Spurred on by the painful death of her dad, Natalie Cassidy trains as a carer

Spurred on by the painful death of her dad, Natalie Cassidy trains as a carer20 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGrace DeanBig Mountain Productions/BBCNatalie Cassidy returned to education for the first time since the age of 16 to study health and social careNatalie Cassidy looks wistful as she thinks back to caring for her dying father in his final days."The final moments were breathtakingly hard but quite incredible really," says the soap star."I just remember holding his hand and stroking his arm, and saying, 'It's OK, you can go now, we're all good, you've done your job.'" Cassidy says she was so inspired by her time spent looking after her dad that she's traded her day job to experience life as a carer for new BBC show Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together. The show hopes to "shine a light" on Britain's struggling care system, which is facing severe financial pressures, staffing shortages and increasing closures. Cassidy's journey to train as a carer sees her returning to the classroom to get a Level 3 BTEC in health and social care - her first time in education since leaving school at 16. Over the year-long course, she studies topics including autism, first aid and dementia and has placements at a childhood diabetes unit, St John Ambulance and in a care home."Caring for Dad right up until the end of his life, and losing him, was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do," Cassidy says. "But the people I met have changed my life and are so inspirational. That's what spurred me on to do this."Natalie CassidyCassidy says she was always a "daddy's girl"Cassidy is best known for portraying Sonia Fowler in EastEnders, a role she began playing when she was 10."I've only ever had one job, but I've always wondered what I would have done if I wasn't an actress," she says.Cassidy says she grew up surrounded by care....