4B: What is 'success' in guidance and support?

Pat Gardner, the manager of Age Concern Training in Walsall, explained her organisation’s approach to support and guidance as follows.

‘Initially we bring learners into a very comfortable, informal, friendly environment. We use a lot of peer support with people already on the programme. This helps a lot. We can talk all the right words – if you’re new and you expect us to say all the right things – peers will tell you the truth and that means more.

‘We welcome them, we value them, we give them a nice environment with good equipment to work with. They respect that.

‘You’ve got to look at the whole person, not just at their literacy and numeracy. You’ve got to inspire them and enthuse them – they may have failed school. You can’t just put them in a classroom setting and expect them to learn. You’ve got to hook them in and inspire them.’

 

Helen Byrne, Skills for Life teacher at the Patchwork Trust agreed.

‘We have to keep slogging away, we have to build up a very good rapport. You’ve got to take away the student-teacher relationship, like in a school setting. When they turn up you’ve got to accept it’s student led.’

The voluntary and community sector plays a vital role in supporting and encouraging Skills for Life learners. The Link Up project in the Birmingham area involved a wide range of community partners in developing the adult learner supporter role.

The project was based in the Professional Development Centre of the Initiative for Social Entrepreneurs. It worked with organisations such as the CVS in recognition of the importance of working with people established in the sector. The project trained learner supporters from a variety of organisations, groups and services, including:

• a small community group serving women ESOL learners and refugees
• a hostel for homeless men, where the learner supporter championed Skills for Life so successfully that the management committee established a basic skills and ICT room
• employment liaison officers from West Midlands probation service
• instructors, library workers and prison officers from HMP Birmingham
• professional workers from the Mental Health Trust supporting potential Skills for Life learners in a halfway house in the heart of the community
• a learndirect facilitator based at a library who takes laptops and Skills for Life resources to a day centre for homeless workers
• pre-school workers working in hostels, health centres and parents’ rooms in the community.

Sarah Hendley, the Link Up project manager said, ‘Learner supporters assume different roles. They can be mentors, sign-posters or advisers. They can help to identify those people who may have poor literacy, numeracy and language skills. They can also assist specialist teachers in formal or informal learning situations. All these supporters worked with people who, more than anything else, had one common characteristic: what we are looking at is working with socially excluded people who would never, ever for all those reasons we know about, attend formal learning sessions.’

Another programme that uses learner supporters as mentors is North Lincolnshire SOVA Volunteer Scheme. Anne Carter is a member of the North Lincolnshire SOVA Volunteers Programme. She told us:

‘The Mentoring Help with Literacy and Numeracy Project aims to find appropriate and alternative ways to re-engage disaffected and offending young people who have a negative perception of mainstream education.

‘Our volunteers are trained as mentors to work with these young people. We can combine basic skills training with meaningful community projects.

‘This year, 15 volunteers have been involved with the project, and all have completed their core training and then gone on to access further training in basic skills. The project has been supported by consultants from Crime Concern who have provided regular network forums within the Humberside and Yorkshire region. Both the coordinator and support officer attend meetings of the SOVA Basic Skills Sub-Group, which this year has worked on producing an initial assessment tool along with collecting basic skills resources.

‘Young people are referred to the project by youth offending team staff. Initial assessments are carried out by project staff to determine at what level the young people are working. A diagnostic assessment is administered to ascertain specific areas of difficulty. The young person is then matched with a mentor.

‘Mentors are able to access a range of resources, both paper-based and computer software. The project has access to resources held by the Basic Skills Resource Centre based at North Lincolnshire College. The Resource Centre also offers training to volunteers and staff.’

Some examples of work carried out by mentors on the SOVA project are:

• enrolment and support on learndirect courses
• interview skills
• CV preparation and production
• help with using literacy or numeracy computer software
• form-filling skills
• preparation for a driving test.

Colin is a mentor with SOVA.

‘Being my first proper “assignment” (the first young person I was matched with failed to turn up both times for initial interview), I was a little apprehensive. All the training in the world cannot prepare you for the real thing. Not knowing quite what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised when I first met Ben with his mother. He was well presented and did not seem the sort of lad who would be that bad.

‘We had our meetings every other week right up to February of this year. During our meetings he never once complained about being away from his mates, although he would talk about some of the pranks he got up to.

‘Whether it was because I was old enough to be his grandfather, I don’t know, but he always respected me and did what was asked.

‘After seven months, it is time to part as his order has come to an end. Due to business commitments I won’t be able to be matched with another young person until September, but if they are anything like Ben, then it won’t be a problem.

‘I wish Ben well in his future development.’

Brenda Beveridge is the coordinator at Chester le Street and District CVS and Volunteer Bureau, a project funded by the Adult and Community Learning Fund. She describes the barriers her learners face.

‘We had several learners on methadone programmes who were undertaking learning to help them build new lives away from previous peer groups. They particularly benefited from the Life Skills courses as they were planning to live independently and needed to learn to run a home, budget and pay bills. Sometimes their attendance was erratic because of personal problems but all have managed to complete most of the sessions. We’ve provided a lot of one-to-one support and even taken them for their methadone when necessary.

‘We only accepted one learner at a time from the methadone programme to keep them away from possible influences, and we had two brothers from the programme on separate Life Skills courses who were both enthusiastic learners. One of the brothers, Steve, was on probation and the course helped him develop the skills needed to live in his own accommodation and manage his own finances. During a meeting with our local MP, Steve explained how the course kept him out of trouble and how he enjoyed being part of a group where he was accepted for who he was and not judged by what he had done in the past.

‘Another learner, Dave, who suffered from depression, attended the Introduction to Motor Vehicle Maintenance with his wife. He then completed the course on his own, which was a huge step for him as he had started many courses and not managed to complete any. He progressed onto a course for Digital Photography and was considering a Basic Counselling course as he felt he was now more in control of his life and ready to help others.’

‘My name is Saiqa. I am a single mum trying to improve the skills I need to improve my employment prospects. My lone-parent adviser Michelle, who is based at the Jobcentre, advised me to visit the Age Concern Centre, and decide for myself what I would like to do. I spoke to the teacher, he reassured me and made me feel I was wanted and I really liked things and so decided to join the course. I am so glad I made this decision. It is one of the best I have ever made.

‘I think the course is helpful to those who lack a lot of skills, which you need today, and in the near future. It also gives people confidence to go on and do things with their lives. The course has made me more aware of what employers can offer you, and what we can offer the employers, what our equal rights are, which I was not aware of. I have gained a lot more confidence from being at the centre, and it is helping me to use my existing skills. I think that I have achieved a lot. Before I started at Age Concern I didn’t know the first thing about filling in an application form, using a computer, typing up a CV, or interview skills, now I know how to put all these skills into practice. It is also helpful that our tutor understands our individual needs, it would take me a lot longer than 11 weeks to learn what I have, if he didn’t.

‘Hopefully, my next step is to go out on a work placement to gain experience in the field of work I would like to go into. I am waiting to do a Food and Hygiene course. I would also like to find myself a job to secure both my daughter’s future and mine. I am sure that I can do this now with the confidence I now have, why should I not do things that other people do in their lives?’