Spot signs of abuse or neglect
Know what to do and who to tell
Work with others to keep people safe
Understand your role and responsibilities

This training is for people who may need to report concerns or support others when something doesn’t feel right.

Online Hate Crime Training

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✨ A huge thank you to Noah for delivering the online hate crime training today ✨

Our members really enjoyed the session and gave some great feedback on what they learned:

Andrew – learned how to make accounts private and how to report hate crime.
Ffion – learned the same and found it very useful.
Theresa – found it helpful, especially learning not to answer phone scams.
Morgan – enjoyed everything and learned more about staying safe and interacting with people.
Mark – said he liked it all.
Amy – found all the information helpful, learned more about staying safe, and said it was fab!
Gethin – said it was great for information.
Olivia – found it very interesting and learned about safe settings.
Christy – said the training was very detailed, delivered in an easy way to understand, with a fun ice breaker and interesting conversation throughout.
Stu – said the information was easy to put into practice, very friendly and accessible.

💡 Members also learned that hate crime can be reported to Victim Support, as well as through social media platforms if abuse happens online.

👏 Overall, members said the training was informative, enjoyable, and easy to understand. Thank you again Noah for supporting our members to feel safer online.

First Aid Level 3 Training

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On Friday we attended First Aid Level 3 at Bargoed Community Centre. Well done to everyone who passed — it’s not as easy as you might think!

We most definitely had a giggle at times, and really enjoyed the practical side of it — there’s nothing like getting hands-on when it comes to learning life-saving skills.

First Aid Level 3 covers a wide range of important topics, including:

Primary and secondary assessments
CPR and using an AED
Treating bleeding, burns, and shock
Managing fractures, sprains, and spinal injuries
Responding to medical conditions like strokes, heart attacks, epilepsy, asthma, and more.

A huge thank you to Kyle for staying open so we could finish — it was a long day, but we learned loads! And big thanks to Cheryl for supporting Nat throughout the session.

University of South Wales Training Session

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Amy, Nat, and Gethin visited USW this morning to take part in a training session in the Simulation Suite. Today was all about being a patient!

Amy played a young lady with a learning disability, epilepsy, and a chest infection.
Nat portrayed a lady with a learning disability who lives in supported living and loves to visit A&E — she claimed to have drunk shampoo and bleach!
Gethin played a young man with a learning disability who fell into a bin and cut his head, with a suspected concussion.

The nursing students did amazing and worked brilliantly with our TRAC members. It was great to see them:

Asking for Health Profiles
Making reasonable adjustments
Using easy read language

Nat gave feedback and said the nurses did great! So proud of our team and the future healthcare professionals learning how to support people with learning disabilities with care and compassion. Great job everyone! You were all stars today!

TRAC in Action at the University of South Wales!

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Yesterday our amazing TRAC members Amy, Gethin, and Natalie teamed up with maternity student nurses and learning disability nurses for a powerful training session! They took part in realistic scenarios based on being new parents and preparing for the arrival of a baby. The goal? To show how all fields of nursing must work together for the best outcomes.

Communication is key! It’s not just what we say – it’s how we say it. Clear explanations, empathy, and tailored support can make a HUGE difference for parents with learning disabilities. By supporting people properly, we give everyone the chance to become amazing parents and raise their babies in a safe, loving environment. They absolutely loved the day and took away some important lessons!

Massive thanks to our TRAC members, the brilliant nurses, and Stacey and the whole team for making it such a great day! So proud of Amy, Gethin & Natalie; you’re helping change the future – one conversation at a time!

Our Planet Session 2 – Recycle, Reuse, Restore!

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Yesterday we had our second Our Planet session with the lovely Kurtis and Sophie from Innovate Trust, which was all about Recycling, Reusing, and Restoring.

We talked about:

How to recycle household items correctly.
Recycling clothes to reduce waste.
Using reusable water bottles and coffee mugs to cut down on plastic.
Saving food by cooking less, freezing leftovers, and avoiding waste.
The benefits of rechargeable batteries – and where to recycle non-rechargeables (most supermarkets that sell them will take them back!)

We also found out there’s lots of helpful recycling info on the Caerphilly Borough website if you’re ever unsure what goes where. A really educational and inspiring session – everyone enjoyed it and learned something new!