A FORMER hotel cleaner who left school with virtually no qualifications is now living her dream.

Jessica Mills, 32, from Wrexham, was left somewhat stranded when the hotel where she worked closed down but she applied for a job as a care practitioner at Pendine Park and has not looked back since, after training for a degree in nursing thanks to a pioneering pilot scheme at the care organisation.

She gained a series of NVQs, reaching Level 5 and did extra training to become a clinical care practitioner, which has saw her working at the care home for 13 years.

Now Ms Mills has gone one step further and has signed up to the new scheme at Pendine Park to enable her to study for a degree in nursing with the Open University.

According to Ms Mills, she could not be happier and she is spearheading a drive to recruit more nurses to join the award-winning organisation that has eight care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon.

She said: "I'm now studying on a four year nursing degree course.

"It’s fantastic.

"I couldn’t have afforded to go to university to study nursing myself so to have the opportunity to do it through work is just amazing.

"As part of the agreement I have to remain working at Pendine Park for two years after I graduate but quite frankly, I can’t see me wanting to leave anyway.

"I’m happy here and love the job.

"You build relationships and I see it as one big family, the residents, their relatives and staff."

Pendine Park are now looking to employ trained nurses and have launched an incentive scheme for staff to try and help find them.

Every employee who helps recruit a nurse to any of their homes across North Wales will receive a bonus payment of £160 with a further £160 going to the nurse.

Gill Hughes, directer at Pendine Park, who helped mastermind the pilot scheme, added: "Professional development within the social care sector replicates the requirements of those within the NHS and social care provides are eager to support this and engage with their nurses to ensure this is achieved.

"Our clinical care practitioners provide invaluable support for the trained nurses who themselves mastermind care planning and provide mentorship for the trainee nurses taking part in the pilot programme."

Any nurses wanting to find out more should visit www.pendinepark.com or call 01978 720242.