1. Enhancement of Learning Support

2. Introduction 10.00 Welcome and refreshments.
Guest Speaker Julie Ashton (NCN)
Ant Piper (NCN)-Recap on phase 1and 2
Portland College speaking about outcomes for a specialist college.
Trevor Cotterill – working with autistic learners.
Lunch.

3. Introduction Agenda 1.00 Welcome back refresher quiz and energizer.
1.15 Discussion workshops
2.00 TechDis Information workshop
2.30 Brian Simpson Closing talk.
2.40 Networking opportunity.

4. Introduction LSIS Enhancement of Learning Support East Midlands Strand
Developing and using a whole organisational approach to bring about improvement and secure a more effective approach to continuing professional development (CPD).
Basically how can we change our CPD from top to bottom to increase a learners learning experience

5. Recap of Phase 1
New College Nottingham and Portland College shadowing process
Results and findings delivered at 1st conference at Portland College
8 organisations signed up to conduct shadowing process
Ncn and Portland completed the shadowing process by the end of October
Reported results and outcomes at 1st conference details uploaded to NATSPEC website
8 organizations signed up to conduct shadowing and surveys. Some have completed some still working on it

6. Why? “Improve the student experience”
“......are devoted to student’s learning and development of independence. Through bridging the gap between tutors and support staff, we predicted the teaching and learning levels would increase for all students.....”
“Improve the student experience”
“Improve efficiency of provision”
“Develop team work between ALS & tutors”
Some of the feedback from other colleges and organizations indicated the following:

7. Outcomes Tutors and support staff to be offered training together
Starting Lectures at at different times
Students having a longer break to improve quality
Lecturers planning with LSA’s
Tutors and support staff need the time to meet during admin time, and both be allocated admin time.
Tutors and support staff to be offered training during in-house and external training time in order to bridge the tutor – support staff gap (see Appendix 5).
Tutors and support staff to be allocated time at the beginning and end of a timetabled session in order to complete planning and reflective exercises.
Lecturers sharing key information with their LSA’s
Sharing good practices with others working with students
LSA’s having individual observations
Residential Managers having time slots each day for training
Students having a longer break to improve quality
Adding a transition time (5minutes) to and from break time and lunchtime

8. Impact of Outcomes at a Large GFE
LSAs attached to curriculum teams
Support staff to be case loaded instead of timetabled
Joint CPD training for tutors and LSAs
LSAs attached to curriculum teams
The support worker team is currently in a central team, within the Faculty Foundation and Supported Learning.  Feedback from both lecturers and support staff from the shadowing was they wanted to work more closely and have more time to liaise and the current structure doesn’t allow for this.  The support staff are currently timetabled across all teams within the Faculty and are timetabled into classes with no administration / liaison time. The outcome of this is the management team is looking at not having a central team of support staff, but allocating support staff to actual teams.  So, for example, our Entry level team will comprise, a team leader, lecturers and support staff. 
Joint CPD training for tutors and LSAs
Previously the CPD for teaching staff and support staff have been completed separately and often had a very different focus.  For example, much of the CPD for the support worker team focused on mandatory information, such as DDA, safeguarding , health and safety – whereas the teaching staff’s CPD is based around teaching and learning.  From the feedback from both teaching staff and support workers was that they wanted to having training together and the support workers pointed out they needed to be included in the teaching and learning training too.  We have just completed our first CPD event “how to get a grade 1 lesson’ as one team and this was very successful and the feedback from both teams was very positive.  Support staff commented that it demonstrated that they do have a role to play in achieving good lessons!
Support staff to be case loaded instead of timetabled
The support staff will be case loaded and have time to liaise and contribute to case meeting , curriculum development and of course attend CPD events with the team in which they work.