News Story
Jan 2022 / News
ACT staff were shown new ways to successfully instruct those with additional learning needs, when they took part in specialist training sessions.
Colleagues completed modules in Training in Systematic Instruction (TSI), Disability Awareness Training and Conflict Management, funded as part of the Welsh Government’s Traineeship Additional Learning Needs pilot. This was a mixture of practical face-to-face exercises and remote classes, for our Traineeship staff.
Training in Systematic Instruction (TSI) is a structured approach to guiding disabled people in vocational and independent-living skills. At ACT’s Head Office in Cardiff, colleagues were taught how to guide a learner through assembling a complex bike brake, without giving explicit verbal cues.
Training manager Chris English, of ELITE Training Solutions, who led the sessions, said: “It was great to see the staff from ACT totally embrace the training. With a mixture of training over Microsoft Teams and face-to-face, it was important that the attendees participated, and I was very happy with their enthusiasm throughout.”
I have no doubt the training will equip the staff to provide effective training and assistance to all of their learners, particularly disabled learners.
The TSI technique has an emphasis on empowering the individual to make decisions, enabling them to learn complex tasks, resulting in independence. The training model is aimed at job coaches, care workers and any staff teaching independence skills.
The Disability Awareness Training section of the course includes appropriate terminology, support strategies and aids for learning difficulties, learning disabilities and Autism. It further has an overview of neurodiversity, physical disabilities and mental health. The Conflict Management training session is designed to demonstrate how conflict can arise and how to effectively de-escalate any troublesome situation using communication methods.
The Welsh Government’s Traineeship Additional Learning Needs pilot aims to review whether the supported-employment model could help secure positive outcomes, for learners with more complex additional learning needs. ACT is using this training to pilot some new approaches for teaching work-related tasks and skills.
