Laura Hargest

Laura Hargest, Studied Health & Social Care Level 3

Qualified Occupational Therapist and CQC Registered Manager for Herefordshire Council’s Home First Reablement Service

“When I was looking to see what career I wanted to pursue, I volunteered at Credenhill care home and Herefordshire Headway, as I felt this was the path I wanted to follow. I therefore, decided to study Health & Social Care level 3, as well as re-taking my GCSE Maths. The appeal of this course to me was the breadth of different career options it could lead to and it is a substantial qualification to lead to further studying
or employment. The tutors were really supportive, and as well as the theory that we learnt, there were opportunities for work experience placements. For one of my placements, I was based in the local mental health ward where I was able to better understand the role of an Occupational Therapist. I decided this was the career for me, and upon completing my level 3, I went on to study Occupational Therapy at the University of Derby.

I have now been working as an Occupational Therapist for several years, most recently now for Herefordshire Council, where I have recently become the CQC Registered Manager for the Home First Reablement team.

I would really recommend the Health and Social Care course to anyone with an interest in this field. As a course it opens a lot of doors to a vast range of careers, depending on where you aspire to be.”