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Additional Support for Learners at Entry Level

Additional Support for Learners at Entry Level. The role of personal support workers - Are we doing what we should be doing?. Overall Aim:- To consider the different perceptions of Disability Support Services in Entry Level provision.

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Additional Support for Learners at Entry Level

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  1. Additional Support for Learners at Entry Level The role of personal support workers - Are we doing what we should be doing?

  2. Overall Aim:-To consider the different perceptions of Disability Support Services in Entry Level provision • How does disability support for learners affect their journey and experience of learning in the college? • Would their experience have been different if they did not access disability support?

  3. Methodology • Exploratory study – evaluation of existing services • Considered the perceptions of learners, support staff and teaching staff • Total of 29 voices in study – 14 learners, 15 staff members via focus groups

  4. Context • 1047 referrals to DMHSS in previous year • 51.2% of these at entry level • 27.7% at pre entry level • 76% of referrals to the service resulted in provision of a support worker for all or part of their course • 24% received support in a variety of other ways, e.g. mentoring, provision of equipment • 26% of the 76% who received a support worker also had other types of support

  5. Findings • Communication issues between support staff and tutors left room for improvement • No clear development pathways for support staff were identified • Tutors unclear about support roles and responsibilities • However learners appear to have a clear view on the roles and responsibilities of support provision but maybe not the boundaries OVERALL….Learners were very positive about support provision and many felt it was essential to accessing college But……...support does not always happen in agreed ways!

  6. Learners experience • Learners appeared to have a ‘clear view on the roles’ of PSW • Learners felt that PSW role was :- • to ‘explain it but won’t tell you what to do’ • and ‘we can ask if we need help’ • they are ‘keeping us on the right tracks’ • and ‘come in handy for some things’ !!

  7. Without support workers • Learners felt they would still do the written work ‘but not as quickly’ • Tutors felt that learners would have a ‘different experience’ of college and learners ‘couldn’t do the course in the same way’ without PSW • Tutors said that ‘some courses couldn’t run without competent PSW’

  8. Communication • Greater communication and understanding of roles was requested from faculty staff and support service staff • Tutors thought PSW were often ‘not aware of the support plan’ • PSW said they didn’t have the ‘chance to read notes’ • SPSW said PSW should ‘have the information already’ following briefing

  9. Development • PSW ‘very conscious of the role defined by the college and what we actually do’ • PSW were not taught strategies for support around areas eg literacy • PSW felt they needed to ‘pick (up the skills required) as you go along’ • Learning from ‘tutor and applying it elsewhere’

  10. Roles & Responsibilities • Good support did ‘depend on the PSW’ and some require ‘more training’ where others are ‘instinctive’ in their role • SPSW said element of ‘psw filling tutors shoes’ and that PSW should ‘stay within their role’ • PSW said they ‘shouldn’t be doing the work e.g. artwork’ as it ‘is wrong’ • Tutors felt that ‘support needs cannot be separated from learning’ as learners often have ‘issues interlinked with support’

  11. What’s needed/wanted? • Learners and tutors • To continue with identified support • Tutors require further clarification of :- • defined roles of support staff • learner information and support agreed • who does what • Support workers require further clarification on:- • support strategies and professional development • Further communication around agreed support and reasons for establishment of such support

  12. What are the next steps? • Further development of creative use of physical and human resource support • Improved communication between staff groups, specifically around agreed support packages • Development pathways via CPD for support service staff to be further established

  13. How will we do this? • Targeted supervision and performance review for support staff • Further development of support plans by support coordinator with emphasis on support strategies • Support staff need time allowed to be fully briefed and to reflect on practice • Further coordinator collaboration on initial assessments and agreed support for learners

  14. Constraints • Greater number of faculty tutorial staff would have expanded the view from that angle • Research relied on good will and interest from staff involvement, issue around time • Awareness of possible bias in discussions due to staff being employees

  15. Full paper available on request • Denise Dickens • Disability & Mental Health Support Coordinator • City of Bristol College • Denise.dickens@cityofbristol.ac.uk • 0117 312 5705

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