Before her apprenticeship, Linda’s role focused heavily on getting cohorts of internationally educated nurses through their professional exams to become UK registered. “We’d get a cohort, we get through the exams, we do exactly the same things. Structured teaching and training covering the knowledge and skills needed for the practice in the UK and preparing them for their exams.
While she enjoyed the training element of her role, Linda felt that something was missing. After conversations with her line manager, she decided to undertake a Level 5 Coaching Apprenticeship.
“The more I learnt about coaching, the more I realised that I wanted to go beyond
just givinginformation, I wanted to guide people to think deeper about what they want to do – to research, explore and take ownership of their learning rather than relying solely on what they were taught.
I had the realisation that given the right environment, if I listen attentively, people can find their own solutions. And people are happier when they realise that they had the answer and I didn’t have to tell them the answer.”
Through the coaching techniques Linda has learnt, she is helping people she works with to become more confident and resilient, empowering them to find the answers themselves.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Linda’s story is how the apprenticeship’s impact extends beyond her own development, and even beyond the development of others.
“I’m teaching and training and using coaching skills to help people to also take a coaching approach when engaging with service users so that service users also recognise that they often already have solutions” she explains.
She gives a practical example about supporting someone to make decisions regarding their personal hygiene: “You say to someone you have to shower every day, sometimes people resist. But if I say to them, OK, what do you think will be the best for you? They say once a week. OK, how long do you want us to try that out and review? They say two weeks.”
By involving service users in decision-making, the outcomes are more meaningful and sustainable. “Sometimes overtime you might see someone choosing to shower more frequently because they have been part of the decision-making process. When people feel empowered rather than being told what to do, changes are far more likely to last.”
For anyone hesitant about going down the apprenticeship route, Linda’s advises to: “Give it a go. Go through the process, see someone who’s done it, ask questions, read about it.”
She addresses common concerns head-on: “Sometimes people think it’s a lower qualification, you don’t gain anything, it might be better if you get a master’s or PhD. It’s not always about pursuing another academic qualification, if you are not going to use it directly. The apprenticeship offers something different, practical learning that you can apply immediately in your day-to-day role.
The support structure made all the difference: “You get your own coach, you get the cohort, the peers who share experiences, you get to know people. Elysium provides you the time, they sign off to say you have time to study within working hours.”
Today, Linda brings her coaching skills to everything she does. From how she approaches personal and professional related conversations to the way she designs and delivers training across the Elysium services she supports.
As part of the apprenticeship, she was able to explore and make better use of MEL, uncovering a range of learning resources that supported her development that she had not been aware of such as Emotional Intelligence modules and access to free webinars.
Her vision for the future is ambitious but achievable: “I’m hoping that a lot more people will complete the coaching, and we might have a coaching culture within Elysium because I think it would build resilience by supporting people to navigate challenging situations, manage pressures and feel more equipe to deal with whatever is happening around them”
Linda’s apprenticeship journey has seen her gain skills and qualifications, but most importantly “It’s about me being empowered to empower other people so that they can empower the next person.”
Linda Makotose successfully completed her Level 5 Coaching Professional apprenticeship with Lifetime Training in June 2025.
She continues to deliver clinical training across multiple services supporting staff and individuals with identified development needs through a coaching informed approach.
