Connect Works (NToW14)
Background
Connect in the North is an organisation led by people with learning difficulties. Its aim is to make life better for people with learning difficulties.
Connect in the North found that nationally fewer people with learning difficulties were using direct payments than other groups of people. People with learning difficulties were also finding it hard to recruit and retain staff.
This project was therefore set up to address these issues.
Aims/Objectives
The aim of the project was to help a group of people with learning difficulties to choose and train people to work as personal assistants (PAs). This would allow other people with learning difficulties, who wanted to employ a PA, to select a PA from an approved list.
The objectives for the training team were to:
- Develop a training course for PAs which would run as a pilot
- Identify the barriers that people with learning difficulties might experience when training people
- Find solutions that would enable people with learning difficulties to train people
- Look at the options for accrediting training which is run by people with learning difficulties
- Look at ways in which training by people with learning difficulties can be funded on a long-term basis
What happened?
The Connect Works training team was established. This was a team of people with learning difficulties who would choose and train people to be PAs.
A job description and person specification for PAs were created. The training team decided how to assess the candidates. The course was advertised and two groups of PAs were trained.
Outcomes
The project had a number of outcomes, as follows:
- A PA's 30-hour course was developed
- The training team chose nine people from the training to be on a list of approved PAs. These PAs were then available to anyone with a learning difficulty who uses direct payments or has an individual budget
- Connect in the North began to develop a partnership with a local college
- Four people who were trained as PAs have been asked to work for people with learning difficulties
- The team has contributed to Connect in the North's business plan.
Impact on workforce development and how you can use the learning
The project team found that:
- More people with learning difficulties need the skills to train personal assistants
- People with learning difficulties need the opportunity to gain qualifications as trainers. This means that more training needs to be accessible for them
- People with learning difficulties need more control of their own support.
Additional material
NToW14 - final report May 2009
NToW14 - accessible version of final report May 2009
NToW14 - Connect Works scrap book
