Chartwell House Helps Students Become Dementia Friends
Chartwell House by Boutique Care Homes, situated in Broadstairs, Kent, welcomed 11 learners from CXK’s Explore Health and Social Care Programme for a Dementia Friends awareness session, giving them a first taste of what a career in care could look like.
The learners are taking part in CXK’s four-week programme, based at Millmead Community Centre, for people considering a career in health and social care but unsure where to start. It introduces the sector, explores different roles and the core values of care, and supports learners with CVs, job applications and interviews.
Admissions Manager Jaye Hurst led the session, guiding the group through how dementia can affect people differently and what that means in practice for the people living with it. By the end of the afternoon, all 11 learners had become Dementia Friends, part of the Alzheimer’s Society’s UK-wide programme to build public understanding of the condition.
“It’s a real privilege to be able to run Dementia Friends sessions in East Kent, and this session with CXK was no exception,” said Jaye. “In addition to the Dementia Friends awareness session, the afternoon gave us an opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with people who are considering a career in health and social care. As an award-winning residential and dementia care provider, we have a wealth of experience that we can share, not only around dementia, but also what it truly means to work in care and make a difference to people’s lives. For me, these sessions are an opportunity to give the next generation of care professionals an honest insight into the sector, answer their questions and help them understand the rewarding career opportunities available to them. Seeing 11 learners become Dementia Friends was wonderful, and I hope they take that knowledge and enthusiasm forward with them as they begin their careers.”
With the formal session complete, Jaye stayed on to answer the group’s questions about working in health and social care, offering practical advice on the sector and what the day-to-day reality of the job involves. She also spoke about Boutique Care Homes’ own approach to recruitment: while the company invests heavily in training and development, it’s the values a candidate brings to the role that matter most in delivering the best possible service to residents and the wider community.
The learners’ response was warm. Several described the session as “very fun and engaging” and “interesting and informative,” with one saying the visit had helped them understand dementia “in a different way.” Another learner, reflecting on the home itself, remarked on how well cared for the residents seemed and how beautiful the surroundings were.
The impact was still being felt the next day. CXK’s Engagement and Employability Assistant, Carolyn Sellman, followed up with the group and found the session had left a lasting impression. “The Dementia Friends talk was incredibly insightful; I had a chat with the group this morning and they definitely gained a great deal from it,” she said. “They appreciated the explanation of the bookshelves, memories, and feelings, saying that it helped them develop a better understanding of just how dementia can affect a person. Your session really has helped to deepen this groups’ understanding of dementia and some of the challenges with caring for people with it.”
A photograph taken after the session shows the CXK learners and Chartwell House and CXK staff gathered together in the home’s lounge, a fitting record of an afternoon that gave 11 people a genuine, hands-on introduction to a sector many are only just beginning to explore.
Boutique Care Homes has long believed that care so good it speaks for itself starts with the right people, and sessions like this one are part of how that belief gets built, one Dementia Friend at a time. Dementia Friends’ reach goes well beyond the care sector too: the more people in a community who understand the condition, the better that community can support those living with it. With the door open to future sessions, Chartwell House and CXK look set to keep that work going.
