February 2014 Draft

Training Centre Learner Information Handbook Welcome to Horton Housing Training Centre. This booklet contains important things to know whilst you are attending the Training Centre.

\\Hhafile01\administration\Teams\BDS Education Centre (now HHT)\Learner Handbook New Final March 14.docx

Contents

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Our Aims and Objectives

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The Building and Fire Procedure

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The Staff Team

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What you can expect from us

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What the Centre expects from you

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Complaints, comments and suggestions

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Social Enterprise

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Learner Agreement

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Contact

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1. Our Aims and Objectives We are open to anyone aged 16 or over who is vulnerable and in need of support around their training needs, including users of services funded by Bradford Adult and Community Services, and clients of Horton Housing Association. We provide a service to people who have been excluded from school in the past or other services, or are experiencing problems, including substance misuse and alcohol. Horton Housing is open every week day from 9.00am to 4.00pm except Wednesday when we close at 3.00pm Aim To increase the skills, confidence, independence and employment opportunities of adults with support needs by providing training, information, advice and guidance.

Objectives         

To provide learners with quality assured learning support in an easily accessible, friendly and safe learning environment. To promote our services across our target areas taking into account the diversity of our learners. To induct learners in a way that clarifies expectations and support available. To provide a range of flexible and appropriately tailored courses, social enterprise, volunteering and work experience opportunities. To support learners to explore their options, participate fully in their chosen activities and gain maximum benefit from them. To employ appropriately skilled, knowledgeable and trained staff. To ensure equality of opportunity, fair access and confidentiality are maintained. To work with partners in the housing, education, training and commercial sectors. To obtain and use feedback from our learners, partners and other stakeholders to implement changes and continuously improve our service.

Outcomes

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Greater confidence to explore, choose and attend education, training and employment-related activities. Improved skills and/or qualifications. Improved health and sense of well-being. Enhanced independent living and home/money management skills. Improved ability to compete in the job market and secure sustainable employment.

2. The Building Horton Housing Training Centre is next to Bradford Day Shelter on Edmund St in Bradford. Reception and the staff office are downstairs and the Training Rooms are upstairs. The first floor and classrooms are also accessible via the lift at the Day Shelter; please ask a member of staff for assistance if you want to use this. The first floor has an ICT Suite, two Training Rooms and a Training Kitchen and a meeting room. There are two notice boards downstairs, and one upstairs which show some of Horton Housing’s policies and procedures in more depth. Please feel free to look at these, or ask staff to explain them. You can also visit our website www.hortonhousing.co.uk

Fire Procedure If you:1. discover a fire, sound the alarm by breaking the glass at a red call point on the wall; 2. Hear the alarm, leave the building by the quickest possible route and don’t go back for anything. Meet at the assembly area which is outside the Polish Community Centre on Edmund Street. Do not go back for anything and do not use the lift. Staff will call the Fire Service but mustn’t phone from inside the building unless it is safe to do so. The staff team have procedures for alerting the Fire Service, you can see this at the Fire Safety Notice Boards.

Health and Safety

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It is very important to co-operate with staff to follow Health & Safety procedures, for example taking part in fire drills and informing us of any accidents. First Aid boxes are kept in Reception by the Administration Officer and on the first floor by the Learner Support Tutor. If at any time you have a concern about Health & Safety or security, please tell a member of staff.

3. The Staff Team The following staff are based at the Training Centre:         

Head of Service Training Centre Manager Administration Officer Training, Development and Quality Officer TERs Worker Learner Support Worker Learner Support Tutor Client Trainer ESOL Tutors Work Placement Staff and Volunteers

The Training Centre Manager has overall responsibility for the Training Centre including Health & Safety. The Administration Officer greets visitors, keeps records up to date and ensures things run smoothly. The TERs Worker and Learner Support Worker advise homeless and vulnerably housed people across Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees linking them into learning right across the district, including at the Training Centre. The Learning Support Tutor and Client Trainer deliver accredited courses and personal development sessions such as confidence building and assertiveness. The Training, Development and Quality Officer internally verifies accredited courses and leads on monitoring course quality. The ESOL Tutors deliver lessons in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Work Placement Staff contribute to the work of the Training Centre by supporting Training Centre Staff. We also have a team of volunteers who wear ‘volunteer’ ID badges. Everyone is here to help make your learning experience positive.

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Internal tutors and external tutors from a small range of partners are all inducted in Horton Housing Training Centre Procedures and are quality assured.

4. What you can expect from us We aim to provide a safe and welcoming environment. We aim to provide training that meets your needs, in a place that can be less daunting than some other learning establishments. Courses are usually free to learners. You will be given up to date information on new courses. These change due to demand but we currently offer courses in: ICT (computers) Literacy Personal Development Money Management Tenancy Awareness and Management ESOL Employability and Volunteering We believe in working together with your support provider to help meet your goals and needs more effectively. You will be given an Individual Learning Plan, where you will be supported to record what you have learnt and see the progress. You will receive a certificate whenever you complete a course. You can expect a fair and confidential service that treats you with respect and dignity.

Skills Assessment If you are doing a course with us that gives you a qualification then you will have to produce work for assessment. On these types of courses it is important that the literacy level needed by the courses is right for you. That is why we will ask you to do a short assessment before you start on one of these courses. We will mark the assessment straight away and advise you of the courses that will suit you best.

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Support We provide volunteer classroom assistants to give extra support to anyone who needs it in a class. You can bring your support worker or other appropriate person to support you in a class.

What you can expect from us Fair Treatment You have the right to:   

Be treated fairly. Not to be harassed or discriminated against. Be consulted about the services we provide and about any changes we want to make to these services  Complain if you are unhappy with the services we provide. If you want to complain you can tell a member of staff or ask to speak to a manager. You can ask for a copy of the Complaints Procedure at any time. More information about our services and your rights is available on our website www.hortonhousing.co.uk and staff will be happy to assist you.

Equality and Diversity The Training Centre aims to provide equal, fair access and provision of services to all applicants and clients. We aim to eradicate discrimination and unfairness on any grounds including:        

Age Disability Gender reassignment Marriage and civil partnership Pregnancy and maternity Race Religion and belief Sex Sexual orientation

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We are committed to developing an organisational culture which values people from all sections of society and the contribution that each individual can make. We recruit and train staff to make sure that they understand and are sensitive to particular needs of clients from minority ethnic communities and other disadvantaged groups.

What you can expect from us Well-being and Safeguarding We will always do our best to make sure you are not hurt, bullied or harmed in anyway at the training centre. At the Training Centre we have made a promise to all our learners that we will always take action if someone is at risk from abuse. To do this we make sure all our staff are trained to see when a person is at risk and what to do to prevent it or stop abuse. Abuse can be by anyone, anywhere. It can be physical, verbal or psychological. It can take many forms, for example violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, racial abuse, discriminatory abuse, financial or material abuse, or neglect. If you think you are being abused, or if you think someone else is being abused, speak to a member of staff, complain or talk to the Training Centre Manager. They may need to pass on information so that you can receive support you need. This is explained below in the ‘Confidentiality’ section. See the notice board if you would like further information.

Confidentiality There is a law which says that all information kept about you must be kept about you must be kept safe and private. You can see it any time you wish. This law also says that your support worker is not allowed to give out information about you without your permission (unless you are at risk of hurting yourself or someone else). This law is called the Data Protection Act 1998. In some special circumstances the law says your support worker must give out information about you without your permission. These special circumstances are:

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If you are at risk of seriously hurting yourself. If you are at risk of hurting someone else. If you are neglecting someone in your care. If someone else is hurting or taking advantage of you.

With your permission it is sometimes important that staff are able to contact other people to help you to get the support you need.

Standards of Behaviour Training Centre staff, work placements and volunteers are expected to behave appropriately at all times. This includes:-

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Being approachable and polite Explaining things clearly and checking that information is understood Not using language that is offensive Treating others with respect Not smoking in front of learners Not taking personal phone calls during classes or appointments Passing on any information that would be useful, e.g. class cancellations Consulting with Learners, e.g. Learner Involvement Meetings

5. What the Centre expects from you If you have never been to the Training Centre before, and wish to attend a course, then you and your Support Worker will meet with a worker. This is for a short assessment. This will make sure you are on the right course, and to help you indentify longer term, or external training goals. The Training Centre has the following rules:     

No alcohol or drugs are to be brought onto the premises. No violent or aggressive behaviour. No abuse or harassment towards other learners, staff, or visitors. No illegal activities. Learners will not be able to attend the class that day if behaviour and ability is seriously impaired by illegal substances or alcohol

Failing to follow these could result in a bar for a certain length of time. If you are barred for more than one week you have the right to appeal against the decision. You will be told about this if the need ever arises. If you want more information just speak to a member of staff. Discriminatory behaviour such as racist language will not be tolerated; it will be challenged by staff and may result in a bar.

Attendance We understand that sometimes things happen that make it impossible to attend your course. However, we ask that you or your Support Worker let us know on the day if you are unable to come for your class. This is so we can inform the tutor, and make the best use of our resources.

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Also, please bear in mind that some courses will require a minimum level of attendance in order to gain the accreditation that may be on offer. Accreditation from a course provides solid steps that you can keep building on, toward your chosen level of qualification.

What the Centre expects from you If you don’t attend your class we may contact your Support Worker to check if everything is OK. We may discuss any extra help you may need to attend classes. If you don’t attend two classes without letting us know, we may give your space on the course to someone on the waiting list. We will contact you to let you know if this has happened.

Correct practice It is very important that all our accredited learning and qualifications are managed and assessed consistently, accurately and fairly. We have a policy on this which we will explain further if you enrol onto an accredited course. Basically this means that if you cheat or copy work from others when completing work for a qualification you may be subject to our warning procedures.

Standards of Behaviour Learners are expected to behave appropriately at all times. This includes:-

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Not using language that is offensive Treating others with respect Only smoking in designated areas Trying to avoid being late for an appointment or class Not taking personal phone calls during classes or appointments Passing on any information that would be useful, e.g. being ill or running late Being involved in consultations, e.g. Learner Involvement Meetings

6. Complaints, Suggestions, Comments and Appeals Complaints If you are not happy with any of Horton’s services please let us know. Please speak to a member of staff if you are unhappy with any part of the service. You can bring someone with you to help you do this if you like. If you are still not happy after this stage, or if the informal stage is not appropriate, then you should register a formal complaint. This can be done verbally or in writing. This will then be logged and investigated, and you will be informed of the outcome and any action taken. If you are still not happy it can be reviewed by Senior Management. Appeals If you receive a decision you are not happy with you have the right to appeal against that decision. To ‘appeal’ means you are not happy with the decision or decisions made and you would like someone to change the decision. Things you can appeal against include: 

Exclusion (barring you) from the Centre A course assessment decision (see below for further details regarding this)

If you think the decision made is wrong you can ask the Training Centre Manager to explain it to you, you can do this in writing or by ringing. The Training Centre Manager will arrange to meet with you to explain the decision. If, after the meeting, you think the wrong decision has been made you have one month to say you are not happy and you want the decision looked at again. A senior manager (who was not involved in making the decision you have been given) will look at your appeal. They will usually make a decision within 5 days. If this is going to take longer they will let you know.

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You will be given a decision in writing. Your support worker, another member of staff or someone from another organisation who is helping you will explain the decision to you if you do not understand it. For a full copy of Horton Housing’s Appeal Policy and Procedure please ask you support worker. A full copy of our Complaints Procedure is on the ‘Training Centre Information’ Notice

Board and our website and we will be happy to give you a printed copy. Have your say Comments and suggestions At Horton we love to hear from you. What you tell us about how we run our services helps us do it better. If you have any comments, suggestions, ideas or complaints let us know. We will write this down and keep you informed about how we have used your idea. There are lots of ways for you to have your say:    

You can tell any member of staff or your support worker, if you have one. You can fill in a ‘Comments, Compliments and Complaints’ postcard and post this in the comments box located at the entrance to the Training Centre. You can take part in our yearly Client Survey. Training Centre staff will also help you to ‘have your say’ about anything that you feel is important about your learning. You can attend our Learner Involvement Meetings

Be Involved Everyone has a choice about whether they want to be involved or not, and how they want to be involved. Part of this means thinking about any barriers that may put people off becoming involved and how we can overcome them. For example:   

Providing training opportunities for learners who wish to be involved Help build skills, confidence and self-esteem Volunteering Taking part in training to improve your skills, for example learning how to run a meeting

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Appeals on assessment decisions related to your courses 

If you are unhappy with an assessment decision made by your tutor assessor you can appeal against this. For a full overview of the stages see the Appeals Procedure on ‘Training Centre Information’ Notice Board. There are four stages:

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Stage 1:

The assessor will re-assess your work and give you feedback

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Stage 2:

Assessment decision reviewed by a different assessor at the Centre.

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Stage 3:

The Internal Verifier will review the decision within 15 days and give you a response.

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Stage 4:

If you don’t agree with the result you can request the awarding body to review the decision.

7. Social Enterprise

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The Social Enterprise schemes offer you an introduction to work for just a few hours, in a safe environment that does not interfere with your benefits e.g. administration, painting, decorating and groundwork. We are looking at ways of expanding these opportunities and will let you know when they arise.

8. Learner Agreement This agreement is between you and Horton Housing Training Centre: Start date: _____

I understand what is expected from me and what I can expect from the training centre. This includes how I behave towards staff and other learners and how I can expect staff to behave towards me.

Yes

No

By signing this agreement I agree to abide by the rules of the training centre and give permission for information about my support needs to be shared with my support worker and other agencies as required.

Your Name: ____________________________

Signed: _______________________

Staff Name: ____________________________

Signed: _______________________

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Job Title:

_______________________________________

Contact Training Centre Manager Horton Housing Training Centre 14 Edmund Street Bradford BD5 0BH 01274 739926

Administration Officer Horton Housing Training Centre 14 Edmund Street Bradford BD5 0BH 01274 739926 Email: [email protected]

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