We are delighted to share that 8 of the patients at Heatherwood Court Hospital have achieved a total of 15 nationally recognised education qualifications with support from the hospital’s Skills Tutor.

In 2023 we appointed a new Skills Tutor at Heatherwood Court, Jade Edmunds, who has been delivering a range of different education courses to support patients to gain qualifications that will aid their success in the community in the future.
Throughout the last year Jade has been supporting patients to work towards their qualifications with bespoke individualised learning plans, and the patients received their official results in July.

Providing education for patients with complex mental health needs

When Jade first joined the Heatherwood Court team, she completed a Wales Essential Skills Toolkit assessment with each patient to identify their target level for their qualifications. Using the results of the assessment, Jade created bespoke learning plans that suited each patient’s preferred learning style and educational goals.

We all learn in different ways, so sessions were delivered using a range of different methods to fully engage patients with their education. This included quizzes, worksheets, and workbooks, as well as group and 1:1 discussion, interactive activities such as demonstrations and role play, and e-learning.

Each patient had a dedicated folder for all of their coursework, with each piece marked by the Skills Tutor to refer back to as they completed their studies. At the beginning of each new session, the patients engaged in discussion about their work from the prior session to receive feedback and guidance for areas of improvement.

Additional folders were also created and made available for patients to access on their ward, for those who would like to complete additional work towards their qualifications with their care support staff in their free time.

The patients participated in mini-assessments throughout the year to continuously track their development and their progress towards their educational goals. As their final exams neared, patients also participated in mock exams to help them better understand the process and gain experience of exam conditions, with the aim of reducing their anxiety for their exams and building confidence in themselves.

The results

In an incredible result, 4 of the patients achieved a qualification for Essential Skills Wales Application of Number Level 1, which is equivalent to a GCSE grade.

Between the 8 patients, 6 qualifications were also achieved for Essential Skills Wales Application of Number Entry Levels 1, 2, and 3.

A further two patients also achieved Essential Skills Wales Communication Entry Level 3, with one patient going on to achieve a qualification for Essential Skills Wales Communication Level 1.

Two patients also completed the Home Cooking Skills qualification, with one patient achieving Home Cooking Skills Level 1, and the other achieving Home Cooking Skills Level 2.

Celebrating our graduates

Following all of the hard work that led to these incredible achievements, the team hosted a graduation ceremony that brought patients and staff at the hospital together to celebrate.

Each patient was presented with the official certificates that they achieved for completing their qualifications, as well as personalised certificates created by the team to recognise their outstanding efforts working towards these qualifications.

We were also delighted to welcome back one patient who had stepped down from the hospital since achieving their qualifications to celebrate with their peers, and each patient received a special gift from the Heatherwood Court team to commend their exceptional achievements.

It was a fantastic event, and a well-deserved celebration for these patients who have shown the upmost dedication and commitment to their educational goals this year.

Jade said:

“I have loved teaching these patients over the last 12 months – they have been an amazing bunch, and a real pleasure to teach. I am so proud of each of them for their commitment and dedication to learning, and not giving up when it got too hard.”

Heatherwood Court Hospital

Purpose-built, Heatherwood Court provides mental health treatment in both low secure and locked environments. At Heatherwood our focus is on rehabilitation and recovery. By providing our patients with relationship and life skills, alongside resilience and coping strategies, we promote the emotional stability which can provide the sound foundation needed to make a successful move back into the community