PRESS RELEASE
Last updated: 14.02.17

Virtual College delivers comprehensive care sector training to Avery Healthcare staff

Triple award-winning providers, Virtual College and Avery Healthcare, have agreed to work in partnership to provide a blended learning approach to the training of over 3,000 members of staff. The current Avery face to face training will be supplemented by a strong e-learning platform from Virtual College.

Avery Healthcare operates 44 residential, dementia and nursing care homes throughout England, with a focus on the highest possible standards of living for its residents and peace of mind for family and friends. It is passionate about the quality of care delivered by all of its staff, and thus has a high focus on staff induction, on-going training, skills enhancement, individual career development and staff retention.

Following a competitive pitch, Virtual College initially ran a successful pilot of online staff training across three of Avery’s homes.

A wide range of online learning resources, tailored specifically to the care sector, will now be delivered to all staff across the Avery Group, covering topics such as safeguarding, infection control and fire safety.

In addition, Avery’s new members of staff will be able to use rich, online content from Virtual College resources, designed specifically to meet the requirements of care certificate qualifications.

This training will be delivered via Virtual College’s learning management system, Enable, which has been branded to Avery’s blended learning programme, called ‘Aspire’.

Sandra Stark, Director of Care and Quality at Avery Healthcare, commented: “To deliver the high standards of quality care synonymous with Avery Healthcare, we need to ensure that our staff are trained to levels which meet and go beyond statutory compliance requirements.

“This investment in online training will help provide quality standardisation across our group, complementing the work of our face to face trainers and enabling them to focus their skills on delivering practical skill based training and development of staff competencies.”

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

Virtual College won the prestigious ‘learning technologies supplier of the year’ 2016/17 in the independently-judged global awards. Virtual College has also been identified as one of London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. The report is a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses.

Virtual College has developed into one of the UK's leading providers of total solutions within the e-learning arena. Its key objective is to help enhance the traditional learning solution through the careful integration of technology.

Founded in 1995, today Virtual College has over 2.4 million registered online learners and this is growing at a rate of over 1,500 a day, across both public and private sectors. The company has developed a comprehensive product range, including over 300 online courses, accessed via the company's own Learning Management System, as well as offering a complete content design and development service.

Further information is available at www.virtual-college.co.uk

Founded in 2005, Avery Healthcare has grown to be one of the leading private suppliers to the adult social care market, with over 3,000 staff looking after some 3,500 residents across 44 care homes and four independent living residencies.

In 2016 it gained recognition by scooping up two of the sector’s major awards as Residential Care Provider of the Year by both Health Investor magazine and LaingBuisson Consulting. It prides itself on its modern innovative approach to care, with high quality purpose built homes and a sector leading Well-being Programme. Search ‘Avery Healthcare’ on any search engine or Facebook.