Young people with learning disabilities are now able to access educational training and skills in the beautiful setting of Jarrow Hall Anglo-Saxon Farm, Village and Bede Museum in South Tyneside.
The Route2Work programme is delivered by community focused social enterprise Groundwork STAN (South Tyneside and Newcastle) and is designed for young people aged 16 to 25 with learning disabilities to gain vocational qualifications and functional skills to help them in the work place.
Hayley Daglish, a support worker at Route2Work, said: “We have individuals with Learning and Language Disability (LLD) from across the disability spectrum including ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), autism, Aspergers and others.
“It’s important that we make our students feel they are in a safe environment and over time boost their self-esteem at the same time as developing them with manageable targets and goals to build confidence and act, where possible, as a spring board into further education or employment.
“Jarrow Hall has had a particularly powerful effect with our learners able to get to know all the staff working on the farm, the visitors’ shops and the museum.
“Familiarity helps to build confidence and create an environment where they can develop all the skills they will need to move into a work place setting on their own.
“Variety is the key and we are always looking for placements in as many different work settings as possible. We have our learners working in placements for three days a week and a day or two in the classroom we can bring them on and equip them with life skills and functional skills and improve their self-reliance.
“Our students are encouraged to use their experience to progress into more challenging settings such as South Tyneside College to continue their education or the work place. During the course work placements for learners has included local employers such as South Tyneside small business’s Westoe Removals, Westoe Garages and major employers such as Nissan and retailer New Look.”
Learners can also benefit from the range of different facilities managed or owned by Groundwork STAN that include Jarrow Hall and its 15 acre site, the Eco-Centre in Hebburn, an award winning facility that uses pioneering green technology, the Marsden Road Community Centre which includes a gym, café and shop, West Bolden Lodge with its outdoor education activities centre together with access to many other groups and communities in the Groundwork network.
Previously based at the Eco-Centre in Hebburn, Route2Work has been relocated to the top floor at the grade 2 Georgian listed building Jarrow Hall. Learners have the whole top floor equipped with a sensory room, a chill out room, an IT suite with laptops and Kindles, teaching rooms, with support workers offering one to one support when required.
Liz McHugh, quality and compliance leader for Groundwork STAN, said: “We’re aiming to highlight to local employers that young people with special needs can make a valuable contribution and be effective in the work place. We are also reaching out to potential learners from across the North East who could benefit from our courses. From a potential learners view point all that is required is an educational healthcare plan and they can self-refer or be referred from Connexions, schools, local authorities and South Tyneside College.
“Through Route2Work we deliver the personal social development and functional skills including compulsory maths and English and include vocational areas such as: equality and diversity, sports and leisure, horticulture and enterprise. We are always looking to broaden the vocational models in line with demand and opportunity from employers and learners alike and since our move to Jarrow Hall the course, which has been running for three years, has been refreshed.
“It’s been wonderful to see them grow and their self-esteem develop. One of our learners on graduation evening got up and spoke in front of the parents and guardians, someone who before had been hardly able to talk or interact – it was brilliant.”
Current learners at Route2Work include Ben Hardingham, 22, from South Shields and Ben Sisterson, 19, from West Bolden who both live with learning difficulties.
Ben Hardingham, who joined the programme in 2016 and has been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder), moderate learning difficulties and a speech impediment, said: “Working at Jarrow Hall has been great; we’ve been able to get outside and work with the animals as well as use the computers and chill out facilities inside. I really feel like working at Jarrow Hall and at Marsden Community Centre where I work in the shop has really helped with my confidence and given me new skills.”
Hayley said: “Ben often finds his academic classroom learning a challenge and can get very frustrated, resisting completion of work. However with encouragement and one to one support he does respond well. He is a visual learner and enjoys the tasks more, especially if linked with practical activities so providing tailored strategies, is very beneficial for him.”
Ben Sisterson has moderate learning difficulties and recently been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. He said: “I love working with the animals, especially Ruby and Gwen the curly haired pigs. The course has really helped me, I feel more comfortable in a work environment and proud to be given responsibility.”
Hayley said: “Ben’s learning can be a struggle, and he has difficulty retaining information. However progress has been made via repetition learning and one to one support. Ben finds Math and English challenging and needs extra thinking and writing time; support work and homework help. Ben has a passion for outside, practical work and loves spending time on Jarrow Hall Farm. He has a reputation for being very hard working.”
For more information about Route2Work please call Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle on 0191 4281144 or visit https://www.groundwork.org.uk/