Kokila Patel

Cleaner Kokila Patel making beds at Wellington Hospital. “I can do my job much better now.”

Kokila Patel, India
Cleaner

Getting started

Training came at a perfect time for me. I felt ready to extend myself and learn more English.

My story

I migrated to New Zealand about 25 years ago in my 20s. I’ve spent about 7 years working as a cleaner at Wellington Hospital.

Impact of training

My biggest improvement has been my English vocabulary skills. English is my second language and until recently I didn’t really understand what people meant by ‘report’, ‘explain’ or ‘understand’.

I’ve also improved my writing skills. I feel much more confident filling out forms, reporting incidents and that sort of thing. I can do my job much better now.

Roshni Devi

Cleaner Roshni Devi was excited to improve her English speaking skills. “Training has been awesome for me.”

Roshni Devi, Fiji
Cleaner

Getting started

My job is a mix of cleaning on the wards and making beds. I work the morning shifts (7.00 am to 3.30 pm from Tuesday to Friday) and the afternoon shift (2.00 pm to 10.30 pm) on a Sunday.

There’s a certain way to do everything in my job and it’s important – often for health and safety reasons – that you do it that certain way.

I could definitely see training would help me do my job better. Mostly I was excited about improving my English speaking skills and using my new skills to talk to patients on the ward and make them feel better about being in hospital.

My story

I’ve lived in New Zealand for about 5 years, emigrating from Fiji. I came to New Zealand with very few qualifications – although I did finish high school at home and completed a machinist certificate.

Impact of training

It’s given me confidence in a lot of areas in my job.

I’m more confident in reading the cleaning trolley supply checklist before heading off to the wards. I’m more confident measuring and mixing cleaning detergents and reading health and safety signs.

Mostly, I love the way talking to patients brings a smile to their faces. I can see, in my own way, I’m making them a bit happier, improving their day.

Training has been awesome for me. And it’s been really fun to learn alongside my supervisor and the other cleaners. We’ve become a much closer team.

Fua Vaaua

Cleaning Supervisor Fua Vaaua looks after a team of around 60 shift workers within the Cleaning Services division of Spotless. “We’ve all improved our English – that’s probably the best and most important result.”

Fua Vaaua, Samoa
Cleaning Supervisor

Getting started

I decided to take part in training to improve my English, to become more confident and to learn alongside my staff.

My story

I grew up in Samoa, but moved to New Zealand as an 18-year-old. Today I’m a Cleaning Supervisor with Spotless, managing a team of around 60 shift workers. I’m on the 4.00 am to 12.30 pm shift.

My job varies a lot. I manage timetables, order supplies and manage a great, hardworking team. It’s my job to make sure my team has the skills they need to do their work efficiently and to a high standard.

Impact of training

I’ve seen a big difference in me and my team as a whole – I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved and there’s still plenty more to learn.

We’ve all improved our English – that’s probably the best and most important result.

I’m a better manager today because I’ve learned how to use more diplomatic language, I explain things more and I take time to talk more about how to achieve high standards in our day-to-day work. I couldn’t do any of this without having better English.

At the same time, my team is more comfortable speaking up at our health and safety meetings and our hazard reporting has definitely improved now that people are better at writing in English.

Training also focused on how cultural background influences team communication and customer service. We have a culturally-diverse team, so these were good issues to look at.

In my [Samoan] culture, for example, we care a lot about the elderly. To us it’s very important to show them care and respect and to speak with good manners. These things come easily to me and many of my staff. And we’re able to show and encourage others to be like this too.

We also discussed the importance of speaking slowly in some situations – when you’re speaking to someone who has English as a second language, for example. It’s easy to feel confused or misunderstand a situation if you didn’t really understand the message because it was delivered too fast.

Overall, I’d say training has helped the team gel and become closer. We’re a great bunch of people with a lot of spirit and a lively sense of humour. Training’s helped bring that out.

Sokly Chea

Food Services Assistant Sokly Chea has used literacy training to improve his customer service skills. “I’m much more confident today. I can talk with patients more comfortably and enjoy small talk.”

Sokly Chea, Cambodia
Food Services Assistant

Getting started

I took part in training to get better at my job – the people side of it. I visit the wards and talk to patients every day. But my limited English sometimes holds me back.

My story

I’ve been working in the kitchen at Wellington Hospital for 26 years – making jelly and taking food to patients on trolleys.

I enjoy being part of the kitchen team – they’re a really supportive, fun group of people.

Impact of training

I was really keen to learn about communicating better with patients and improving my customer service. That’s what I got from training.

I learned about making small talk with people – things like saying: ‘Hi, how are you?’ and ‘Isn’t it a lovely day?’

I’m aware that talking like this can improve someone’s day and make them feel better about being in hospital. It’s good for me too. It’s good for my English. I’m much more confident today. I can talk with patients more comfortably and enjoy small talk.

My advice to other second language speakers is to take up the chance to train. You’ll enjoy it. I did, especially if you’re part of a fun, supportive team.

Falesoa Alaifaiva

Kitchen Specialist Falesoa Alaifaiva mixes baby formula for Wellington Hospital’s neo natal babies. “ I’d really like to do more training. It’s given me a secure feeling and knowledge I’m doing things right. ”

Falesoa Alaifaiva, Samoa
Kitchen Specialist (Milk Room)

Getting started

I really enjoy my job. I’m part of a close, tight-knit, professional team and – over the years – I’ve had a lot of opportunity to train on-the-job.

I’ve got industry-based qualifications in health and safety, customer service, workplace hygiene – as well as others.

To me, education is important. I’m always keen to learn, build up my experience and become more qualified.

I’m always keen to improve my English. We learned English growing up in Samoa and I’ve taken night classes. But getting the chance to learn more through Spotless’ Stepping Stones programme was really good.

My story

I grew up in Samoa, left school at 18 and came to New Zealand not long after that. I’ve lived here almost 30 years now.

I started working at Wellington Hospital as a chef to earn money while raising my family. It was my first job in New Zealand and I’ve been here ever since. I start work at 6 am and finish at 2.30 pm.

Stepping Stones was launched in May 2010. It gave 12 of us, here at Wellington Hospital, 20 weeks of skills-based training.

Every week for 2 hours we’d work with a tutor in small groups to improve our reading, writing, listening, speaking, maths, customer service and communication skills.

I used the training to improve my English and maths skills. But, overall, I wanted the skills to move out of my chef role into the milk room specialist role.

I was ready for a change and the milk room specialist role was a natural choice. It’s got more responsibility and a stronger focus on maths, a subject I like.

Impact of training

The training really helped me with my maths.

It helped me to understand weights better – grams of milk powder and millilitres of sterile water. And I’ve improved my recipe reading and writing up medicine labels.

It was very good for me. In fact, I’d really like to do more training. It’s given me a secure feeling and knowledge I’m doing things right.

Every day I receive orders to make up milk-based products for patients. Orders come from the dietitian and nurses on the ward.

Some need high-calorie milkshakes to gain weight. Others, like the 5-month-old babies in our neo-natal ward, need formula to grow healthy and develop.

It’s an important job. Accuracy is really, really important. I have to follow recipes carefully, measure ingredients carefully and make sure I make up the right number of bottles for each baby.

Kaline Ahken

Kitchen Specialist Kaline Ahken at work making sandwiches. “Before I start making sandwiches, my workstation has to be clean. I refer to signage and checklists for the protective equipment I need to wear and what I need to do to sanitise my work area.”

Kaline Ahken, Samoa
Kitchen Specialist (Sandwich Making)

Getting started

I was excited to take part in this training. I could see it would help me across the board – from reading and writing through to maths. I understand my job much better thanks to training. I’m much more confident at work.

My story

I’ve lived in New Zealand since my early 20s, emigrating from Samoa with the equivalent of fifth form certificate.

I’ve worked in the kitchen at Wellington Hospital for more than 16 years. I’ve learned a lot in that time.

I’ve gained industry qualifications in hygiene, health and safety, customer service, food handling and cleaning. I love to learn. So, I jumped at the chance to take part in Stepping Stones.

Impact of training

There’s a lot of reading in my job. I need to read a lot of health, safety and hygiene information throughout the day.

Before I start making sandwiches, my workstation has to be clean. I refer to signage and checklists for the protective equipment I need to wear and what I need to do to sanitise my work area.

For example, there’s a poster on the wall showing me how to prevent cross contamination and explaining how to slice meat to certain requirements. All the food in the fridge is labelled with instructions telling me what to use first.

I also spend a lot of time reading recipes. Each one sets out how much of each ingredient you need to use. They also give you instructions on how to present a dish to make it appealing for the patients.

Training has helped me understand all the information around me. I get a lot more out of what it says. It’s much more useful to me now – and I can see that’s going to help me in my job and in my career later on.

Ruta Lankum

Chef Ruta Lankum measures vegetable temperature in 10-minute intervals to make sure they arrive in the wards warm and delicious.

Ruta Lankum, Samoa
Chef

Getting started

I’ve spent 16 years working here in the hospital – all of that time spent in the kitchen. I’ve wanted to be a chef for a long time.

Training really helped me make the move up in my career. I was promoted to the role of permanent chef after training.

My story

I moved to New Zealand in the early 1980s. I was in my 20s. I came with very few qualifications and only a little bit of English.

Impact of training

I gained a lot of confidence from the training. I’ve improved my English, my maths and my writing.

I find it much easier to read recipes in English now, to measure food temperatures and to write menus. These things are all crucial to my job as a chef.