"I never liked maths when I was younger, but later I realised there were so many examples of where we use it, not just at work but in day-to-day life too.

"As part of my Care Certificate I had to take the National Numeracy Challenge. I didn’t think much of it and just wanted to get the module done so I could tick it off my Care Certificate. However, the first time I took the Challenge I didn't get the Essentials. I felt so frustrated, and above all, so rusty.

"Some of my colleagues felt the same way so we sat down together. I knew that if I took my time, I would get there. We do maths all the time at all points in our lives, and we have the knowledge there, but we just need to bring it out of us again and build that confidence back. I eventually passed and felt so relieved.

"Even though I have now completed the numeracy module of my Care Certificate I’m not going to stop there."

"The Challenge will be extremely helpful going forward because I want to use it to help me prepare for studying for both Functional Skills and I also want to go on to take an Occupational Therapy course.

"It has shown me that despite not getting the Essentials the first time, that did not mean that I was bad at maths, and with a bit of a push I will eventually be less scared to face it. Especially in my line of work as a Health Care Assistant, it’s always good to feel confident and have numeracy skills to demonstrate a good standard of care."