5A: How to achieve success in leadership and management

Management commitment

Planning for literacy and numeracy across the institution will be included in the institution’s strategic plan, its business or operational plan and the associated action plans for improvement. Well-managed literacy, numeracy and language provision will have simple and clear management structures in which roles and responsibilities are defined, including a named coordinator for Skills for Life. This will ensure tight teamwork, good communications and effective links with work areas and training within the establishment. It will also provide a structure for sharing good practice. In effect, there should be control or management input into vocational programmes outside of education. A strategic focus on resettlement and on improving the employability of young prisoners through high-quality Skills for Life programmes will help them enter sustained employment, education or training on release.

Management commitment is clearly shown in one establishment where all staff have a good understanding, and share the aims and objectives, of managers. Prison officers are permanently assigned to the new education block and the teaching staff. This maintains continuity and benefits learners. These prison officers have also had literacy and numeracy training and are valued members of the education team.

The collection and use of data for Skills for Life programmes means more than ensuring that prison targets are met. Data should also include:

• courses and activities (including reviews and induction)
• the number of young prisoners who start activities
• outcomes of initial assessment
• accredited qualifications offered and the achievement of learning goals
• retention rates, reasons for non-completion, and achievement rates
• length of stay
• gender
• reasons for leaving prison (for example, transfer)
• ethnicity
• the number of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• the number of learners for whom English is an additional language
• learner destinations upon release.

The data available from the management information system must contribute to management decision-making, and this includes target setting. In some establishments, education sessions have unfilled places. Class sizes and retention rates are low. Management information should be used to analyse, monitor and evaluate the overall performance and efficiency of the institution’s education and training provision. Sometimes there are several sources of management information in the institution. These should be consolidated to give senior managers, such as heads of learning and skills and education managers, accurate and up-to-date information about participation in activities.

Data should also be used to: monitor the performance of individuals and cohorts; set targets for improvement; and provide evidence for self-assessment, action-planning, three-year development planning and performance review. Monitoring of minority ethnic groups will show whether they are under-represented in the delivery of the Skills for Life programme and will mean taking action where needed.

The performance of different cohorts of learners can be used to guide programme and course development. Information about employment trends in the region will help to contribute to reviews and prepare young offenders for resettlement. This information will be effective for benchmarking internal data against the national standards and data for the Skills for Life national framework.

Managing high-quality provision

Good management of Skills for Life programmes takes careful planning and will involve all staff. Arrangements to ensure that all young adults who enter the prison are assessed must be clear, thorough and effective. However, learners should not repeat levels and qualifications that they have already achieved or, in some cases, exceeded as this causes disruption and poor behaviour.

In one establishment, it is management policy to ensure that all learners have initial assessments, screening and diagnostic evaluation. Most learners are tested at induction, but if this is over-subscribed, they are sent straight to the wing accommodation. Effective arrangements are in place to ensure that they are contacted and tested as quickly as possible in order to participate in education programmes.

Strategies for planning and managing high-quality provision

Good management is however more than organising effective initial assessment arrangements. All staff will need to have a clear understanding, and share the aims and objectives, of managers. All support given should be clearly recorded. Thorough arrangements need to be in place to ensure that learners receive individual support to meet their needs. Staff will be well qualified and have good experience in their areas of work and of teaching in prisons.

Contingency plans will be in place to provide cover for staff absences. Courses must not be disrupted by staff absences. Taking time to plan foundation programmes is crucial to the success of all Skills for Life courses. In establishments with long waiting lists for courses that are oversubscribed, there are high levels of dissatisfaction amongst staff and learners. The following principles are fundamental to the management of good provision.

Planning courses

• Provide a strategy for literacy, numeracy and language that is distributed to and understood by all staff.
• Provide clear notification for tutors of the number of learners who will be attending the class.
• Pass on the results of initial assessment quickly to staff to ensure that learners are placed in appropriate classes of their choice.
• Ensure all tutors receive initial assessment results for learners before starting classes.
• Maintain specific classes for literacy, numeracy and language and a range of outreach programmes in the wings.
• Teach learners who are at different levels in different classes. This is particularly important for ESOL learners.
• Provide separate training for learners with Pre-entry literacy levels and those who may be experiencing difficulties through dyslexia.
• Review accreditation for all classes, particularly for ESOL learners.
• Provide sufficient classes to meet learners’ needs.
• Check the places available for courses and those taken daily.
• Monitor and report on attendance and punctuality daily, and make sure lessons start and finish on time.
• Analyse the reasons why learners miss courses.
• Introduce flexible timetabling to enable learners to progress or move to more appropriate courses before the course has finished. This includes catering for learners who have missed an element, and who should not have to wait for the course to be repeated before they can complete it.
• Provide meeting rooms to enable learners to keep appointments in the education centre to ensure that they do not lose a whole morning or afternoon for a short interview.

Planning for part-time staff

• Ensure that part-time and cover staff have the appropriate qualifications or knowledge to teach the subject effectively.
• Provide staff with enough information about the programme and the learners.
• Allow part-time staff enough time to prepare learning materials.
• Monitor all interruptions to education and training.
• Schedule staff training days to ensure learners are not disadvantaged.

Planning support

• Plan and monitor support for learning that involves all of the arrangements to assist learners to learn.
• Include extra teaching sessions on the wings, and specialist support for learners with specific difficulties such as dyslexia or hearing impairment for example through differentiated learning materials and individual guidance and support.
• Ensure learners receive well-planned support in the education blocks and workshops and monitor the effect on achievements.

Managing and training staff

Good management of staff is crucial for success and is a key issue in ensuring a supportive and welcoming environment, particularly for part-time staff. A number of institutions are serviced by part-time staff who are often involved in covering classes for those who are absent. Frequently there are no long-term planning arrangements for staff or staff development activities. Many staff are seldom paid to attend training sessions. A number of staff work with other providers or on a supply basis which makes training less effective. This needs to be addressed to ensure coherent provision.

The need for well-qualified and experienced staff to deliver good-quality provision is paramount. Consider carrying out an audit of the current and generic specialist qualifications of staff. This will help senior management to establish a timescale within which all staff will be supported to gain nationally recognised qualifications, particularly for ESOL. In some instances, the wide range of staff development opportunities available through the managing college has supported staff development but this is not always the case.

Staff resources include subject specialists and appropriately trained and qualified literacy, numeracy and/or ESOL support teachers, learning support assistants and volunteer teachers. The subject specifications for literacy, numeracy and ESOL form the basis of the new qualifications for specialist subject provision in young offender institutions. Training teachers (including all part-time staff) to use good-quality learning materials is an integral part of the Skills for Life strategy to help providers offer high-quality programmes for all learners. All learning materials should be regularly quality assured and referenced to the national standards for literacy, numeracy and ESOL.

Staff training and development can be used to ensure that all those involved in delivering the Skills for Life agenda understand the importance of producing learning materials that are sensitive to individual learners’ needs. This includes taking into account different minority ethnic groups, and variables such as age, gender, orientation and faith.

The learning environment

Good teaching accommodation is essential to motivate and inspire young offenders. Poor accommodation, where rooms are too small, with poor acoustics, lighting and decoration, often distract learners and can contribute to disruptive behaviour problems. Classrooms should be a good size, have comfortable furniture, ample equipment and be well decorated.

Accessibility

All buildings must be accessible for those with restricted mobility. A full range of books, CDs, videos and audiotapes should be available to support all young offenders’ learning needs. Some learners have access to open learning resource centres and can use videos and tapes and can telephone staff from the centres for more help. Learners also require access to well-stocked libraries, preferably placed in the centre of the classroom block, with easy entry from all classrooms. The library should include a sufficient number of literacy, numeracy and language skills books for the potential borrowers. Making links with libraries can help to provide or enhance reading and literary appreciation courses.

Equality of opportunity

Policies, statements and leaflets on equal opportunities should be well written in English and other languages where appropriate. Ensure that they cover a range of issues, including harassment, complaints and appeals and that implementation dates are monitored. Display copies throughout the institution and include clear information on racist incidents, bullying and complaints.

In one institution, the education department highlights equal access to a wide range of learning opportunities and the vocational training department stresses that training will be to an industrial standard. The education department has a detailed and thorough race equality policy that clearly demonstrates a positive response to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. Non-compliance reports are passed to the governor. Complaints made by prisoners must be well documented and appropriate responses made within fixed timescales that are fully understood by staff and learners.

Introduce learners effectively to equality and diversity during their induction to the institution and to the education department. Good provision ensures that learners fully understand and sign a document that clearly explains their rights and responsibilities during the time they spend in education. Support all staff to deal effectively with unacceptable behaviour.

In one establishment, learners speak favourably about the help and support they receive from staff. Staff are actively involved in monitoring the progress made by learners and provide effective support and guidance to help learners overcome significant barriers to learning. Classrooms and workshops are a safe and suitable environment for learners to focus on their work.

In some establishments, equality of opportunity is not well promoted, and there is insufficient action to ensure that staff fully understand and apply all policies and statements fairly and thoroughly. In others it is well established – for example, HMYOI Glen Parva’s promotion of equality of opportunity has been a beacon of good practice (see Section 5B).

Use the following checklist to find out how well equality of opportunity is promoted in your establishment.

CHECKLIST FOR THE PROMOTION OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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Quality improvement

The appointment of heads of learning and skills across the young offender estate provides major opportunities for improving quality. These senior posts have the central role of drawing up self-assessments and development plans for their establishments.

Quality assurance arrangements, including a strategy, policy and framework, must be in place and understood by staff in all establishments. Set up a quality improvement group that involves a cross-section of all staff from education and training. This group will then be fully involved in the assessment of the quality of the provision and activities to improve it. It will review policies and procedures within the establishment, monitor progress and validate the evidence gathered for the self-assessment report.

The group can also be a forum to share good practice between the education and training departments. Schemes of work and lesson plans can be reviewed regularly to ensure integration of literacy, numeracy and language in the appropriate vocational context.

A good overall quality improvement strategy and policy document is essential. It should be clearly written and easy to understand. It will refer to a range of learning activities in outline, which are then detailed in other documents and procedures. Well-written documents and quality assurance arrangements ensure that they are easy to follow. Staff will then have a good knowledge of how the quality of the provision is assured and what needs to be improved.

A clear quality improvement strategy will also include a detailed scope, with staff responsibilities, in which procedures guide staff in how to check the quality of learning and skills programmes.

Strengths and weaknesses in quality improvement

In order for its quality improvement arrangements to be regarded as a strength in an institution, the strategy should be seen to be working effectively. It is a weakness if there is no strategy or any overarching statement about quality, or where a quality improvement strategy exists but is not seen, understood or implemented by all staff in education and training. Use the following checklist to assess the robustness of your quality improvement strategy.

CHECKLIST FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY

View checklist for quality improvement strategy

Include staff from all subcontracted provisions in these arrangements. Procedures will monitor all stages of the learning process from initial assessment to exit interviews. The procedures should describe what happens in a logical sequence. Guidance on standards (which are embedded in the procedures) describes the expectations in qualitative terms. Staff must know what the procedures are and how they are checked and evaluated. They must also be informed of any changes to quality improvement requirements.

Regular checks should be made to ensure that procedures are being followed to the standards expected. These checks may form the basis of an internal audit process.

The effectiveness of the procedures can also be evaluated using performance data and feedback from learners, and vocational and teaching staff. The effectiveness of the checks will be evaluated by analysing the results of the checks themselves. This is to ensure that providers understand clearly what they need to do to improve. Improvements will then be identified as a result of both aspects of evaluation.

The system should be structured around an annual quality cycle which will tie in with the establishment’s internal reviews and the external cycle of self-assessment and performance review. Information produced should be circulated to all staff involved in the delivery of the Skills for Life agenda. Staff should actively use the quality assurance system to maintain and improve the quality of their work and to identify ways in which the system can be improved.

The recent introduction of a quality assurance calendar for planning activities in one institution provides details of when quality assurance should take place throughout the year. For example, needs analysis reports, focus groups and audits are all planned, and improvements made to the provision are documented in the quality improvement plan.

Teaching observations

Quality improvement arrangements will include the observation of teaching for all full- and part-time staff, with rigorous evaluation of all aspects of the provision through learner and staff feedback. Questionnaires used to support these judgements must be in simple language for learners with low literacy and language skills.

Effective systems improve the quality of teaching. Feedback should be clearly recorded and include positive and helpful ideas. A well-written observation policy and guidance document is essential – it must be understood by all staff. It will clearly identify roles and responsibilities and provide good guidance for observers and those being observed. In one institution, staff comment that they value the feedback that they receive from observations. When any unsatisfactory teaching is identified, staff should be observed again within a short period of time, usually up to one month. Introduce a range of measures, including intensive staff development and one-to-one meetings and support, to rectify the problem. Take immediate action to improve the quality of teaching and document this as part of your quality improvement measures.

Use of learner feedback

Analyse and use learner feedback to improve the quality of the provision. Effective managers will carry out a regular and thorough literacy, numeracy and language needs analysis. This will usually be in the format of a questionnaire or survey. All surveys will be analysed and presented in a clear format, and shared with all staff.

Quality improvement plans should identify and deal with the issues raised. One institution has acted to improve support for learners. Additional funding for education was acquired and the provision of literacy and numeracy support in the workshops is now taking place. Reviews and analysis of courses now take place.

Focus groups and informal meetings with learners are often good methods of collecting useful feedback from learners. They allow learners the opportunity to comment critically on the courses. Record all comments from these meetings and create an appropriate improvement plan. For example, learners in one institution identified that there was insufficient communication with tutors. Managers dealt with the issue and the outcomes were recorded on the action plan. The managers are now able to compare learners’ perceptions of the performance of tutors teaching the same course and make any necessary changes.

Take learners’ views seriously in order to make improvements to the provision. Where necessary, modify courses to more closely match learners’ needs. Being responsive is a key to effective quality improvement.

Sharing good practice

Apply quality improvement arrangements systematically across all training processes. Well-planned literacy and numeracy courses with comprehensive schemes of work and lesson plans should be shared with staff in vocational areas to ensure consistency across the provision. Above all, discuss and record all quality improvement issues at team meetings.

SAMPLE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY

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