A Staffordshire-based training provider has been named as best Health and Social Care Training Provider in the prestigious Midlands Enterprise Awards.
Acacia Training was awarded for its innovation and outstanding overall performance. The company provides high-quality training to support people in the health and social care sector at every stage of their career, from apprenticeships to leadership courses and online training.
It also provides training and apprenticeships to other sectors across the UK, including dental nursing, beauty, business and management, mental health first aid, early years and young people’s workforce.
For the health and social care sector, Acacia provides specialist training in topics such as dementia awareness, safeguarding, mental capacity and palliative care, helping to improve standards in the sector. This year, it delivered £125,000 of intensive training in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, funded by Skills for Care, to increase staffing capacity in care homes. It also provided free training on infection control and mental health first aid for individuals and companies around the world.
Victoria Sylvester, CEO of Acacia Training, says she was delighted to receive the award, in a year which has highlighted the importance of the health and social care sector.
She explains: “This year we have trained volunteers, new and returning staff, all who wanted to contribute to the Covid-19 response. Many found the experience so rewarding that they plan to stay on in the sector. In what has been an incredibly difficult year, a positive to take from it is that it has shone a spotlight on how valuable the sector is. More people are seeing it as a rewarding place to work with career progression opportunities.”
Victoria, who is a former nurse, adds: “This award is testament to the commitment of our staff who have worked tirelessly during these unprecedented times to ensure that we can continue to make training accessible to those who need it.”
Since Acacia Training was founded 20 years ago, it has trained more than 35,000 learners nationwide. It also provides mental health first aid and business and management training across a range of sectors. It is the official training provider for Wellonomics, a programme which collects data on employee wellbeing and enables companies to identify issues affecting staff wellbeing, performance and productivity.
The Midlands Enterprise Awards celebrate individuals and firms for their innovation and excellence in business practice, as well as their outstanding overall performance. Now in their third year, they feature some of the most prominent businesses in the Midlands, shining a light on the hard work and dedication of the region.
For more information about training and apprenticeships available to employers across the UK, visit acaciatraining.co.uk
