A NEW centre has been opened at Bournemouth and Poole College to bring together all the different strands of care.

The Care Innovation Centre acts as a hub for students, employers and others who are linked with the care sector and is the result of a Care Manifesto which pledges to support, develop and invest in the sector.

It was officially opened at the North Road campus by Borough of Poole council leader, Cllr Elaine Atkinson, who is Dorset LEP’s champion for the caring sectors.

“I am delighted to launch this unique centre at Bournemouth and Poole College,” she said.

“It should provide the first rung on the career ladder, that could take someone from delivering personal care to achieving degree status in the care sectors.

“I believe working in partnership with this centre will contribute to creating a centre of excellence for the caring sector workforce here in Dorset,” she said.

College principal Lawrence Vincent said the care strategy and action plan, “Will move us to an integrated and coherent vision for care”.

The centre aims to enable people to gain national qualifications and update skills, raise standards in the quality of care, develop career paths, research new technologies and innovation and respond to increasingly complex care needs in Dorset.

“Preparing students for a successful and sustainable career is central to our work as a college,” he said.