Here at Cohesion, we love nothing more than seeing the care sector champion young talent! Walnut Care’s Home Care Cadets programme is doing just that – and we were keen to hear the full story.

Recently, we sat down with the team to uncover how they’re inspiring the next generation to view care as a career full of purpose, progression, and possibility.

Discover how the Home Care Cadets are shaping the future of care in our latest case study…

Walnut Care is a family-run home care provider operating across Lincolnshire. Alice Weatherley, Learning and Development Lead at Walnut Care, talks about creating a programme for young people to experience working in care.

What is the ‘Care Cadets’ programme?

The programme offers young people training and real-life experience of working in care during their school holidays. The cadets learn practical skills such as moving and handling and delivering person-centred care. Placements typically run one day per week in the summer, and all week during half-term holidays. Each cadet goes out on visits with experienced care workers.

What is the aim of the programme?

The ultimate goal is to inspire future careers in care – whether that means joining us as carers, or becoming doctors, nurses, occupational therapists or other health professionals. Whatever path they take, we want to give them a strong foundation.

How do you attract young people?

We advertise online but one of our strongest routes has been through community partnerships. We work closely with our local NHS Talent Academy, who have excellent connections with schools and colleges in the area.

What tasks do the Cadets complete?

The cadets shadow our senior carers and join in with the full experience of a home visit. They are encouraged to take part where they feel comfortable, including supporting with personal care.

As a sector we shouldn’t just assign young people to ‘the tea trolley’ – they bring so much more to the role, and we want them to experience the real responsibilities and rewards of care work.

How do you prepare the cadets for the placements?

We start with a structured induction. Week 1 covers general onboarding, and Week 2 includes moving and handling training. It’s essentially the same induction that we provide to our new care team members, with the exception of medication training.

What are the benefits for the Cadets?

Some participants tell us the programme strengthens their UCAS applications – but more importantly, it equips them with great life skills. Several have shared how it’s helped them better support their grandparents at home, such as with mobility.

Cadets tell us that they enjoy the fun side of care, as well as the social activities we do with them such as escape room activities and trips, which build confidence and team spirit.

What has been the impact on the people cared for?

The people we care for really enjoy having the cadets involved. They see the enthusiasm and energy the young people bring, and it adds something special to their visits.

Have you faced any challenges?

The main challenge has been changing perceptions – some people worry about involving inexperienced young people in care. But we quickly see the benefits outweigh those concerns. Another challenge is making sure the programme is right for the young person – that they are genuinely interested and have care related values, rather than it being a decision purely led by parents or schools.

How do you see the programme evolving?

For us, success is about making a difference and inspiring the future care workforce. We also want to build strong community connections, so we invite a wide range of professionals to meet the cadets – from nurses and doctors to social workers. Looking ahead, we want to continue to expand input from external expertise, such as first aid trainers, food and nutrition experts, and others.

What are your top tips for other providers?

The programme does take time and energy, but it’s absolutely worth it. Work experience is making a comeback, and as a sector we need to seize that opportunity. The key is planning ahead around school and college holiday timetables, and being ready to give the cadets a genuine and valuable experience.

Walnut Care’s Home Care Cadets show what’s possible when organisations invest in young talent and create clear pathways into care.

If you’re inspired to build or enhance your own early careers programme, we can help. From designing structured opportunities to attracting and retaining the right candidates, our team supports care providers in shaping the next generation of care professionals.

Image Credit: BBC News – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy08lle12nzo