Adult learning in literacy, numeracy and ESOL in the community supervision context should be underpinned by:

• the national standards for literacy, numeracy and ESOL
• the core curricula for literacy, numeracy and ESOL, with a curriculum framework for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• a common screening tool
• a common approach to initial assessment
• diagnostic assessment
• appropriate learning materials.

What an Adult Learner Can Expect

Offenders on community supervision who are receiving tuition in literacy, numeracy and ESOL should expect:

• good advice on how to improve their skills
• a report resulting from their diagnostic assessment
• an individual learning plan
• a programme of learning relating to the national standards and matching their aims and aspirations
• full involvement in planning and reviewing their learning
• feedback and support on their progress
• flexible forms of learning which suit their needs and preferences
• a range of opportunities to acquire non-externally accredited achievements as a springboard to nationally recognised qualifications
• expert and impartial advice on progression routes to other education, training or employment opportunities.

What a Learning Organisation for Offenders on Community Supervision Should Provide

All providers of literacy, numeracy and ESOL for offenders on community supervision must:

• prepare and undertake an annual self-assessment that informs their plans to address weaknesses and secure continuous improvement
• monitor, recognise and record all learner progress through non-externally accredited achievement as well as through national qualifications
• raise the level of competence of all teachers of literacy, numeracy and ESOL by offering opportunities for continuing professional development and access to programmes of training that lead to nationally recognised qualifications.
• provide relevant information on offenders’ progress in literacy, numeracy and ESOL, to inform sentence planning.

The Skills for Life Strategy Unit is committed to ensuring that all learners seeking to improve their skills have access to high-quality materials and support in literacy, numeracy and ESOL irrespective of past experience, skills level or learning context.

HELP FOR PROVIDERS PREPARING FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT AND INSPECTION

How to Prepare for Self-assessment and Inspection

As part of the process of continuous improvement, providers are required to:

• carry out an annual self-assessment and produce a self-assessment report
• make judgements using the Common Inspection Framework
• identify strengths and weaknesses, and provide evidence for these
• grade their provision
• produce an action plan and a three-year strategic development plan.

Self-assessment must be rigorous, answer all the questions in the Common Inspection Framework and encompass all areas of the institution.

In the tables at the beginning of each section of this Guide there are statements linked to the Common Inspection Framework that indicate how effective practice in literacy, numeracy and ESOL provision may be achieved. Providers can use these to judge their own performance.

Self-assessment reports must involve staff and learners and focus on the learners’ experience and the standards they achieve. Staff need to use performance data and evidence to substantiate their judgements. Being evaluative, honest, objective and focused is crucial. At their heart, self-assessment reports are judgements – they identify the strengths and weaknesses and these must be based on sound evidence.

How to Monitor and Record Progress

Evidence of the collection and use of data is crucial for inspection purposes. Monitoring learners' progress from screening to exit is vital to providing evidence of continuous improvement. All teachers must receive training on how to identify and meet individual needs in order to plan detailed lessons and keep effective records. Individual learning plans (ILPs) must be negotiated with all learners and must be updated after each lesson. Records should be kept to evaluate learners' progress and make comparisons between individual learners and between groups. Staff, including managers, should discuss records, to have a systematic overview of the effectiveness of arrangements for literacy, numeracy and ESOL. Good record-keeping should also help ensure seamless progression to further learning opportunities, both during and after community supervision. Attendance should be rigorously monitored and non-attendance followed up promptly, as appropriate by the provider organisation and the probation area.

Progress reviews

Good progress reviews will set demanding targets for improvement. Outcomes must be purposeful and linked to learners' progress, achievement and welfare. Data on withdrawal and on exit interviews should be kept and analysed. Where feasible, learners should work towards appropriate national accreditation. Learners who are working on non-accredited courses must have clearly recorded milestones to enable them to make progress, and for evidence to be recorded of their progress. Records must be kept of all outcomes, so managers and staff can analyse data systematically and use these analyses to plan for performance improvement.

The Offenders' Learning and Skills Unit (OLSU), the Home Office, the LSC and the Skills for Life Strategy Unit are working in partnership to improve the quality of arrangements for literacy, numeracy and ESOL for offenders on community supervision. This includes a focus on self-assessment, development plans and quality assurance arrangements.

The ALI inspection toolkit should be used to prepare for inspection. The toolkit sets out in hardcopy and on CD everything a provider can expect to happen pre-, during and post-inspection. It is available on the ALI website at: www.ali.gov.uk/htm/excalibur.htm

How to Help Ensure Effective Staff Development

The LSC's guidance for providers on preparing three-year development plans emphasises the importance of continuing professional development for leadership and management staff.

Arrangements must be in place for all teaching and support staff to gain appropriate teaching and support qualifications. Providers are expected to set a baseline of where they are now, and the targets for staff qualifications. Those responsible for teaching should have or be working towards the subject specialist certificate in adult literacy, numeracy or ESOL at Level 4. Those supporting teaching should have or be working towards the certificate in subject support for adult literacy, numeracy or ESOL at Level 3. Volunteers should have or be working towards the adult learner support certificate at Level 2.

There should be systematic procedures in place for the induction of new staff, including clear guidelines on their roles and responsibilities in delivering Skills for Life. Induction should also encompass appropriate training on working with offenders and relevant aspects of the criminal justice system and the NPS. When staff attend training events, feedback must be disseminated as appropriate, to help develop other staff.

There should also be:

• clear structures for communication between all staff involved in Skills for Life programmes
• effective sharing of good practice between teachers, support staff and vocational staff involved in embedded learning
• an effective staff appraisal system
• opportunities for personal development
• an appropriate ratio of staff to learners
• good links with partner organisations
• regular staff meetings with action points that are monitored and completed
• good links between teams
• shared information on learners
• regular management meetings to discuss all Skills for Life developments and to prioritise appropriately Skills for Life work with offenders on community supervision.

Self-assessment must be rigorous, answer all the questions in the Common Inspection Framework and encompass all areas of the institution.

In the tables at the beginning of each section of this Guide there are statements linked to the Common Inspection Framework that indicate how effective practice in literacy, numeracy and ESOL provision may be achieved. Providers can use these to judge their own performance.

Self-assessment reports must involve staff and learners and focus on the learners’ experience and the standards they achieve. Staff need to use performance data and evidence to substantiate their judgements. Being evaluative, honest, objective and focused is crucial. At their heart, self-assessment reports are judgements – they identify the strengths and weaknesses and these must be based on sound evidence.