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

Learner support is particularly good in foundation. Learners who request information are invited to a talk to ensure that their class is appropriate. Pre-course information is simple and easy to understand. It is available on a customised website that is frequently the first point of contact for learners. Support networks for refugees and asylum seekers are referral points into ESOL provision.

View the inspection report for Middlesbrough Adult Education Service

Clients receive very effective pastoral and learning support. Tutors give good support during learning sessions and clearly take account of clients’ different learning styles and individual needs. Clients with housing problems or other difficulties are referred to other organisations if staff cannot deal with issues themselves.

Staff have good contacts with external organisations and work well to help clients overcome the barriers to learning and employment. Volunteer helpers are used to give very good individual support in basic skills classes. Individual support helps clients improve their self-confidence. Clients receive good additional help to learn and develop relevant jobsearch skills, such as interview techniques, preparation of curriculum vitae and letter writing. Some clients have been given particularly good individual support to help them find jobs, including help with clothing and also transport to interviews. If necessary, staff continue to give support to clients after they have finished their training programme, and clients are encouraged to keep in touch with the tutors and to use the facilities if they require help. Many past clients have written to thank staff for the help and support they had been given.

Personal support for learners is very good. Staff provide very effective support to help learners successfully achieve their targets. They regularly check that learners are not experiencing any difficulties. There is very good individual support within learning sessions and during progress reviews. Staff work closely and very effectively with external agencies such as Connexions, youth offending teams, care workers and Jobcentre Plus. There are very good links with specialist counselling agencies that provide counselling services to learners on issues such as drug and alcohol misuse.

All learners have a comprehensive initial assessment of their literacy and numeracy skills. There is good support for learners’ literacy, numeracy and language needs and it is clearly related to their individual needs, particularly in health and social care.

View the inspection report for Newham Training and Education Centre