Get to Know our World Skills UK Finalists

Boston College is very proud of our Health and Social Care Learners, Isabelle and Ellena for reaching the World Skills UK Final. They will be competing in two day final today and tomorrow (Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th November) in Cardiff.

Ellena Thornalley

1) What course do you study at Boston College?
I study the Health and Social Care Level 3 Extended Diploma, and I am in my second year.

2) Why did you choose to enter the World Skills competition?
We had a guest speaker visit, who had previously won the competition which got me interested in entering the competition. My tutor then selected me to enter the competition, and I jumped at the chance!

3) What have you had to do as part of the competition so far, and what do you need to do for the final?
At the start of the competition, we were given two case studies, and had to write about how we would act in the situations and what actions we would or wouldn’t take. In the Regional Competition, we had a Zoom call of a scenario of someone who had recently gone into care and was unhappy with the care given on the first night there. From the call, we had to devise a care plan for the individual which included how we would react to the circumstances changing for the person.

For the final, we have been given six scenarios with limited information. Each scenario will be acted out by actors and the finalists will have to react and manage the situation as it develops. We’ll be judged by a panel of judges who are watching.

4) How has the College been supportive of the competition?
The College has been incredible with the support offered throughout the competition. We have an extra two hours in college on a Monday afternoon which is dedicated to preparation for the World Skills Final. All the tutors have been really supportive offering help with research and working through the scenarios and helping us to prepare.

5) How are you feeling about the final?
I am more excited than nervous at the minute. I think the nerves will kick in on the day, I think apprehensive is the word, as even though we know the scenarios, we don’t know exactly what we’ll be asked to do.

6) What are your plans for after completing your Health and Social Care course the Boston College?
I want to work in Nursing, specifically Trauma Nursing, so I’m planning to go to university to study Adult Nursing. I came to the College instead of Sixth Form to gain more hands-on experience, and World Skills has been just that. I don’t think I’d have had this opportunity without coming to Boston College.

Isabelle Hughes-Fletcher

1) What course and level do you study at Boston College?
I study the Health and Social Care Level 3 Extended Diploma, and I am in my second year.

2) Why did you choose to enter the World Skills competition?
My tutor Ruth selected some of us from the class to take part. When I found out more, I was eager to take part. We had heard from a previous winner that had been at the College before and it really inspired me to want to be in the competition.

3) What have you had to do as part of the competition so far, and what do you need to do for the final?
The first two rounds were case studies, where we had to write about how we would act in that particular case, and a zoom call with an actor who was playing an individual who had recently gone into care. We had to devise a care plan for them, and explain how we would respond, when the scenario changed and developed.

The final is over two days where we have to react to three different scenarios each day and will be marked on how well we deal with the situations that come up. We have been given a bit of information to help us prepare, but we won’t know the full details until we get there and compete.

4) How has college been supportive of the competition?
The College has been really supportive with helping us prepare for the competition. At the start the tutors helped us a lot with researching the conditions and issues that were in the case studies and Zoom Call. Now we have reached the final, they have been amazing at helping us prepare for the scenarios given the small amount of information we have been given.

5) How are you feeling about the final?
I am nervous, but equally as excited to have reached the final.

6) What are your plans for after completing your Health and Social Care course at Boston College?
I have applied to university to work towards being a Mental Health Counsellor.