Ioana Rusu X Farleigh House

Itec Apprentice Excels in Level 5 Health & Social Care, Driving Positive Change in Swansea Care Home

Deputy Manager Ioana Rusu is a Level 5 Health & Social Care learner with Itec Skills and Employment and has just completed her apprenticeship at Farleigh House Care Home in Swansea.  

Ioana decided to embark on an apprenticeship as she wanted to move into a leadership role that focuses on service and improvement. Her apprenticeship with Itec trained her in leading safeguarding, supervising staff and supporting the service improvements through their experience and crucially, how to apply these skills in the workplace.   

“My theoretical knowledge strengthened my confidence as a leader,” said Ioana. “You can make your assignment meaningful, and you can see that’s what you’re doing in your own progress as well.” 

Itec Assessor Natalie Griffiths provided Ioana with continuous feedback which allowed her to constantly improve in her learning and in practice. 

Natalie commented, “It’s been a real pleasure to see Ioana progress through her learning journey, Level 4 preparing for leadership and management qualification, then on to the completion of her Level 5 qualification. She faced some challenges along the way, but she was determined. Approaching each task with a positive attitude and professionalism, she showed resilience when things felt tough. By the end, she covered every part of the qualification with confidence and skill.  A fantastic result that she should be proud of. Well done, Ioana.”  

Reflecting on Ioana’s experience, Gaynor, Manager at Farleigh House said, “Her confidence, professionalism, and commitment to developing her practice have been clear throughout. She consistently demonstrates a positive attitude, a strong willingness to learn, and an ability to apply her skills effectively in the workplace. We are extremely proud of her progress and her contribution to the team.” 

Ioana’s ambition is to continue within the health and social care and diversify her training with a psychology degree to enter roles that involve behaviour, metal health service. Her commitment to the sector is clear and her impact was felt by many. 

“If you have good communication with your colleagues in work, it will definitely make your moods more positive,” she said. “You need to be open to learn new systems. The sector is always changing and especially with digital tools which is this something I have implemented. 

“Leadership can be stressful so self-care and reflections are essential but believe in your potential because growth will happen step by step and every skill that we learn will build towards our career goals.”