Discover how Visiting Angels North Surrey, works with Nescot to train young talent through placements and paid employment
Strong employer partnerships are at the heart of successful vocational education. At Nescot, relationships with local employers enable students to apply theory in real world settings, develop confidence, and access meaningful career pathways. We sat down to chat with co-owner Chris James to find out how the partnership with Nescot works for them.
About Visiting Angels North Surrey
Visiting Angels North Surrey is a home care provider across North Surrey and South West London, supporting private clients in their own homes. Co‑owned by husband‑and‑wife team Chris and Lynn James, the business opened in July 2020 during the COVID‑19 pandemic and has since grown rapidly. It now supports 130 clients and employs 80 members of staff.
As a health and social care employer, how do you recruit young people?
Like much of the social care sector, Visiting Angels operates in a competitive recruitment market which Chris feels is often shaped by misconceptions.
Many employers are hesitant to engage with younger workers, particularly 16 to 18 year olds, due to concerns around maturity, reliability, and communication skills. “There’s a narrative that young people aren’t reliable or ready for real work. Our experience is the complete opposite.”
Abbey Bagwell, a second‑year T Level Health student at Nescot, was first introduced to Visiting Angels at a Nescot Careers Fair. Despite being only 16 at the interview, Abbey stood out immediately.
“We met her last March when she came for an interview, which came about through a conversation we’d had at a careers fair at Nescot. She was only 16 at the time but she was in the top three applicants we’d seen all year. Once she turned 17, she started working at Visiting Angels, shadowing other more experienced carers and learning the ropes.”
“Abbey has now turned into a fantastic and reliable member of staff, the clients love her. We also have two other apprentices with us and together with Abbey we call them the A-team”.
What skills and qualities are health and social care employers looking for?
Chris is clear that having the right attitude is the key to success.
“Communication is key,” says Chris. “While care is the primary reason for a home visit, the ability to have a conversation is vital. Many of our clients don’t get out of the house very often, so when our carers arrive, they quickly become the highlight of people’s day. They want to know, what’s going on in your life, what you’ve been up to at college, local news and much more.”
“We pride ourselves on matching our clients and their needs with the caregiver that is right for them.”
How does the partnership with Nescot work?
Whilst some students stay on and become permanent members of staff, some choose to go off to university. But for Chris the biggest impact of apprenticeships and T-levels goes far beyond future careers, it helps mold them into the people they need to be to succeed at work and in their further studies.
That personal development is most noticeable in the classroom:
Tutors often say to me that by the time they reach year 13, the students have become completely different people in the classroom. They’ve become more confident, able to join in and really engage with the coursework.
It’s a great partnership because the apprentices are learning the theory in the classroom at Nescot and putting it into practice in the field with us
The connection between learning and the hands-on experience really builds confidence, maturity, and strong communication skills. As a result, when students do apply to university they stand out from other applicants with a strong sense of self and vast amounts of experience.”
Chris is also keen to highlight that health and social care offers far more career options than many people realise. “It’s not just about becoming a nurse,” he says. “At Visiting Angels there are roles in recruitment, scheduling, care coordination, management, field care supervision and registered care management — all areas where confident, capable young people are in high demand.”
Health & Social Care courses at Nescot
Our range of health, care and science courses offer a clear pathway from school through to university-level study, helping you build the skills for a rewarding and impactful career.
