-
Acklington Learning Centre
( 1 Articles )
We are hoping that in the near future that the centre will be open at least two evenings a week and maybe if needed on weekends. We hope to provide a wide range of courses in the centre to meet the needs of the staff, friends and family. We also hope to have a larger facility with individual areas for different things going on within the centre. We currently have 381 staff wishing to access learning, with more immanent requiring courses ranged from IT to Sports and Recreation and hope to get most if not all, following their desired path in learning. Anyone wishing to access learning can contact either myself or Don by either calling in at the centre or via phone, fax or email. We will do our best to get all learners what they require within a minimum time scale, and all enquiries will be dealt with within a maximum of three days of first contact.
-
Ashworth Union Learning Zone
( 2 Articles )
Union Learning Centre, Mersey Care Trust, Ashworth Hospital, Merseyside
Across the trust, there are a number of Union Learning Representatives whose role is to:
-
Raise awareness of learning
-
Identify learning needs
-
Provide advice and guidance to staff
-
Assist staff to access funding for learning
-
Support the learner
-
Promote learning in the workplace
-
Provide equal access to learning
The Union Learning Centre, e-Café, based at Ashworth Hospital, is the central hub for the Trust Union Learning Representatives. The Centre covers a wide geographical area for the Trust including 43 sites from Southport, St Helens and South Liverpool. We have approximately 6000 staff providing a wide range of Mental Health Care from Learning Disabilities, Drugs and Alcohol, Adult Mental Health, Medium Secure and High Secure services.
The centre is available at various times including evenings, weekends (depending on demand) and drop in sessions throughout the lunch hours. Within the centre and Trust wide there are a variety of training courses available including Introduction to NVQ’s, NVQ’s, various levels of Life Skills including Maths, English, IT, language courses and many more which do not necessarily have to be work related. Within the centre we have an IT suite with LearnDirect (available soon) and other various IT courses from a basic introduction to an intermediate level, along with a training room for more interactive learning. For some courses you may have to pay a small fee, and Union Learning Representatives will discuss this with you.
The benefits to the organisation of encouraging this are equality of access to training; a more skilled workforce; recruitment and retention of staff; personal development and career progression for all staff; new training opportunities and improving the working and personal lives of staff.
For more information, contact Lorraine Lewis, Tony Freel or Pat O’Rourke on 0151 473 2948 / 2949.
-
High Down Union Learning Centre
( 2 Articles )
The High Down Union Learning Centre is situated in the new mess and staff facilities block outside HMP High Down between the Visitor's Centre and the staff car park. It is a bright, airy and quiet suite of rooms. Staff have made comments on the pleasant environment within the centre. There are facilities for hot and cold drinks in the suite as well as the mess facilities along the corridor.
The centre covers both High Down prison and Downview prison with the contact to 700 staff. There is also the advantage that Coldingley and Send prisons are under 45 minutes away.
Staff can access the centre on
Monday 12.30 - 13.30
Tuesday - Thursday 10.00 - 19.00
Friday 12.00 - 18.00
The lunch hour is a popular time for drop in sessions and e.cafe. There are a variety of courses on offer including Spanish, Deaf Awareness, Introduction to Computers, CLAIT 1, CLAIT 2, ECDL, plus various levels of Life Skills including Maths and English.
Spanish Conversation is very popular and Turkish Conversation classes will start in September 2005. Massage and Beauty therapies can be booked for Thursday afternoons. This is an excellent way to de-stress after a difficult day. Friday lunchtime is Book Club, using titles from the Richard and Judy Show and donated books from staff.
The benefits of upskilling staff through the centre for the organization cover many areas: equal access to learning, skilled workforce, recruitment and retention of staff, career progression and personal development, new training and challenges to improve the working and personal lives of staff.
For further information please contact the centre on 0208 661 2491.
-
Frankland Learning Centre
( 1 Articles )
Details for Frankland will follow shortly
-
Hatfield
( 2 Articles )
We need to add some details about Hatfield here.
-
HMP Haverigg
( 2 Articles )
Haverigg Key Learning Centre was officially opened in May 2003, after a number of staff from HMP Haverigg had been trained as Union Learning Reps and set about providing lifelong learning opportunities for fellow members of staff. Although predominantly POA members, there were two PCS ULR's involved at the time.
The centre is located outside of the Prison, in a room in the Prison Officers' Club.
The centre is currently open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between the hours of 10.00-14.00 and 15.00-19.00.
The centre was the first within the POA (UK) Learning Fund to be connected to 'learndirect'.
The centre provides IT courses, leading towards ECDL and CLAIT. Although not an ECDL testing centre at the moment, this is being pursued. The centre can offer testing for the 'CLAIT Suite', and is registered with OCR.
A range of Business and Management courses can be provided through the centre.
'Skills for Life' courses are now available, with the assistance of our learning centre at Ashworth.
The centre has forged links with Furness College (Barrow) who are providing learner support and delivering courses for the staff of HMP Haverigg. Hopefully this venture will extend beyond what is currently being offered.
The centre also has an agreement with the local JobCentre Plus, who refer clients who are looking to improve their employment prospects by gaining qualifications.
We hope to provide a wider range of learning opportunities over the coming months and years. We can support ‘distance learning’ opportunities for those that prefer learning from the comfort of their own home.
If you need any further information you can contact Pete France on: 01229 776061 or e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
-
HMP Moorland Open
( 1 Articles )
Hatfield Learning Centre is located in the old training department of Moorland Open Prison. We have one large room where 9 PC’s are housed and a ‘cosy office’ where we can carry out one to one interviews. We have adequate parking facilities and are on one level which enables disabled access. We are three miles from HMP Moorland and HMP Lindholme and seven miles from Doncaster Prison.
We offer nationally recognized qualifications in Maths, English, ECDL, CLAIT, and NVQ’s in IT, Customer Service and Team Building.
Opening Hours are:
Monday / Tuesday 9.30 to 20.30
Wednesday / Thursday / Friday 9.30 to 17.00
The centre is open as an internet café and drop in centre over the lunchtime period for everyone.
Courses are delivered by Tutors from Doncaster College, Doncaster Adult Community Learning Service, Learn Direct or by Centre staff. We aim to make learning as flexible and as accessible as possible to all staff their family and friends. Fees are payable for all courses, although we have tried to ensure that we remain competitive amongst other providers.
The benefits to the organization of encouraging our project are equality of access to training; a more skilled workforce; recruitment and retention of staff; personal development and career progression for all staff; new training opportunities and improving the working and personal lives of staff.
Both members of staff at the centre are fully qualified to offer impartial Information, Advice and Guidance in complete confidence.
-
Holme House Learning Centre
( 1 Articles )
We began to promote the learning agenda within the prison and produced a learning needs survey for the workplace. This resulted in 184 staff expressing an interest in learning. On the 20th July 2006 we organised a Learning at Work Day and opened the Union Learning Centre’s doors to the staff at Holme House. There were in excess of 140 staff of different grades who took part in learning on the day. Various taster courses and workshops were on offer including British Sign Language, Digital Photography, Literacy and Numeracy Target Skills, Spanish, Indian Head Massage and ICT.
We officially opened the Union Learning Centre in September 2006 offering ICT, Spanish, Skills for Life, Guitar, Holistic Therapy, BSL, Deaf Awareness and many more courses for all the staff at Holme House. To date, we have trained a further 11 Union Learning Representatives from various unions (including PCS, UCU, POA, Unison, Amicus) for both HMP Holme House and other workplaces in the local community.
Over 300 members of staff have accessed the Union Learning Centre since April 2006 and over 70 of those staff have engaged in more than 6 hours each of skills development. 68 learners have engaged in Skills for Life courses and 23 of those have completed the National Tests in numeracy at level 2. Literacy level 2 is still ongoing. 124 members of staff have been referred to other learning opportunities including full level 2 and 3 courses.
We negotiated free of charge an NCFE Equality and Diversity course (level 2) for staff and free ICT courses (basic and intermediate). All the courses that we have enrolled staff in have been of huge benefit to the Prison Service and the personal lives of staff at HMP Holme House.
On the 29th January 2007 the prison hosted a ‘Discovery Day’ where local members of the BME community were invited into the prison with a view to offering them training placements for a period of 12 weeks. We worked with a small team of people on this project, helping to design information packs, job descriptions and posters. We also engaged with Stockton Adult Education College to develop a training package for the prison which offered Skills for Life, interview techniques, and report writing courses.
On the 7th February 2007 we organised a presentation of certificates to the staff who had successfully passed their chosen course. The presentation was made by Governor Matt Spencer with the TUC Unionlearn in attendance. We have been instrumental along with TUC Unionlearn in spreading the learning agenda throughout the region. The Education Learning and Skills Forum was held for the first time in a prison (HMP Holme House), the event was a huge success and promoted prisons and their staff in a positive manner within the wider community.
Part of our work is to develop contact and learning opportunities for all prisons within travelling distance to the centre. We have visited HMP Frankland, HMP Durham, HMP Kirklevington and HMP LowNewton and developed a network of Union Learning Representatives who actively promote Holme House POA Union Learning Centre to their staff and families.
We have invested a lot of time in the career progression for OSG at Holme House. We have wrote and delivered a training package specifically for OSG’s. We have also supported OSG’s and administration grades in obtaining a level 1 and/or 2 qualification in numeracy which has given them the confidence to sit the post-test for the Prison Officer conversion.
Recently, we have secured two and a half hours every month for staff training in the Union Learning Centre. This is part of Holme House’s training day. We offer staff the opportunity to train in the following; Health and Safety, DDA, ICT and Dyslexia awareness.
All the targets that were set by the TUC and POA have been met and a second bid is being submitted to secure funding for the next 12 months. Further funding has been secured for us to pursue information, advice and guidance to Matrix standard for the centre.
The courses currently available are Literacy, Basic I.T, I.T. Intermediate, Spanish and Guitar. Courses available in March and April are Deaf Awareness, B.S.L, Digital Photography and counselling.
-
Isle of Sheppey
( 1 Articles )
-
Isle of Wight
( 3 Articles )
The Albany POA Learning Centre is in a prime location between three of the Islands jails. Located on the first floor of Albany House it offers a secure environment away from the usual hustle and bustle of prison life, with adequate parking for all.
-
Risley Learning Centre
( 1 Articles )
Details on Risley to follow shortly
-
Thorne Cross Learning Centre
( 1 Articles )
Details on Thorne Cross to follow shortly
-
The Stu Fisher POA Learning Centre
( 2 Articles )
The Learning Centre at HMP Norwich was first opened on the 14th march 2005. It is situated at the rear of the staff mess, has full disabled access and is outside of the two secure complexes at Norwich, so is open for all staff and family members.
The Centre Manager is Patrick Setters a serving prison officer who is seconded to the POA for three days a week and has been granted permission from his Prison Governor to work in the centre for the two days he is in the employ of the Prison Service. This is an important point to make as it shows the commitment that HMP Norwich is making to the setting up and continued success of the overall project. Patrick is assisted by Dave Barber who is employed as Learner Support. Dave is not a Prison Officer but has had many years experience teaching Adults
The centre can provide support and tutoring for essential skills in Numeracy, Literacy and I.T. all up to Level 2.
At present the prospectus of courses available through the centre are as follows.
Foundation Level One in Exercise Studies.
Assessment and tutoring in Numeracy and Literacy.
National Qualification in Numeracy and Literacy.
Entry Level CLAiT
CLAiT Level One
CLAiT Plus
Full range of Learn Direct courses.
A range of language courses should soon be available which will include British Sign Language.
The opening times are currently:
Monday and Wednesday: 08:00 to 20:00
Tuesday and Thursday: 08:00 to 16:00
Friday: 08:00 to 15:00
|
