Our Shared College is the Specialist Learning Disability Divisions recovery college based at Whalley. For a number of years now we have worked in partnership with Accrington and Rosendale College. They have delivered a wide range of courses within the Specialist Learning Disability Division including maths, English, ICT, horticulture, cleaning and practice skills courses including gym instructor and food preparation and hygiene. In order to engage a wider range of service users, we developed the concept of College Days. The aim is to replicate the experience of attending college in the community when attending college sessions provided within the hospital.
Co-Production
From start: No
During process: Yes
In evaluation: No
Evaluation
Peer: No
Academic: No
PP Collaborative: Yes
Find out more
Ellen Axon - Adult Education lead Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Our Shared College is the Specialist Learning Disability Divisions recovery college based at Whalley.
For a number of years now we have worked in partnership with Accrington and Rosendale College. They have delivered a wide range of courses within the Specialist Learning Disability Division including maths, English, ICT, horticulture, cleaning and practice skills courses including gym instructor and food preparation and hygiene.
In order to engage a wider range of service users, we developed the concept of College Days. The aim is to replicate the experience of attending college in the community when attending college sessions provided within the hospital.
In partnership with Accrington and Rossendale College we were initially able to offer two full days where service users could work towards accredited awards in maths and English.
Service users were issued with student ID badges, which in turn gave them the opportunity to join the National Union of Students.
The learners were encouraged to take more ownership for their learning. This included taking the resources that adult students in mainstream education would take to sessions e.g. files and stationary. This created a real sense of purpose in many of the learners, who for the first time saw themselves as adult students. Perceiving themselves a student gave the learners a role which they placed value in.
Access to these courses was extended to our learners in our medium secure services by our Adult Education Lead working in partnership with the Accrington and Rossendale College tutor to deliver learning through 1:1 sessions.
An example of how successful this has been includes the enrolment of six service users onto a structured learning course provided by an external provider. Here four learners have successful obtained Entry level awards in maths and English.
Another example of the success have been that two service users have been working towards their Level 1 awards in literacy and numeracy. Also another service user has been offered a place on a course at a community based college when they are discharged from Mersey Care Whalley.
Wider Active Support
We work with Accrington and Rossendale college to provide accredited courses to service users whilst they are in hospital. This includes service users with a learning disability in medium secure, low secure, step-down and enhanced services.
Co-Production
Attending college is something that many service users identify as a personal goal when they move on from secure services. However, we recognise the barriers that service users face in terms of both levels of literacy and numeracy and confidence.
Through College Days we are able to give service users as close an experience of going to college as possible which in turn will help them to not see going to college as a daunting experience on discharge. Providing education enables service users to gain important functional literacy and numeracy skills that they will need when they go to college in the community.
Looking Back/Challenges Faced
The main challenge has been overcoming the reticence of service users to engage in learning around literacy and numeracy.
The concept of College Days gave individuals the idea that this was something new, a new experience for them to try. The courses were promoted under the title of College Days and this seemed to create more interest.
As the first cohorts complete their awards we are recognising and celebrating their achievement through service user led publications such as their News and Views magazine. We hope that this in turn will lead other service users to revisit the notion of learning through shared learning and experts by experience sharing their stories.
Sustainability
The provision of College Days does rely on the ability of us to work in partnership with Accrington and Rossendale College and for them in turn to be able to receive the funding that they need to provide the service provision.
Should they withdraw their support we have a Vocational Officer who is continuously building links with external providers and we would try to ensure continuity of this opportunity to gain valuable skills and qualification for our learners. We also have our own Adult Education Lead who can continue to provide education sessions.
Evaluation (Peer or Academic)
Accrington and Rossendale college complete evaluation forms with learners.
Outcomes
The outcomes are evidenced by the commitment of our learners to their learning programmes and by their achievements of awards in their learning.
Sharing
We have open days in Our Shared College when we promote all the excellent work and service innovation that the college offers.
We also have an annual celebration of our learners achievements.
Finally we have our own recovery college prospectus which contains details of all the courses that we offer.
