My journey as an Apprentice Emergency Care Support Worker

Beau Leonard, Apprentice Emergency Care Support Worker shares his journey for National Apprenticeship Week 2020.

My name is Beau and I have recently begun a new apprenticeship within the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) that is working frontline and driving under blue lights.

I previously worked as a patient transport driver for two years and I enjoyed my role helping patients and being trained in basic first aid skills if required to help in emergencies. The contract was lost and I wished to remain within the Trust, so after a few months the job came up on the NHS jobs website and I applied. I was quite keen so I did what I could to help my application.

I have mild Asperger syndrome autism and I have struggled in my life sometimes with things, but I have always worked really hard and put a lot of effort in to be where I am today, and I am really proud for this. I wanted to say that I didn’t do brilliant at school and found things hard, but I always put a lot of effort in.

A few years ago, we sadly had a member of family pass and it meant a lot to me to try and help other families out there and to be helping save lives and to do my best to support people in need.

I have a beautiful daughter who is nearly now two and I love her so much and she means the world to me and every day she is the reason I am out on the road wanting to really help people and look out for everyone and I hope I will make her proud.

I had gone for a interview about 2 hours from where I live and I had gone about the same distance for a medical and after I was offered a start date for a two month medical course that would enable me to work frontline shifts with qualified members of staff and paramedics.The interview staff was lovely and very supportive and helped me at ease and explained the process and job.

When I went to training school, I did two months classroom training and if successful (which I was) it involved another four weeks blue light driver training. The three months I was in training was hard, but I put a lot of effort in and good support was available from everyone.

I have been on the road about four months now and I am fully enjoying my job and I have helped a lot of people and I have had some great support and learnt some important things but I have found my portfolio quite hard but again I have worked really hard to get on with it and there has been good help and support from everyone and you do what you can.

The trust isn’t just a job to me but a privilege to wear the uniform and like a family to me as well and I hope to have a long successful career after hopefully finishing and completing my course and carrying on with my skills and learning.

If anyone wishes to join and thinks 'I can't' please say to yourself that you can and working hard over the years from nothing has got me where I am today 😊

All the best xx

Beau Leonard
Apprentice Emergency Care Support Worker (AECSW)