Enhancement of Learning Support West Midlands Region – 17th February 2011 "More than Courses" - Using alternative CPD to Develop Skills and Practice

Enhancement of Learning Support Feedback and Sharing Experiences What could you do? Use the CPD on the memory stick Undertake a reflective diary Hold a “learn and share meeting Review /use the guidance on mentoring Review /use the guidance on buddying Shadowing Aimed to Scope existing opportunities and expertise Consider how networks might be used Find out what learners. LSAs and their managers want and think Make recommendations based on findings Sample - interviews with176 individuals from 86 organisations across the sector and an associated literature review, together with the views of 374 LSAs and 138 managers who responded to the online survey

Enhancement of Learning Support Feedback and Sharing Experiences How was it for you? What did you do? What worked well? What was less effective? How did you use it? Anything to share? Anything else developed? Aimed to Scope existing opportunities and expertise Consider how networks might be used Find out what learners. LSAs and their managers want and think Make recommendations based on findings Sample - interviews with176 individuals from 86 organisations across the sector and an associated literature review, together with the views of 374 LSAs and 138 managers who responded to the online survey If you didn’t use it, do you have any views or practice you would like to share, based on your own, your organisations experience?

Enhancement of Learning Support Feedback and Sharing Experiences What did you learn? What can we learn - Lessons for future development – how can we make it better? Recommendations for implementation? Recommendations for change? Impact – what difference has it made – to you, your colleagues, your organisation? Broader impact of taking part in the project? This project focuses on “learning support “, that is: enabling the learner to engage with the learning programme and providing personalised, identified support that will allow learners to maximise their independence, to achieve and to progress “learning support assistant” (LSA) to refer to those staff who have direct and regular contact with the learner (or group of learners) and whose role is to facilitate their access to identified support, within the learning process. These staff are not on a teaching or training contract; rather they work under the direction of the person(s) leading the learning. Learning Support Practitioner is used within the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for learning support staff,. In practice, there are a myriad of terms used, and we found that LSP was not the mostly commonly used term with the most common title being “assistant” at 46% LSP” accounted for only 4% of those surveyed. In a work based learning context, the role of staff performing this function is quite different, as is the terminology used, which is typically “training adviser”. This project is aimed at anyone who works to support leaners, in whatever context, irrespective of title. This lack of research becomes even more shocking given that in practice it is the LSA workforce who delivers the most significant part of the learner facing contact time, particularly for learners with the most complex needs.

Enhancement of Learning Support How can we share experiences, skills, knowledge and understanding Think of something you have learnt in the last year or 2 which has positively impacted on your practice? How did you learn it? What did you do with it? Did you share it? How and who with? This project focuses on “learning support “, that is: enabling the learner to engage with the learning programme and providing personalised, identified support that will allow learners to maximise their independence, to achieve and to progress “learning support assistant” (LSA) to refer to those staff who have direct and regular contact with the learner (or group of learners) and whose role is to facilitate their access to identified support, within the learning process. These staff are not on a teaching or training contract; rather they work under the direction of the person(s) leading the learning. Learning Support Practitioner is used within the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for learning support staff,. In practice, there are a myriad of terms used, and we found that LSP was not the mostly commonly used term with the most common title being “assistant” at 46% LSP” accounted for only 4% of those surveyed. In a work based learning context, the role of staff performing this function is quite different, as is the terminology used, which is typically “training adviser”. This project is aimed at anyone who works to support leaners, in whatever context, irrespective of title. This lack of research becomes even more shocking given that in practice it is the LSA workforce who delivers the most significant part of the learner facing contact time, particularly for learners with the most complex needs.

Enhancement of Learning Support How can we share experiences, skills, knowledge and understanding? In our own organisations? In our regions? Nationally? This project focuses on “learning support “, that is: enabling the learner to engage with the learning programme and providing personalised, identified support that will allow learners to maximise their independence, to achieve and to progress “learning support assistant” (LSA) to refer to those staff who have direct and regular contact with the learner (or group of learners) and whose role is to facilitate their access to identified support, within the learning process. These staff are not on a teaching or training contract; rather they work under the direction of the person(s) leading the learning. Learning Support Practitioner is used within the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for learning support staff,. In practice, there are a myriad of terms used, and we found that LSP was not the mostly commonly used term with the most common title being “assistant” at 46% LSP” accounted for only 4% of those surveyed. In a work based learning context, the role of staff performing this function is quite different, as is the terminology used, which is typically “training adviser”. This project is aimed at anyone who works to support leaners, in whatever context, irrespective of title. This lack of research becomes even more shocking given that in practice it is the LSA workforce who delivers the most significant part of the learner facing contact time, particularly for learners with the most complex needs.

Enhancement of Learning Support Background to project South East Regional Event Web Portal - Draft Structure Management & Organisational Development Developing & Progressing Home Page Bullet 2 It revealed that individuals do not necessarily need an entire course or programme, but have small and specific areas for development, many of which can effectively be “topped up”. Solutions Centre? Resources

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