4C: How is success in guidance and support recognised?

The induction gives clients detailed information on what they can expect to achieve and an individual learning plan is agreed at the end of the induction process. Clients are given good careers guidance. The interview is thorough and focuses on the clients’ short- and long-term employment goals. It provides the clients with a comprehensive range of relevant and up-to-date brochures and information leaflets. Clients are encouraged to identify their existing skills and abilities and explore how to match the requirements of particular jobs. The guidance worker and the client discuss suitable study and training opportunities. The discussion covers the range of education and training providers, the financial commitments from the client and the support which may be needed.

[The provider] provides foundation clients with a good induction programme. Induction materials are clearly presented and easily understood by clients with basic skills needs. At induction, staff quickly put clients at ease and help them to gain confidence. They constantly reinforce health and safety and equal opportunities. Staff have a good understanding of the barriers to learning and employment that their clients commonly face. Many staff have been unemployed themselves. Induction sessions are memorable and clients are actively involved in the induction process.

Each client has a project worker who is based at one of the training centres. Clients can contact their project manager by mobile phone at any time. Project managers help clients with personal issues. They also go with clients to the health clinics or dentist. They design and teach the personal development programme. Project managers have good working relationships with a range of staff at agencies that deal with drug abuse, homelessness, alcoholism and pregnancy as well as local youth offending teams. Clients are motivated and the training programme improves their self-esteem.

Tutors give excellent pastoral support. Experienced tutors have a very good understanding of their clients’ difficulties, and clients are helped to explore and overcome their personal difficulties and barriers to learning with sensitivity. Staff use their excellent knowledge, their expertise of working with external agencies and informal networks of local contacts to actively help clients. Good arrangements have been made for clients’ private problems to be discussed.

A comprehensive initial assessment and interview process determines clients’ additional support and learning needs. There is clear evidence of clients’ improvement and development, including the significant and continuing improvement of descriptive notes on job cards. On-the-job training in background knowledge is carried out in the training centre and trainers offer clients good support and guidance. Broader skills are developed during off-the-job training, and clients are encouraged not only to work independently, but also to help one another. Progress reviews are comprehensive with previous targets reviewed and new targets set. In addition to review visits, clients are assessed every three to four weeks. Many clients are offered additional qualifications such as first aid [and] drugs awareness.

Clients have a wide range of good support. Thorough initial assessment clearly identifies clients’ individual needs. Staff are well qualified to teach the target qualifications and also have expertise in sensitive support for clients who have additional needs. Work placements are well matched to individual clients to ensure maximum benefit. Training advisors have strong, effective links with employers and have no difficulty in gaining access for assessment or progress reviews. Employers support clients who have additional social and learning needs by integrating them into the work teams and they are treated with respect and care. Each employer is carefully checked to ensure that the skills offered are appropriate to the clients’ needs. In most training centres, clients who have additional learning needs attend the centre each week and are given support in literacy and numeracy. The sessions are well attended. Other clients are given individual help in the workplace. Many clients have little or no knowledge of money management and at one training centre there is a strong link with a local building society to offer money management workshops. There is also an agreement that clients can open a bank account on production of a letter from the training centre, eliminating barriers that are normally associated with such an activity.

Clients are given effective support to meet their individual needs. A high priority is given to integrating clients into their existing working arrangements, even in circumstances where the client has been employed for a long time. One employer has been given information on the effects of a client’s specific disabilities and communicated this to his staff. One client with brain injuries said he had received unbelievable help from client services at Workstep and if it were not for that support he would not be in the position he is today. Colleagues who work with Workstep clients are helped to understand their disabilities through small-group discussions. Clients are helped to gain independent living skills with support from Workstep staff where appropriate, for example by opening bank accounts or making telephone calls. Clients comment, unprompted, on the high level of support received from Workstep staff. In one example, staff organised accommodation for a guide dog that accompanies one visually impaired client to the Workstep factory. Support is available for clients according to their need. The frequency of clients’ progress reviews is increased according to need, and reduces as the client becomes more self-sufficient.