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.