Developing Independence Curriculum Update

Each term the college works towards a curriculum map that covers themes that celebrate equality and diversity. This term, learners covered topics such as anti-bullying week, climate change, Black History Month, and Trans Awareness Week.

Duke of Edinburgh learners at Rotherham demonstrating their support of Trans Awareness Week.

Here we have Jessica, who is presenting her thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement.

Khan showing his work around climate change.

We have also recently purchased an exciting new product called Votes for Colleges, which provides tutors with a session each week to deliver about a current affairs topic for learners to vote on. Learners get the chance to see how their results compare against schools and colleges across the country; here are one group’s results below.

The topic of the week was: Has the pandemic made us more aware of disabilities?

This month we welcomed Lily to our teaching team, who will be delivering Personal and Social Development sessions at Littlemoor. Over the past half term, learners have been developing their emotional wellbeing skills in PSD, focusing on gratitude and building resilience skills.

Employability learners have taken part in a gaming competition during Functional Skills with Ross; the embedding of Functional Skills subjects is invaluable in allowing the learners to develop their skills whilst also learning about the history of gaming. Learners have been given different roles within the session, from competition leads to peer evaluations whilst the games take place.

We will be trialling the use of the Meta Oculus in some Art & Enterprise sessions and Functional Skills in the New Year; this will allow learners access to a  Virtual Reality world which will hopefully inspire another level of learning opportunities and enhance communication across sites.

Thank you to all staff who have worked together to discuss qualifications and levels for all learners across both pathways; this year will see 154 enrolments across Functional Skills English, Maths and ICT, Employability, Hospitality & Catering and Skills for Working Life. There will be training opportunities on the two CPD days in January for all staff involved with delivering and assessing these qualifications.

And of course, both Developing Independence and Employability learners at Nottingham House took part in Christmas Jumper day.

A variety of learner workshops have taken place over the past half-term including First Aid, driving information sessions, relationships, and a workshop about feminine hygiene.

The images below are from our First Aid Workshop

The images below are from our Driving Information Session

We have just launched the December edition of our Share the Journey Magazine, where we recognise and celebrate the hard work and many positive achievements of our Interns, whilst on their internship placements.

You can check out the new magazine by clicking on the link below;

https://www.wayfinderspecialistemployment.co.uk/share-the-journey-magazine

Wayfinder is now on Twitter and Instagram, as well as Facebook and LinkedIn.

We are now also posting our good news stories across all of the main social media platforms.

Please consider following us, giving us a like and a share, to help us spread the word of the many successes our interns are achieving.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WayFinderSpecialistEmployment
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayfinder-specialist-employment
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wayfinder_ses/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WayFinder_ses

Our Interns

A huge congratulations to Miriam and Lucy who in December both gained paid employment with Greene King, after successfully completing their Supported Internships. Both worked extremely hard, made a good impression and settled in well within their staff teams. Well done to both!

Congratulations also to Abeer, Anna and Tom who during this half term are working independently of job coach support and have also completed travel training

We now have 23 Interns undertaking their supported internships with employers, with a further 6 due to start in January!

Our new partnership with Rotherham NHS Trust is underway, with two of the five interns identified starting their placements over the last couple of weeks. Congratulations to Lewis and Lys who began in November and December, they will be joined by Ryan, Oliver and Kyle when we return in January.

This is a really exciting partnership, as the trust is committed to offering paid employment opportunities at the end of successful placements.

Congratulations to Abeer, Anna and Tom who during this half term have become independent of job coach support and are now also travel trained.

How can we help?

Please remember you can access the team and the Wayfinder premises for all things employability related such as CV’s, job applications, interview

You will have no doubt noticed that several managers and staff have started to add their gender pronouns to their email signatures and/or name badges. The reason staff are doing this is that by displaying pronouns it tells everyone that we are not going to assume a person’s gender. It is an important move towards real inclusivity within college, as it creates a healthier, safe space so everyone can bring their ‘whole self’ to work and be respected for it.

As a college we would like to encourage all staff to display their gender pronouns if they feel comfortable in doing so. If you would like to have your gender pronouns displayed on your name badge, please speak to Dean Turner-Moss.