4A: How to achieve success in guidance and support

Many people regard the provision of literacy, numeracy or ESOL learning to be, in itself, a form of support. Others do not find this model helpful, as it encourages people to see literacy, numeracy and ESOL as bolt-ons or optional extras. This has often been the case in work-based learning programmes. As a consequence, learners’ literacy, numeracy and ESOL needs have often been neglected.

So how should we think about support? Using the Common Inspection Framework to guide us, we can see five elements that providers need to get right:

• the provision of impartial advice and guidance, especially at the recruitment stage and when learners prepare to leave
• the provision of personal support, affecting matters such as welfare issues, pastoral issues, specialist advice with issues such as benefits, drug misuse, health problems and so on
• induction of learners into their programmes
• management of attendance and poor performance
• additional support to enable learners to complete their programmes. This might include strategies to deal with dyslexia or dyscalculia equipment for disabled learners or the provision of additional staff to ensure learners get sufficient individual attention. And, of course, these need to be put in place as a result of a proper diagnosis of individual needs.

In a large college, most of these elements might be provided in-house. But the majority of learners in work-based learning are not looked after by large colleges, but by relatively small, independent work-based learning providers, some with less than a dozen staff. This means WBL providers may have to provide some of the elements through networking, partnership working and subcontracting.

Providers need to approach support in a planned way. They need robust arrangements to monitor and coordinate support. The best providers develop a ‘support culture’ that is characterised by close relationships between learners and staff and strong partnerships with external agencies.

Inevitably, staff in work-based learning providers will not have the skills and experience to deal with all the support issues that they come up against. So there may be staff development needs as well.

A responsive, learner-centred approach is most effective, especially in work-based learning. This is illustrated in the example of support arrangements given below.

EXAMPLE OF ‘LESSONS LEARNED’ FROM A LEARNER-CENTERED APPROACH TO SUPPORT

One WBL provider takes a learner-centred approach to support arrangements. This is used for all support situations – anything from a drug misuse issue through to a disability issue.

View some of the lessons this provider has learned about using this approach.

Effective support arrangements are particularly important for those learners who also have high levels of need in literacy, numeracy or ESOL, as they are often our most vulnerable learners.

What successful providers do

They:

• ensure learners receive good advice and guidance about meeting their literacy, numeracy and language needs, from people who understand the occupational context
• provide learners with a good induction to their programmes, so that they understand how all components fit together and know what they are entitled to in relation to Skills for Life
• ensure learners have their additional support needs accurately identified and addressed. In this context, anything that affects their ability to gain literacy, numeracy and language skills is of particular importance
• establish excellent links with external agencies who can provide the specialist support and advice that they are not able to provide themselves
• develop staff so that they have the skills and experience to deal with the complexities of supporting work-based learners, especially those who have high levels of need in literacy, numeracy or ESOL, combined with other challenges.