4B: What is ‘success’ in guidance and support?

'Support Rovers’ are qualified teachers or learning support assistants who provide one-to-one support for the most vulnerable juveniles. This support can take the form of extra educational tuition, personal guidance or helping in more general areas. Work is recorded in a log book so that each Support Rover is aware of their colleagues' work and which young people they have been involved with. There is also a referral scheme in operation, whereby any foreign nationals entering the institution are referred to the Support Rovers. A database also provides information on the language abilities of its staff so that Support Rovers are able to call on these specialist skills if and when necessary.

In addition to their role within class, the learning support assistants at HMYOI Lancaster Farms provide one-to-one support to a group of young people. Within four days of a student being put on the education timetable, he is allocated a key worker who introduces the scheme and opens a personal education plan for that student. That key worker then becomes the point of contact for any educational issues the student may have, and he or she helps build the confidence of the student to take ownership of his own learning. SMART targets are set which may include literacy, numeracy and ESOL, Connexions advice, behaviour and progression to higher courses.

The same learning support assistant works with the student for the whole of his time in education, so building a rapport and ensuring continuity. The key worker is also responsible for reviewing progress every four weeks and alerting the special educational needs coordinator of any special requirements.

One-to-one sessions are tailored to the individual needs of the student. This may include spelling support, extension of numeracy skills, PLUS work books, ‘Toe by Toe’ reading scheme, completion of written coursework for accreditation and support of GCSE coursework and exam practice.

At HMP and YOI New Hall, they have introduced a learning support unit (LSU) to support young people who are vulnerable and cannot cope with a full timetable. This reduces the number of young people sent back to the wing and the number of suspensions.

Any young person who would benefit from allocation to the LSU is seen by a member of the behavioural management team. At this time the immediate and individual needs of the young person are assessed and each student is issued with an individual timetable.

The LSU is staffed by a teacher and a learning support assistant. The more vulnerable young people have benefited from working one-to-one with the same member of staff each day. This enables the young people to build up trust and a strong supportive relationship. Likewise, the strong team of teachers who are familiar with the young person’s individual needs and problems provide a supportive environment where many of the distractions the young people face elsewhere are screened out.

 

HMYOI Brinsford has been using the PLUS strategy Intensive Reading Programme to support the development of both the phonic aspects of reading through the use of Toe by Toe and greater comprehension and understanding of what is being read. This is achieved through providing daily 20 minute coaching sessions. The learning support assistants have been trained to provide this as have four of the higher achieving young men held at Brinsford.

Early indications suggest that this is a successful approach, in particular where young men are being supported by their peers on the wings. The young men involved as coaches are clear about the benefits of this for them and see it as an opportunity to develop new skills that will be of use to them when they get out. One young man has expressed a desire to want to train further on return to his community. It is hoped that in time, these young men will be able to train their peers to be coaches, building up and sustaining the supply over time and as the population changes.