During Scottish Apprenticeship week we caught up with Chloe Simpson – our first ever Modern Apprentice.
Chloe, 27, is a Modern Apprentice Administrative Officer and has been working at Carolina House Trust since June 2024. Chloe has quickly become a key member of the Support Team – a first point of contact, HR support and as we will discuss, the Panel Administrator. She is also registered with Dundee & Angus College, who support her with the qualification component of her apprenticeship.
Thank you for letting us quiz you today, Chloe! Tell us, what does a week in the life of Chloe look like?
I work in the office most Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. I work from home on a Tuesday and do college work on a Friday.
What do you do on a ‘college day’?
My assessor, Esther, sets work for me, which I complete at my own pace. I have closed off three units so far, which is about 60% of the course.
That seems like really good progress! How long is your apprenticeship for?
Two years.
Great job, then! So, can you explain how a Modern Apprenticeship works? First of all, are you paid?
As a Modern Apprentice, you are paid a salary. Carolina House Trust funds my college course and is a Living Wage Employer.
How did you find out about the opportunity with Carolina House Trust?
I was studying for an SVQ in Business Administration at Dundee & Angus College and Esther, the assessor who was working with Carolina House Trust to create the role contacted my lecturer to find out if she knew anyone who would be interested.
Have you always wanted to work in administration?
I left school in S5 to study beauty therapy at college, which interested me at the time. I became a self-employed nail technician after I had my first son as I could work flexible hours around his childcare. It didn’t always work though because clients often preferred evening and weekend appointments.
I actually liked the admin involved in running your own business. Most people find it tiresome. That’s why I went to college to study administration.
You were studying while also being a mum to two young children. How did you manage that?
It was ok! When I was at college, the boys were at school or nursery, it worked well. I was in college three days, and I had two days to spend with my youngest son when he wasn’t at nursery, which was nice. We had quite a lot of homework, which I did at night when the boys were in bed.
Administration is a very broad subject. What parts do you like?
Yes, there is a lot – admin, finance and projects. I enjoy doing the Panel minutes. It’s a challenge and new to me, but I am learning.
Panel minutes are quite a specific thing, aren’t they?
Note to the readers: ‘Panel’ means our Fostering Panel, which is an independent group of people who are advised by our Chief Operating Officer. They approve foster carers and review their performance each year. The Panel meeting is crucial to setting the standard of the care we provide young people with. The minutes are incredibly important in documenting the decisions and recommendations made by the Panel, as well as the themes of discussions that occur.
Yes, I have attended a special minute-taking course, as well as had support from college. My colleague, Calum, has spent time going over it all with me.
The Panel meeting includes some very sensitive and sometimes difficult information. How do you manage that?
All sensitive information about children is stored securely online and password protected. Only authorised people can read it. Some of the cases discussed can be sensitive but I am usually too focused on taking the notes, so the meaning doesn’t really hit you in the same way.
Does panel need a lot of preparation in advance?
Yes, we need to set the agenda, gather information from carers and social workers, send forms to the medical advisor and make sure all the papers are available on our case management system.
Are there any other tasks you get involved with at the moment?
I use Canva to make Wellbeing Wednesday social media posts, post all our training events on the Community Hub (internal website) and keep records of the training carers have attended. I attend community training sessions too. It’s all interesting because it’s new to me. It’s nice to take it all in.
Did you ever think you would work for a fostering charity when you were at college? What kind of work did you think you would end up doing?
No. I thought I might be a receptionist, a front-of-house job.
What do you think you bring to the team at CHT?
I have probably helped to ease the workload and take on some jobs so staff can concentrate on other things. (Chloe has definitely done that!) I’m organised most of the time and have a good memory.
What is good about working at CHT?
Everyone’s very welcoming. It’s flexible and easy enough to work around the kids if they are ill or have an appointment. I don’t need to worry about that – everyone’s really understanding. Previously, my clients were not so understanding.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about apprenticeships?
I didn’t know much about apprenticeships before. I thought I was too old. It’s nice to keep learning new skills. It would be too hard to stay on at college if I wasn’t in a paid job. I haven’t had to choose.
About supporting the young workforce at Carolina House Trust
The team at CHT are lucky to have Chloe supporting us. She has settled well and has already made a big difference to the organisation. Since we signed up to the Young Person’s Guarantee with Developing the Young Workforce, we have hosted university student placements, a Foundation Apprentice and now employ a Modern Apprentice. Our People & Development Officer is a Career Ready Mentor and will be offering employability skills sessions in schools.
About Modern Apprenticeships
A Modern Apprenticeship is a job which lets people earn a wage and gain an industry-recognised qualification. For employers, modern apprenticeships help develop their workforce by training new staff, and upskilling existing employees.