CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE HEALTH & SOCIALCARE
SCRAPBOOK
MAKE HEALTH YOUR FUTURE
2025 - 2026
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INTRODUCTION We wanted to reach out and share all the exciting opportunities that could await you here at Wigan & Leigh College. We’ll be giving you a glimpse of what you could look forward to if you decide to study with us. Think of this as your backstage pass to discovering the next steps in your career.
RETURNING ALUMNI
Two of our alumni T Level Nursing students returned to college to speak to our current learners about their university experience - shedding light on their respective courses and what to expect. Lucy is now in the third year of her Adult Nursing degree at Edge Hill University, while Lily is about to start her third year of a MSci in Mental Health and Child Nursing, also at Edge Hill.
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NURSING SPOTLIGHT FROM T LEVEL TO FUTURE CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH NURSE Lily, a former Rainford High School pupil has entered her final year of the MSci in Mental Health and Child Nursing at Edge Hill University. Since being at university, Lily’s placements have taken her from Alder Hey’s neuro, orthopaedic, and respiratory wards, to Young Advisers Services in Liverpool, a nursing home, and even Tanzania, where she spent time in mental health, paediatric surgery, and paediatric oncology. These experiences, especially supporting children and young people through the toughest moments, have confirmed her passion for children’s mental health, and her dream of one day working at Alder Hey. On choosing a T Level she reflected: “I chose the T Level due to the placement side - the content on the course was interesting and it showed me what it was like to work in a hospital. It made me sure that it was the right career for me.”
LILY MAE
FROM T LEVEL STUDENT TO FUTURE WARD MANAGER Former Up Holland High School pupil, Lucy is approaching the end of her BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing at Edge Hill University. Having recently returned to college to talk to our current students, she reflected on how far she’s come - from her first T Level placement caring for patients, to now preparing for her final placement on a surgical ward. Lucy has now experienced working within district nursing in Skelmersdale, surgical wards in Wigan, and the frailty unit at Southport. “I’m currently on placement at MAU in Wigan, and I’m excited for what’s ahead - hopefully stepping into a Band 5 role soon and one day becoming a ward manager and practice educator,” she said. “The T Level course helped me due to the placements we had as that was my first ever experience of caring for someone when I was on the course and this gave me an advantage ahead of uni. “We were already familiar with some of the content in our first year of university as we had covered it in the T Level.”
LUCY ATKINSON 2
STUDENTS IN FOCUS
T Level Nursing student, Stanley improved both his confidence and communication skills while on placement with Wigan Council. He got a great insight into adult social care with the community front door team. Shadowing social workers as well as nurse practitioners, Stanley got to see all the things that go into forming a care package. Stanley plans to progress onto a masters in adult and mental health nursing ahead of joining the army as a military nurse.
STANLEY OBIOMA
Level 3 Health & Social Care student, Mylie has received some great university offers to study occupational therapy. Having always wanted to work in healthcare, the former Hawkley Hall High School pupil wants to pursue a career in occupational therapy so she can help people in a “meaningful way”. Mylie has complimented her studies with work experience with West Lancashire Council with their OT team and also with Wigan Cares with their supported living team. She also volunteers one day a week at Wigan Borough Domestic Abuse Service. On her course she said: “The BTEC is good as I didn’t know what area I wanted to go into, and I liked the mix of exams and coursework. “The teachers have been really helpful getting me prepared for university and the lessons have been really interesting.”
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MYLIE HEWITT
CPR TRAINING KIOSK ARRIVES AT OUR HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE A bespoke training unit arrived on campus to give students, staff and visitors a step-by-step guide on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with the help of its inbuilt mannequin and screen guiding video. Cardiac arrests are a significant public health issue, with approx. 3,600 out of hospital cardiac arrests a year in the northwest of England. Of these, around half are witnessed by a bystander. Effective CPR can more than double survival chances in this instance. We are proud to work in collaboration with Broadsword to provide training and awareness, but most importantly, to save lives! Pictured T Level Health students Aiden Fish, Lexie Foster, Stanley Obioma and Hannah Hoey.
Level 3 Health & Social Care students Ellie, Aisha and Callum were all accepted onto the North West Ambulance Service Cadet Programme. They’ll be getting future ready and work ready by gaining a real insight into the frontline service giving them valuable experience ahead of pursuing careers as paramedics. Callum, who works as a support worker at a supported living facility said: “I found out about this at a careers event we attended with college. It will be good to see what it’s like on the frontline, getting that insight into doing the job first-hand.” Ellie is looking forward to the opportunity adding, “If I want to be a paramedic when I’m older it will be good to see the reality of it first-hand and gain some experience.” The three will all experience 12 hour shifts each week, and providing they complete the programme, will get a guaranteed interview for a Paramedic apprenticeship at the end.
NWAS CADETS 4
GRACIE BARTON
ST JOHN AMBULANCE
A big congratulations to T Level Health student, Gracie Barton who has received the St John Ambulance North West Reginal Cadet of the Year Award. The former Hawkley Hall High School pupil, who is aiming for a career as a paramedic, follows her fellow Wigan & Leigh College student, Hannah Hoey in earning this amazing accolade. A great example of our students who are gaining vocational and academic skills, while building confidence and working towards their futures.
ULAN NURSING DISCOVERY DAY Our Level 3 Health & Social Care students as well as some of our Level 2 learners attended a Nursing and Health Discovery Day at University of Lancashire where they had the opportunity to meet lecturers and find out more about university life from their student ambassadors.
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AMBULANCE AWARENESS DAY Our first year Level 3 Health & Social Care students headed to the Ambulance Awareness Day event in Preston. The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust event allowed for our learners to explore the vehicles and take part in live CPR and first aid demonstrations. It was also a great opportunity to discover career pathways, volunteering opportunities and apprenticeship programmes.
ALUMNI ACHIEVES FIRST CLASS HONOURS
We were delighted to hear that our former T Level Nursing student, Mollie Gatrick achieved a First Class Honours in her Paramedic Science degree. The former St Joseph’s RC High School pupil has now applied to work for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and with her extensive work experience gained during her degree, we’re sure she will be a big success.
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TWO WEEKS IN TANZANIA A group of our students conducted an amazing once in a lifetime work experience trip in Tanzania, Africa. Based at Mount Meru Regional Hospital, they worked in maternity, A & E, internal medicine and surgical departments. The trip also allowed for the group to immerse themselves in Tanzanian culture.
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BRUSSELS A 50-strong group of Applied Science, Health & Social Care and Early Years students enjoyed a festive trip to Brussels, where they explored the Christmas Markets in the city centre. They also worked together in a team building challenge to discover a few of the city’s cultural landmarks on a treasure hunt, which included the famous WOLF Sharing Food Market, the impressive Atomium sculpture, the renowned comic strip trail which is aligned with fresco murals, and the cheeky Manneken Pis sculpture. The group also enjoyed a scenic canal boat tour of Bruges before visiting the Burg and Markt Squares. The trip was rounded off with some ice skating and a meal out.
PARIS
Our T Level Health students took learning beyond the classroom and into the heart of Paris on a whirlwind trip to the French capital. The group visited some of the city’s most iconic sights while developing essential wider skills that will support them both academically and professionally. A standout highlight was a visit to the Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine, where they engaged with the history of medical practice and innovation. This experience deepened their understanding of healthcare development while encouraging critical thinking, cultural awareness, and reflection on how medicine continues to evolve.
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CARE IN THE COMMUNITY
A group of our amazing Health & Social Care students visited the brand new accommodation for Coops Foyer residents on Warrington Road. Earlier in the day, they’d been hard at work shopping and collecting essentials, putting together thoughtful ‘moving into a new place’ gifts for the residents. On arrival they met with Your Housing reps Andy, Connor, and Lisa, who shared valuable insights into the social factors that can lead to youth homelessness and the skills needed to make a real difference as a support worker. They were then given a guided tour of the fantastic new facilities and had the special opportunity to hand-deliver their hand-picked hampers to the residents’ apartments. What a fantastic way to directly impact the community in such a thoughtful way. Well done everyone!
BUDDING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS OF THE FUTURE We had the pleasure of hosting Year 4 pupils from Mabs Cross Primary School, who visited our Centre of Excellence in Health & Social Care. Our health students were on hand to guide our special guests as they got familiar with CPR, putting someone in the recovery position, conducting blood pressure checks and peak flow tests. Pupils also got to use VR headsets which tested their English and maths skills too. A great experience for our students to work with the youngsters, and in turn, it looked like the school children enjoyed themselves as well. Definitely some budding health professionals of the future!
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T Level Nursing student, Hannah is looking to get a head start into her paramedic career after being accepted onto the North West Ambulance Service Cadet Programme. The former St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School pupil, who is also the St John Ambulance North West Regional Cadet, is looking forward to gaining new skills that will prepare her for university and a career in the field. “I know I want to be a paramedic, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to get that extra experience and it coincides well with my college work and contributes to my work placement hours.”
HANNAH HOEY T LEVEL PLACEMENTS IN PROFILE Future Children’s Mental Health Nurse, Isobel Dobbie did her placement at Leigh Infirmary on the Day Surgery Unit, where she got to observe surgeries and shadow nurses. The former Golborne High School pupil also gained experience at Wigan Infirmary, working on the Community Assessment Unit. She observed how to look after older patients, helped with food and drink at lunchtime, supporting patients and saw how all the staff worked together as a team. “It’s beneficial as it gives you insight into different areas within the hospital and how teams work together, and it shows different ideas into career paths different roles.” Future Children’s Nurse, Lexi Redfern conducted placement hours in her first year at Leigh Infirmary in the outpatients dept. “I observed dieticians and physios as well as getting an insight into a range of clinics including speech and language and eye clinics. I learnt the basics of patient care within a clinical setting.” The former canon Slade pupil added: “At Wigan Infirmary, I was on the Planned Investigation Unit. I learnt a lot about different illnesses and how things can be treated. There was a lot of people who were chronically ill and I found out how their end of life care was planned. “It’s helped with my confidence as it can be overwhelming being on a hospital ward with no experience – but now I know I want to go into it and it has been nice to put a smile on patients faces.”
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CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE HEALTH & SOCIALCARE
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