4A: How to achieve success in guidance and support

Guidance and support should be accurate, impartial and available for all offenders on community supervision. Arrangements should be in place from entry to exit for offenders who are on Skills for Life learning programmes, whatever their duration. Effective support enables offenders to crystallise their learning goals, sometimes for the first time; develop new skills and knowledge; improve their self-confidence; and attain a sense of direction about their future education, training and employment.

Information, advice and guidance

Arrangements for information, advice and guidance (IAG) changed, following the Skills Strategy White Paper (DfES at al., 2003) and the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC’s) response (LSC, 2004). For example, all LSC-funded IAG providers must now be accredited against the Matrix Standard for quality and improvement (LSC, 2004). Contracts for IAG were re-tendered in August 2004.

IAG is an important strand of the work of the NPS. Procedures must be in place to ensure prospective learners are on the right learning programme for their literacy, numeracy and ESOL needs. In the advice and guidance given to offenders on community supervision, the connections between improved literacy, numeracy and ESOL skills, employment and stopping offending must be made explicit, so that offenders develop their understanding of the importance of good skills. There must also be mechanisms between providers, probation staff and staff responsible for IAG to ensure that relevant information is recorded and shared effectively.

When offenders are convicted and sentenced, and during community supervision, they are asked many questions. Advice and guidance in relation to literacy, numeracy and ESOL needs should not needlessly repeat the questions offenders have already answered elsewhere.

Legislation

It should be ensured that procedures for IAG are in line with legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Assessment

Screening and initial and diagnostic assessment must be appropriately detailed and thorough. The interview part of the diagnostic assessment is important in allowing learners to highlight what they consider are their goals, needs and concerns in relation to literacy, numeracy and ESOL, so that the necessary support can be put in place. The interview should clarify attitudes to literacy, numeracy and ESOL; previous learning experiences; and potential barriers to learning. The interview should avoid repeating information that has been covered in detail elsewhere. It is important that providers should take into account the barriers to learning that individuals face when in drawing up ILPs and in their teaching.

However, providers should remember that they are not counsellors, and should have strategies in place to avoid slipping into a counselling role. Assessors should focus on offenders’ perceptions of their strengths as learners, as these should be built upon. Assessors and learners should also explore learners’ goals, and relate these to the programme that is developed.

Please see CIF Question 1 ‘How well do learners achieve?’ for a detailed discussion of assessment.

Induction

Induction processes should include clear statements about offenders’ entitlements, including a detailed description of the range of support available. Induction should give learners a positive introduction to their learning programme, equip learners with the essential information about the venue, facilities and resources, and enable learners to settle in quickly. Induction sessions should be well structured, with clear learning goals for each session. Issues such as health and safety should be covered, as appropriate. Learner contracts may be developed, clarifying the rights and responsibilities of staff and the learner. These should be written in language that is intelligible to the learner. The staff who are responsible for induction should ensure that offenders have understood the content. Induction should be carried out over a suitable period of time, so that any additional learning needs can be identified. Induction should also include information about progression routes.

Specialist support services

Staff assessing offenders and providing advice and guidance should ensure they are fully aware of the range of specialist support services available to offenders on community supervision. Best practice should aim to ensure that all offenders have access to a range of specialist support services. These could include Nacro (formerly known as the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, and now known as Nacro), the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), the Dyslexia Institute, Jobcentre Plus and services relating to, for instance dyspraxia, Asperger’s syndrome, housing benefits, drug and alcohol misuse, and mental health needs.

Some offenders have diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health difficulties. It is important that teachers are sensitive when supporting these learners and that teachers are aware of and use appropriately referral procedures for counselling and other forms of learner support.

Further information on dyslexia is available in A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia. This can be accessed at the Read Write Plus website at: www.readwriteplus/bank or be obtained from DfES Publications on 0845 602 2260, reference AFDD2.

Feedback

All offenders on community supervision should receive regular, clear, constructive feedback on their progress in literacy, numeracy and ESOL. Appropriate feedback can enable offenders on community supervision to become more confident in practising recently acquired skills independently. It should also help prevent offenders from repeating mistakes.

Learning styles

Teachers should take individual learning styles into account from the start of all learning programmes in literacy, numeracy and/or ESOL. The Access for All training provides useful ideas to help teachers understand different learning styles. For background information on learning styles, the summary report of LLU+’s work, commissioned by the Skills for Life Strategy Unit, can be accessed at the Read Write Plus website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/bank

The National Research and Development Centre (NRDC) is conducting research on learning styles on behalf of the Skills for Life Strategy Unit.

Exit interview

At the end of their learning programme or period of supervision in the community, offenders should have access to an exit interview, to clarify progression routes for education, training and employment.

Staff training

Appropriate staff training should be in place for staff who are guiding and supporting learners. Volunteers should have (or be working towards) the Level 2 certificate in adult learner support. Those supporting teaching should have (or be working towards) the Level 3 certificate in subject support for adult literacy, numeracy or ESOL. There should also be appropriate CPD opportunities on working with offenders.

See the Read Write Plus website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/qualityandtraining for information on the Skills for Life teaching qualifications framework.