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7. ACTIVITIES
Learning, Skills and Employability
Introduction and Context
7.1 The inclusions manager has overall responsibility for managing learning, skills and employability ( LSE). The SPS contract for the provision of LSE is with Motherwell College. A Learning Centre Manager, employed by Motherwell College, is responsible for learning provision and the employability manager ( SPS) has responsibility for production and work parties.
Staffing and Resources
7.2 Learning Centre staff are well qualified and have a high level of skill and expertise which is demonstrated in their work with prisoners. All benefited from Annual Staff Career Development Reviews organised by Motherwell College and can access a range of Continuous Professional Development ( CPD) opportunities. A few staff have gained recognised certification in physical instruction or adult literacy. SPS staff were actively involved in delivering offending behaviour programmes. Resources in the Learning Centre are good. Prisoners using the Learning Centre have access to a good range of IT equipment and other learning resources. However, protection prisoners in 'D' Hall have only limited access to the Learning Centre.
Access to Learning, Skills and Employability
7.3 All prisoners are introduced to LSE during induction. This is usually through a structured interview but it does not give prisoners the opportunity to tour the Learning Centre or meet staff. The prison operates the SPS Core Plus model. There are sufficient work places for prisoners which are allocated by the Labour Allocation Board ( LAB). The LAB makes good attempts at identifying prisoner interests before allocating a work party. However, access to training is limited. The prison operates an enhanced workshop system where prisoners access production jobs with a bonus paid depending on their work and output. Prisoners leaving to attend education are at a financial disadvantage as they automatically lose their bonus. Attendance at the Learning Centre was low with around 30% of the prison population listed to attend education. Protection prisoners have limited access. Their regime had changed and classes reduced by almost half. The work pattern means that prisoners work in the mornings for one week, and the afternoons the following week. As a result, most protection prisoners can only access education once per fortnight. Prisoners in the National Induction Centre have some links to the Learning Centre. However, since prisoners sometimes spend the first two years of their sentence there, they should have increased access to learning.
7.4 Learning Centre staff regularly review the range of courses on offer in an attempt to encourage greater numbers to attend and also to reach those protection prisoners who have an interest in education. There is no access to LSE in the evenings or at weekends.
Assessment of Need
7.5 On admission all prisoners complete an 'Alerting Tool' as part of induction. This is intended to highlight significant needs in literacy and numeracy. Staff from the Learning Centre generally visit prisoners in the halls to discuss the assessment and the range of courses on offer. Prisoners do not have an opportunity to tour the Learning Centre to find out more about the facilities available. Learning Centre staff use the information gathered to create an agreed Individual Learning Plan ( ILP). All ILPs are reviewed on a six monthly basis.
7.6 Processes for assessment of need are sufficient. However, prisoners often refuse to complete the 'Alerting Tool' when it is administered by SPS staff in the halls. The Learning Centre manager tracks all aspects of progress, including anticipated dates for review. There are no links between staff involved in work parties and those in the Learning Centre to identify and support prisoners' needs particularly in literacy and numeracy. Peer literacy tutors provide an important link in identifying and supporting learning needs. This is an area of good practice which should be further developed.
Delivery of Learning
7.7 Staff provide a calm, purposeful learning environment. They engage very well with prisoners and prisoners particularly appreciate their personal approach. They are skilled in using a variety of methods to engage prisoners in the learning experience. Staff plan their work well and prepare for classes using a variety of materials and resources. They use a range of teaching methods to maintain interest and develop knowledge and understanding. This includes group work, practical work, demonstration and practical tasks. Staff have a very good understanding of prisoners' needs, talents and interests. They ensure that, where possible, the learning experience is interesting to them. There are insufficient links between learning taking place in out-of-cell activities, workshops and the Learning Centre.
Prisoners' Learning Experiences
7.8 The Learning Centre is spacious, bright and attractive. Classrooms are well organised and well utilised for the range of learning opportunities on offer. For example, the Art room provides ample work space and areas to display completed work. Two rooms are equipped with a number of computers and support very well the work in ICT and Computer aided design. Prisoners can take responsibility for their own learning and peer tutors support others in their learning. They were gaining confidence in supporting each other and collaborating on their tasks, for example where some prisoners were working on Open University qualifications. Prisoners attending the Learning Centre were very positive about their experiences in LSE. In particular, they were enthusiastic about the support and encouragement they had received from Learning Centre staff. Prisoners' views of LSE are sought through discussion and surveys. Staff make good use of this information to review the range of courses and opportunities on offer. More formal learning experiences in PE were at an early stage of development.
Achievement
7.9 A number of prisoners have made significant achievements through their learning. All participants observed and spoken to in the Learning Centre were purposeful and knowledgeable about their learning and its positive role in their present situation. Participants in the Learning Centre had made good progress in a number of certificated programmes offered by Motherwell College and accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority ( SQA) and other providers. These include courses in ICT, Arts and Humanities. There is a high quality exhibition of prisoners' art work each year which recognises the achievements of a small number of Art students. However, prisoners would benefit from more regular events to celebrate and promote achievement through all aspects of learning in the prison. Recognition of the work of the prison to external social enterprises and charities is limited. Prison staff have not yet recognised the personal development programmes offered in the National Induction Centre as part of orientation and tackling offending behaviour within the broader curriculum of learning.
Ethos and Values
7.10 The Learning Centre provides a positive learning environment. There were good relationships between staff and learners in the classes observed. The quality of interaction was high and prisoners were effectively supported in their learning. There are good personal relationships between staff and prisoners working in the library and workshops. Tutors were relaxed and directive as required. Prisoners contrasted their positive experiences in the Learning Centre with previously negative educational experiences. Staff involved in PE have developed good and supportive relationships with prisoners.
Quality Assurance
7.11 Motherwell College has arrangements for systematically evaluating and improving the quality of the prisoner experience within their activities in the Learning Centre. Physical Instruction staff have started to develop monitoring and quality assurance systems, but these are at the early stages of development. However, there is no systematic approach to quality assurance across the full range of LSE and in other areas of the work of the prison such as the National Induction Centre. As a result, there are significant missed opportunities to enhance and coordinate workshop activities, programmes to address offending behaviour and learning experiences. This was particularly apparent in the prison's approach to the development of literacy and numeracy, vocational skills and ICT.
Conclusion
7.12 Whilst the learning experience in the Learning Centre is positive, overall prisoner access to education is too limited. For those who were able to attend classes in the Learning Centre, their experience was good. There are sufficient work places which are mainly linked to production work. However, opportunities to access training are too limited. The lack of joint working between Employability and Learning was having a detrimental effect on prisoners. Protection prisoners have too few opportunities to access education. LSE providers do not yet work sufficiently closely together and as a result some learners are at a disadvantage.
Library
7.13 The location of the library had recently been changed. It is still cramped and although prisoners have timetabled access to it, many do not choose to use the facility. The links between the Learning Centre and the library require further development.
Other Out of Cell Activities
7.14 Prisoner access to out-of-cell activities is good. There are regular, planned social activities including a Burns' supper and pantomime. An Art exhibition is organised each year and families can visit to view the range of work on display. Access to leisure-based physical education is good. Prisoners have timetabled access to the gymnasium and can access the fitness and weights area. Staff were developing the use of certificated physical education. The range of activities on offer has expanded to include racquet sports. Links with health professionals and learning are at an early stage of development.
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