New e-college to open employment opportunities for people with long-term conditions

People with lived experience of using support services can now qualify in peer support brokerage, one of the care sector’s up-and-coming professions from their own homes.

The online course developed and run by MySupportBroker (MSB) will open employment opportunities for people with long-term physical and mental health conditions full-time carers and those who are otherwise unable to attend training in person.

The accredited course in peer brokerage qualifies part-time trainees as professional ‘brokers’ so they can use their experiences of the care system to assist others in arranging their own services and support.

The recently opened course has already seen its first students qualify as fully accredited Level 3 peer brokers.

Angie Farrell, a 54-year-old businesswoman with cerebral palsy, was looking to help others fulfill their dreams by completing the course.

She said: “It was always my dream to own my own consultancy and employ my own staff and I have now achieved that with support. I want to be that person that helps others do the same.”

Mum of two Louisa Weinstein from North London wanted a career that allowed her to give back to her community while also allowing her time to look after her family.

She said:  “I needed work that was flexible, but I also wanted to empower people, give them the tools to make difficult decisions in difficult times.

“I found this in MySupportBroker. With the customers you are not patronising them, rather, you’re giving them opportunities.”

Taking between 10 to 12 weeks to complete, the training sees students explore the principles of peer brokerage, design support plans, gather information on community activities, local services and providers and funding options.

MySupportBroker’s e-college will be the first to deliver and assess the entire NVQ Level 3 peer broker training via the internet. The course will be delivered using a combination of videos, online Q&As and written materials that are compiled and taught by the college’s expert trainers. Students can interact virtually with others through online workshops and webinars with qualified support brokers.

Assessment will also be carried out online through a series of short remote exams. The new platform features audio options for students with visual impairment and voice recognition for those who have difficulty typing.

As the government seeks to provide all council-funded care users with personal budgets by the end of 2013, demand for professional brokers is anticipated to continue its rapid growth. Once qualified, brokers have the choice to then go on to work directly for MySupportBroker or the flexibility of working for themselves, helping care users arrange for all of their needs, from mobility equipment to evening classes.

Speaking about the new online training, CEO of MySupportBroker, Sinéad Brophy, said: “Experience of navigating care services is invaluable for support brokers which is why it is so important that we give access to people with long term conditions or care commitments that may otherwise prevent them undergoing training.

“Running the course online means that we can equip even more of our brokers with the tools, expertise and insight to provide local people get the best services available to them.”

Steve Scott who runs the colleges as Director of MSB, said: “We create an empowering framework for peer support, generating a culture of ‘doing it for ourselves’.”

The college is expecting over 100 students to enroll in the first year. To register your interest please visit www.mysupportbroker.com