From Care Role to Career Pathway
Sam’s story demonstrates how investing in progression and specialist training can transform both careers and care experiences.
Early Inspiration
At 17, Sam began volunteering at a summer play scheme for children with learning disabilities. What started as a way to strengthen her UCAS application quickly became a lifelong passion.
On my first day I said I’ll come and do every single day.
From that moment, Sam became regularly involved in supporting families, volunteering at inclusive youth clubs, and eventually joining Access All, a care agency where she now works full‑time as a Senior Carer supporting disabled people.
A Person‑Centred Role
Sam currently supports four service users in their homes, providing personal care, therapy support and medication management. What makes her approach distinctive is her relentless focus on inclusion and communication.
I don’t take for granted that I come in as a carer… I always make sure it’s her voice.
Her day‑to‑day work often involves bridging between therapists, families and service users. But her real impact lies in noticing the small, meaningful signs that reveal how someone is feeling or coping, details that others might overlook.
Moments that Matter
Sam finds joy in the breakthroughs, moments when her persistence opens new doors for the people she supports:
- A young man, previously assumed not to understand letters, surprised everyone by correctly sorting items by their initial sounds.
- A service user who had been having a very tough time and had not laughed for a long period began laughing again. Sam had worked patiently to support him to reconnect with joy and witnessing that moment was deeply meaningful for them both.
- A young person with limited speech used his eye‑gaze device to joke with his mum: “Someone help me please”, when asked to do his hair.
For Sam, these moments show the importance of patience, belief and giving people the chance to show what they can do.
Why Communication Matters
With funding from the Rayne Foundation and working in partnership with local care providers and universities, we are leading a transformational project to develop and embed Nursing Associate and Allied Health Professional (AHP) Assistant Practitioner roles within social care settings. As part of this programme, Sam is now beginning an Assistant Practitioner Apprenticeship, specialising in Speech and Language Therapy. She sees communication as the foundation of independence: “If he can ask for help, that’s him being independent.”
Her ambition is to integrate therapeutic expertise into her caring role, ensuring that service users don’t just receive support, but have a say in their own lives.
We are lucky to have Sam as part of our team. Her absolute dedication to supporting people to live as independently and confidently as possible is evident in everything she does and is truly inspirational. We are so pleased to be able to support Sam to follow her passion and work towards becoming a speech and language practitioner through this apprenticeship.
Amy Jenkins, Director at Access All Care and Training Solutions Ltd
Why Sam’s Story Matters
Sam’s story highlights the direct impact these new integrated roles have on service users:
- Inclusion: Giving people the opportunity to express themselves and make choices.
- Independence: Supporting communication that enables everyday decisions.
- Dignity: Ensuring professionals listen to service users rather than speaking over them.
Sam’s journey shows that when care staff are supported to develop therapeutic expertise, the people they support gain not just better care, but a stronger voice in their own lives.
Everyone should have their voice heard… and I do.
About the Programme – How Enhanced Roles Are Transforming Health & Social Care in North East London
At Care City, we believe the future of care depends on breaking down barriers between health and social care and empowering the workforce at the heart of both. With funding from the Rayne Foundation and working in partnership with local care providers and universities, we are leading a transformational project to develop and embed Nursing Associate and Allied Health Professional (AHP) Assistant Practitioner roles within social care settings.
These new roles bridge the gap between care providers and NHS Trusts, creating clear career pathways for care staff while easing pressure on the NHS, improving health outcomes, and ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. At a moment when staff shortages and rising demand are stretching services to their limits, this programme shows how “growing our own” skilled workforce within care can deliver lasting change.
