2060 Educators providing Relationships courses delivered Online

it academy - neath port talbot college

Welcome to NPTC Group of Colleges. Our website contains everything you need to make an informed choice about your future training and education. NPTC Group of Colleges, formerly Neath Port Talbot College and Coleg Powys, is one of the largest Further Education providers in Wales covering 30 per cent of the country’s landmass. The College offers an exciting and varied programme of full- and part-time courses to more than 270,000 residents stretching from south to north Wales. Whether you are leaving school, interested in degree-level courses, want to study part-time to improve your job prospects, or simply learn for fun, we want you to know what it is that makes NPTC Group of Colleges such a great place to study. We believe that qualifications and training are key to many rewarding career paths and with one of the widest ranges of career-focused courses on offer. With our highly qualified teaching staff with a wealth of industry knowledge on hand, NPTC Group of Colleges will open the door to a successful and rewarding future. We can also offer you bespoke training options if you are an employer who is responsible for staff training. Our dedicated business team can meet all your staff development needs.

university of exeter

At the University of Exeter we combine teaching excellence and high levels of student satisfaction with world class research at our campuses in Exeter and Cornwall. We are a member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive universities. Our success is built on a strong partnership with our students and a clear focus on high performance.

queen's university belfast

invisible advantage ltd

It took us two years to find our company name! We realised that, when you work with us, you get a significant advantage. However, that advantage is ‘Invisible’. We believe that it is only the results of working with us that should be obvious, not the work itself. We all know people who’ve been to talks and training courses who emerge sounding like robots, or with a bunch of notes that just get thrown into a drawer. We never give scripts, or rules. We change people’s behaviour by inspiring them to think differently – so, ‘Invisible Advantage’! Our methodology is based on some simple, but extremely effective ideas: Entertainment and education go hand-in-hand. Every seminar, talk, workshop and training session should entertain at the same time as instruct. It’s the most fool-proof way of influencing people to take notice, to learn and to change their behaviour. The best teaching is easier to remember than to forget. We give people new experiences that will stay with them. Traditionally, delegates have been seen as passive receptacles for knowledge. We don’t believe this is effective – if you were only told how to ride a bike, you’d never learn, however once you’ve experienced riding a bike – you can never forget! On our courses, sessions and talks, attendees are active participants – engaging in learning ideas through enjoyable games, intriguing tasks and strategic exercises that make learning unforgettable and easy to apply. The best learning occurs when someone is presented with challenges, but in a supportive environment. We understand that taking on new ideas is an activity and does take effort, and this is difficult enough without added stress. Our content is carefully designed to become increasingly demanding while keeping the atmosphere fun, stimulating and ‘light’. Everything has to be related to the ‘real world’. Our way of working is designed to give people new skills and ways of thinking that are immediately useful. We keep theory to a minimum, and design our work around real-life role-play scenarios. Instead of talking about networking, we’ll re-create a networking event. Instead of discussing negotiation, we’ll get people negotiating. Instead of ‘presentation skills’ we’ll work with a real presentation. Working in this way means that people immediately see the relevance and are keen to try out their new skills. All the senses have to be engaged to create a rich learning experience. Learning really ‘sticks’ when someone enjoys it and is fully involved. Everyone learns in their own way, some people respond well to text, some to visuals, some to listening and reflecting, and some to getting up on their feet and trying things out on their own. We ensure that everything, from the invitations, through to the sessions and the follow-up, stimulates attendees in all these ways. Self-awareness is the key to change. If we want to develop, in any sphere, we have to know what we’re doing now – how we’re talking, how people react to us, how persuasive we are, how confident we appear, etc. Once we can see that clearly, we begin to see how to change. Woven throughout all of our work is the skill of developing self-awareness: physically, vocally and psychologically. Lee Warren Lee is co-founder of Invisible Advantage and delivers most of the public speaking engagements. He has spoken all over the globe at conferences, association events and internal meetings for many of the world’s largest organisations. He is the author of ‘How to Persuade Anyone To Do Anything (well, almost!)’ and ‘Grown-Ups Don’t Use PowerPoint’, two eBooks designed to help people who need to communicate more effectively in business. He’s currently working on a new book aimed at business presenters, due to be published in 2017. Lee has a strong background in sales, and is one of the U.K.’s most popular magicians – Prince William described him as ‘absolutely amazing’. He’s also a qualified Alexander Technique teacher and theatre writer. He’s written for The Almeida Theatre, The Royal Opera House and The Aldeburgh Festival. Lee is fluent in Spanish and good at playing the piano badly. Lee Warren “I’m passionate about the power of public speaking to create change. When I present, I try to bring the very best of the worlds of magic and business together to deliver something amazing that will also get results by speaking your language. I work hard to make sure that my sessions work for you. Starting with the outcome, I work backwards to design talks, seminars, keynotes & training sessions that are interactive, amazing and inspiring.” James Harwood James Harwood James was a co-founder of Invisible Advantage, and remains a Senior Associate. He advises on larger projects and strategy and delivers some of our training sessions and workshops. As well as a busy corporate trainer, James has been a professional West End actor and a teacher of The Alexander Technique. Matt Boardman Matt Boardman Matt is a presentation coach based in Madrid who also works on business development for Invisible Advantage. We’re convinced this makes us a global company! Matt is a graduate of Cambridge University, and was a leadership consultant at Deloitte. For five years he has delivered training in public speaking, building relationships and influencing techniques to charity volunteers in the UK, Kenya and Uganda. In his spare time he performs stand-up comedy. Our Associates We’re very lucky. Although we’re a small company, we’re connected to many of the leading experts in the fields of communication, PR, media, networking and sales. All of our associates are skilled at combining their subject knowledge with strong delivery and energy, which means that they can deliver the results you need through authentic, credible advice, delivered in a way which works. Our associates can work 1-2-1, with small groups or sometimes outside a learning environment – such as through Skype, teleconferencing and on-site presentation support.

cabe

The role of CABE’s Presidential Team and Board is to set out the strategic objectives and aims of the Association and to ensure their delivery. All representatives on the board are members of CABE are nominated to the position by Chartered Members. They represent a mixture of views from different specialities and areas across the industry making sure there is a variety of perspectives to help shape CABE’s unifying voice. CABE Patron Lord John Lytton BSc FCABE (Hon) IRRV FRICS In his role as patron of CABE, Lord Lytton acts as an influential figurehead, creating valuable partnerships with organisations across the globe through his extensive network of industry and Governmental contacts and assisting the Association in raising its profile and influence within the building and construction industry. Lord Lytton is a leading chartered surveyor and an active contributor to the House of Lords. He is chairman of the boundaries and party walls professional panel of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment as well as being newly appointed to the House of Lords Information Committee. He has been an Honorary Fellow of ABE since 1997, and CABE since its formation in 2014. Presidential Team Joseph Birt PCABE FCABE – President Joseph Birt worked for 22 years within Local Authority Building Control in various posts; the latter 12 years as Specialist Support Officer for a Cluster of Councils, which included responsibility for advising on fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations. He was, for ten years, a Director of the William Keown Charitable Trust, which champions equality in the built environment and celebrates the achievements of people with disabilities. He has been elected twice as Chairman of the Northern Ireland Fire Safety Panel. By Ministerial Appointment he served two terms on the Northern Ireland’s Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) where he contributed to the development of the current Northern Ireland Building Regulations. He has also served two terms on the Department of Communities, Historic Buildings Council. Joseph is a Chartered Building Engineer, who continues to be active within his local CABE Region; currently Treasurer and past Chairman of the CABE Northern Ireland Region’. He is now the Technical Director of FRSNI Ltd. Richard Smith VPCABE FCABE – Vice-President Richard Smith commenced his employment as a YTS Trainee in Building Control back in 1989 and has progressed his career to become the Head of Standards and Innovation and Research at NHBC where he oversees the delivery and implementation of NHBC's Technical Standards, Technical policy, Acceptance of innovative and non-traditional construction methods and leads the NHBC Foundation. Richard is also a member of The Building Regulations Advisory Committee and support a number of Sub Committees including new building broadband connectivity, Part M Working Group and Building Act 1984 working group. Richard Flynn CEng CEnv CWEM VPCABE FCABE – Vice-President Richard is an independent private practitioner trading as Flynn & Shaw, Chartered Building Engineers. As well as being a Chartered Building Engineer, he is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Water and Environment Manager, Registered Building Surveyor and Certified Site Assessor. Richard is a recognised expert in the area of onsite wastewater treatment and provides a complete site suitability assessment, treatment system design, and certification of installation for onsite wastewater treatment systems throughout Ireland. Richard has been Chair of the CABE Membership and Professional Standards Committee (MPSC) since its inception in 2019 as well as member of the Southern Ireland Region committee of CABE. Stewart C McArthur BSc (Hons) PPCABE FCABE RICS Dip BC – Past President Stewart has 30 years’ experience in the house building industry. He has a degree in Fire Risk Engineering from Glasgow Caledonian University. During his studies he also attended seminars at Maryland University and had the privilege of being tutored by some of the most widely respected experts in the fire engineering sector. Stewart began his career in building standards before moving into the warranty sector. He also has recent experience as a site manager. This broad experience has given him a greater understanding of the house building industry from all perspectives. He has been a member of CABE since 2001 and has played an active part in the regional committee for the past ten years. CABE Board Daniel Fordham FCABERussell Urwin FCABETony Harvey-Soanes FCABEPaul Grinyer FCABEDavid Courtney CEnv FCABE Lindsay Richards BSc MBA MCABE Chartered Building EngineerZoe Cox FCABEMishka Scott MCABE Chartered Building EngineerDavid Kitcatt FCABEIsacc Sunder Packianathan FCABE Executive Team Dr Gavin Dunn BSc (Hons) MSc PhD FCABE – Chief Executive Originally trained as an architect, Gavin initially practised in North America with a large construction engineering firm before returning to the UK to specialise in the energy and environmental performance of buildings in 1998. Gavin advanced this specialism through positions at the Welsh School of Architecture, and Elmhurst Energy, where he helped develop some of Europe’s leading building energy certification and labelling systems. In 2013 Gavin was appointed Director of Building Performance at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) where he was responsible for a portfolio of BRE's globally leading services including BREEAM and CEEQUAL the world’s foremost environmental assessment methods for the built environment. In 2018, Gavin was appointed as Chief Executive of CABE where he works to help enable a more professional construction sector that works to create better, safer and more sustainable buildings that enhance people’s lives. Gavin was a member of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) of the UK Government from 2015 to 2022 where he served as Chairman of the Future Homes Standard Working Group. Jackie Macaulay – Chief Operating Officer Jackie is responsible for all aspects of the organisations operations and internal processing. Her remit includes compliance, legal services, HR, OD & change management, IT, facilities, PR & communications, membership processing and deputising for the CEO in his absence. Her experience spans a range of manufacturing, construction and not-for-profit organisations with her first Director position as HR Director for Electrolux in 2004. Jackie has worked across the UK, Ireland and internationally across Europe and Asia managing diverse and multi-disciplined teams. She brings to CABE the senior expertise that will develop the organisation as it moves forward with its modernisation and development strategy. Richard Harral BA BArch FCABE RIBA – Technical Director Richard Harral is the Technical Director for CABE. He has previously worked as an architect in both public and private sector practice, and as a policy official in the Building Regulations Division of MHCLG between 2007 and 2014 where he oversaw introduction of policies on accessible housing, security standards, broadband and the national space standard for new homes. He was subsequently Head of Technical Policy in the period 2014-2017. He currently sits on the CIC Competence Steering Group, and chairs a number of competence working groups including on Designer and Architect Competence. He was Technical author for Flex 8670, the recently published British Standard on Competence for building safety in Built environment industries. Alison Duckles CBE – Professional Development Director Alison has worked in the Construction sector for over 24 years, predominantly with Laing O’Rourke. She previously held roles with the Chartered Institution of Waste Management and Eastern Group plc in the power sector. Predominantly focused on learning and development while driving competence, professional standards, and futures skills requirement; Alison worked extensively on the creation of new construction apprenticeships, engaging employers, providers, sector bodies and Government. In her role with CABE Alison is responsible for continuing to strengthen partnerships with academic institutions, provide members with quality training and CPD opportunities and Support the Association’s ambition to drive competency and professional responsibility in the construction sector. CABE Staff Membership Services Team – membership@cbuilde.com Our friendly, experienced membership team is always on hand to offer the best possible advice on becoming a member of CABE, advising you on the best route to membership and helping you to progress through our grades as your career develops. Amy Chatfield – Membership Services Manager Amy leads the Membership Team, which is responsible for all membership processing, professional interviews for CABE Chartered Membership and registrations for both the Engineering Council and Society for the Environment. With a strong background in customer service, Amy joined CABE in 2015. She has held a variety of positions, including roles in the Publications Team – working on the building engineer journal – and the Events & Marketing Team. After building extensive knowledge of the membership journey, she moved into the Membership Team in 2018; since then, she has worked continuously to improve processes, ensuring that the Association provides excellent customer service to all new and existing members. Alongside her role as Membership Services Manager, Amy is a trained Mental Health First Aider (MHFA), providing wellbeing support for her colleagues. Sabrina Miah Professional Review Co-ordinator Tara Talley Membership Services Co-ordinatorJoshua Law Membership Services Administrator Communications Team – info@cbuilde.com The Communications team deliver vital resources, news, and information to our membership, keeping them up-to-date with industry changes, standards, and opinions. This is done through direct contact with our membership, delivering our monthly journal, BuildingEngineer . Laura Richardson - Head of Communications Laura has been with CABE since 2018 when she joined as PR and Communication manager. She is responsible for implementing the communications strategy across the Association’s communication streams including PR, Marketing, and Digital Infrastructure functions. She joined CABE from Booker, where she gained experience in website marketing and design. Along with her previous experience working in publications and marketing roles in the construction industry she brings a lot of skills and strengths to the team. Maya Bullock Communications & Digital Designer Abigail Crook Communications Administrator Professional Development Team – training@cbuilde.com CABE provides a range of services to our members and the wider industry to assist in the expansion of knowledge in respect of the built environment. Our Professional Development Team facilitate this by ensuring opportunities such as our suite of regional conferences, annual conference & exhibition, training courses, local/regional CPD and our 12 UK & ROI regions run smoothly and offer the highest possible quality in their delivery. Kirri Porter-White - Competency & Learning Lead Kirri has been with the association since 2015, working initially within the Regional Services and Events team to provide support for the regional committees over CABE’s 12 regions in the UK and Ireland, as well as our international Chapters. Kirri is responsible for the development and deployment of CABE’s training and learning infrastructure, focusing on both technical competency and wellbeing within the construction industry. Kirri’s team also work with the Professional Development Director on academic accreditation and relationships with universities. Rosemary Brewill Regional Services Co-ordinatorShaneka Foster Professional Development Administrator Operations Team – info@cbuilde.com The Operations Team are involved in the day-to-day activities of the Association, to ensure the smooth running of all CABE’s activities, including Finance, IT, Legal and Facilities. Carl Pearson - Head of Legal and Governance Services Carl has worked both private practice and in-house roles, within the sectors of welfare law, housing law, debt law, consumer law, compliance law, and commercial law. Joining CABE in 2018 from Dixons Carphone, Carl is responsible for providing the Association with internal legal advice on its business practices, activities and contractual relationships, development and review of various internal policies and procedures and day-to-day management of disciplinary and complaints investigations. Jacky Lonsdale - Head of Finance Jacky joined CABE in November 2021 and brings a wealth of experience having worked for a number of both large corporate companies and smaller businesses including JVC, Total Oil Marine, Bosch Security Systems and Vinci Construction. Before joining CABE she worked for the Auto-Cycle Union, a motorcycle membership organisation. As Head of Finance Jacky is responsible for the delivery of financial information to the management team. Finance encompasses all areas of accounting processes, monthly management accounts, forecasts, annual budgets and financial statements. It also covers all aspects of audit liaison and statutory return requirements. Jacky’s mission is to ensure financial reporting is accurate, concise and on time. Helena Wootton Reception and Office ManagerAlison Lodge Executive AssistantCharlotte Taylor Finance Assistant Hong Kong Office – info@cbuilde.com Vivian Sie BA (Hons) MA MSc - General Manager Vivian is the General Manager of CABE Hong Kong Chapter responsible for daily operation, enhancing communication with members and working partners, upholding the reputation of one of the international recognised associations in Hong Kong and beyond.Before joining CABE, Vivian had experience in the areas of corporate governance and public sector management where she was instrumental in providing efficient secretarial support to a local leading professional institute and a regulatory body. Her remit included membership processing and benefits, media relations, disciplinary proceedings, set-up of Biennale Foundation and Beijing Representative Office, key event planning and execution. After graduating with BA honours in translation, Vivian obtained a distinction in the Master of Arts in International Communication from the Macquarie University, Australia. She has a Master of Science in Public Sector Management. Mable Hung Administrator

international university of japan

International University of Japan (IUJ) was founded in 1982, with the extensive support of Japan’s industrial, educational and local communities, to train professionals who can actively make contributions to the international society with a high level of interdisciplinary and specialized knowledge. As the nature of IUJ is very different from other Japanese graduate schools that mainly nurture scholars for academia, before stipulating its founding principles, IUJ was extensively discussed at the IUJ Advisory Committee, comprising eminent persons from industry and educational society, and at the Drafting Committee. The following is the Founding Principles of IUJ that have been made effective with the approval of the Board of Trustees Meeting. Aims of the school The International University of Japan is a private post graduate institution founded with the extensive support of Japan’s industrial, financial and educational circles and of administrative in the area where it was established. Its administrative policy, based on a spirit of progressive internationalism, is open and autonomous. The graduate school of the International University of Japan is a new professional school whose primary purpose is to educate capable young men and women and develop in them a high level of interdisciplinary and specialized knowledge which they can put to practical use in the international arena. Characteristics of the school Reflecting the above aims, teaching and research in the graduate School are, as a matter of Principle, interdisciplinary and are characterized by the comprehensive integration of area studies with the study of international relations and international management. In order to develop in its students a high level of specialized knowledge, the graduate school aims to foster originality in both teaching methods and in the organization of its curriculum and also to respond to social needs through extensive research activities. Instruction in the graduate School will as a general rule be conducted in English with a view to educating talented men and women whose skills will be applicable throughout international society. One of the fundamental aims of the founding of the graduate School is to encourage the enrollment of college graduates who have had previous business experience. The School opens its doors widely and welcomes persons with a wide variety of back grounds and specialties, both from Japan and abroad, in the hope that their practical knowledge will be further broadened and reinforced through friendship and interaction with other students. To effectively implement the above stated aims, students will as a rule reside in dormitories so that by living together young people of different nationalities and with different backgrounds can be stimulated by each other’s world views and awareness of critical issues and learn to work together. It is hoped that the graduates of the university will promote a high level of mutual understanding and international friendship on the basic of the personal relationships and trust developed during their student days. The Graduate School has searched widely for distinguished scholars from Japan and abroad, who are experts in their fields, to create a truly international faculty, which will have a strong formative influence on the students by maintaining close contact with them not only in the classroom but outside of it in the opportunities offered for interaction with the local community so that the students’ learning experiences can be both varied and meaningful. IUJ Mission and Objectives The objectives of IUJ are to: Teach and conduct research in academic theory and applications necessary for practical solutions of issues facing international society and international businesses, and Foster global leaders who have a high level of professional knowledge and skills with deep understanding of and respect for different cultures, thereby contributing to the development of international society. Mission and Objectives of Graduate Schools GSIR’s Mission GSIR is dedicated to developing professionals by educating students towards acquiring a long-term vision of the rapidly changing world, appreciating diverse perspectives in global and local contexts, and enhancing their analytical skills and problem-solving capabilities in a wide range of contemporary international affairs. GSIR also encourages academic research conducive to the development of its faculty’s teaching and supervision as well as student’s capability in the fields of international relations, international development and international peace studies, utilizing the experiences of Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. All programs are conducted in English. GSIM’s Mission The Graduate School of International Management (GSIM) is dedicated to developing “wise” (i.e., socially responsible) individuals for global business and social leadership, with an emphasis on serving the emerging countries. The two key components of GSIM mission are nurturing Social Responsibility (SR) and Global Business (GB), which the school aims to achieve and operationalize through its innovative policies, recruitment strategies, placement efforts, teaching, research, and service strategies. SR in GSIM mission derives from its belief that GSIM and its graduates should not only be compelled by financial benefits but also by their sense of duty to social causes. At GSIM, we mainly focus on the following aims in SR: To enhance the social responsibility policies of GSIM stakeholders, including Japanese corporations, Japanese government organizations, and local community To educate students to be socially responsible leaders, stressing the need of students from emerging countries in Asia and Africa. GB focuses on the needs surrounding all the constituencies that GSIM serves. For students and faculty, it is vital to keep abreast of the ever-changing dynamics of global business, supported by solid theoretical and practical bases, in order to advance their own careers and professionalism. For other stakeholders, which include Japanese corporations and government organizations, it is vital that GSIM nurtures students who can blend their business objectives with a sense of social leadership because such organizations expect this balanced outcome. At GSIM, we mainly focus on the following aims in GB: To instill global mindedness in students, including those from emerging countries in Asia and Africa. To help students understand the business and cultures of other countries and serve their home countries by contributing to their development, following graduation To help Japanese corporations, Japanese government organizations, local SMEs, and other stakeholders (e.g. foreign entities operating in Japan) to become globalized with a sense of social responsibility GSIM’s Vision To be the premier business school with a world-wide reputation that develops future leaders with social awareness who understand both Japan and emerging countries in Asia and Africa. GSIM’s Values Derived from the GSIM mission statement, the following are its notable values. INCLUSIVENESS (AND MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS) Our students are educated to be capable of being sensitive and skillful in reaching common objectives with people from various cultural backgrounds. GLOBAL MINDEDNESS Our students are trained in such a way that they can cope with any competitive environment on the global business stage. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Our students are educated (1) to influence the activities of other individuals or the group to which he/she belongs to and (2) take wise and socially responsible decisions. ETHICAL INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM Our students are inculcated to be aware that in businesses moral and ethical conduct is essential. The students master business fundamentals necessary to become truly competent professionals.

as mentoring

Aeryn Priyanu , Employment Consultant Aeryn has always had an interest in language and communication. Starting her early career in teaching English as a foreign language, she went on to shadow a Speech and Language Therapist and this started her interest in working with people on the autism spectrum. She worked in primary schools as a Learning Support Assistant then moved on to work for the National Autistic Society in a day centre. Aeryn started off as a Support Worker, moving up to become Deputy Manager of the day service. She supported individuals in their daily life and helped them gain work experience and vocational skills. As well as working as a consultant with AS Mentoring, Aeryn works in a college for young people with autism, facilitating individuals with functional and social aspects of life, supporting students to meet their targets and maintain long life independent living skills. Photo of Alan Alan Castellaro, Employment Consultant Alan's interest in Autism began when he attended St Andrew's primary school in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, one of the first schools in the country to teach Autistic children one to one. In 2009 he volunteered on a project for Kith and Kids supporting a young man with Autism and they have remained in regular contact ever since. He then worked for 4 years with Dimensions as an Assistant Service Manager of a residential home for adults with severe physical disabilities and Autism. For the last 4 years he has worked for Ambitious About Autism starting off as a Learning Behaviour Specialist and moving up to become a Learning Support Co-ordinator, and was instrumental in helping set up Ambitious College, London's first College for young adults with Autism. He has a BA Hons in Writing and Publishing and has a rich and varied employment history to draw upon. Photo of Alice Alice Mitra-Hall, Employment Consultant Alice previously worked for The National Autistic Society where she ran a Day Centre and facilitated a weekly social group. During this time Alice supported adults on the spectrum to develop their independent living and social skills, as well as supporting service users to apply for and attend college and work schemes, CV writing and interview practice. Alice has a BA Hons degree in Psychology and has also worked in a number of schools supporting teenagers with autism and has provided specialist individualised support for a family for over 10 years. Photo of Amira Amira Hassan, Employment Consultant Amira has been a mentor at AS Mentoring for 4 years. Amira has a variety of clients for both workplace and job-seeking support. After completing her PhD in Neuroscience from Imperial College London, Amira decided to be involved with AS Mentoring full time and is currently managing the Workshops Programme, overseeing the development and online delivery of workshops and group events throughout the year. Amira is warm and friendly, providing individual, autism-specific support and advice. Photo of Anna Anna Roads, Employment Consultant Anna spent 24 years in the investment management sector, working in sales, marketing, product development and client relationships for a number of blue chip firms including Lazards, Fidelity and Goldman Sachs. She developed successful business relationships with large corporates, consultancies and public sector organisations. In her leadership roles, she also enjoyed coaching and developing careers for younger team members. These are skills and contacts she brings to ASM clients. Over the past 6 years she has developed a number of voluntary roles; relaunched the local NAS branch as Chair (2011-2015), served on a local parents special needs forum (2012-2014), been elected a parent governor at a special needs school and worked as a volunteer mentor on a Research Autism Project. Her focus has been on education and now employment, both as a parent of a young person with ASC and through the influence of autistic colleagues she has served with before. Before joining the City, she gained a law degree from Cambridge University, an MBA from Cranfield Business School and qualified as a solicitor. Photo of Charlotte Charlotte Leighton, Employment Consultant Charlotte specialises in providing workplace support for individuals as well as working with organisations to provide autism specific support and advice. This experience has been honed through her work at ASM and her previous role as an Employment Support worker and trainer at The National Autistic Society. Charlotte has subsequently worked for HAIL in Haringey for two years managing social enterprises staffed entirely of employees with autism and learning disabilities. She has also worked as an Appropriate Adult supporting vulnerable individuals whilst in police custody. For the past ten years Charlotte has confidently designed and delivered social skills groups and workshops for adults with autism. As well as working for ASM she is also employed part-time for Resources for Autism in Barnet managing their adult services. Charlotte is able to support individuals emotionally as well practically as she holds certificates in Person Centered counselling and a diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. David Perkins, Director David was Head of Services at Prospects, the National Autistic Society's specialist employment service, from 2007 – 2013; he left in June 2013 to set up AS Mentoring. He has extensive experience of supporting people with an ASC into employment across the UK and abroad, and of providing a wide range of training, assessment and consultancy services to employers and other organisations in the UK, Europe and the US. He has worked continuously with people with autism since the early 1980s. David has spent the bulk of his working life in the voluntary sector and prior to the NAS spent many years running a group of specialist adventure playgrounds in London for over 1200 disabled children, (some 30% of whom were autistic). He has a BSc (Hons) in Operational Research from Lancaster University. Photo of Emma Emma Hills, Employment Consultant Emma has been teaching psychology and health related subjects to adults since 2009 with the majority of her work focusing on providing social purpose education in the community to hard-to-reach groups, including those with disabilities. Much of her work focuses on supporting learners through transition and has led her to develop herself as a coach as well as an educator. More recently she has found herself key-working with learners with disabilities in a transition college as well as training and supervising the staff who support them. Emma mentors and tutors a diverse range of learners including learners on the autism spectrum in her continuing work in the community. Emma works part-time as an Employment Consultant with ASM and finds her knowledge and experience gained from facilitating community courses such as 'confidence building', 'communication skills' or 'interviewing skills' compliments the role well. She has a BSc Hons Psychology, PG-dip Social research, PGCE in post-compulsory education and is a registered health and social care trainer as well as a full member of the Association for Coaching. Emma is also currently studying for an MA in Education: Culture and Identity, at Goldsmith university. Photo of Eve Eve Riches, Employment Consultant Eve Riches is an employment consultant for AS Mentoring, where she provides one to one support and workshop creation and delivery. Eve has a background in teaching Psychology and has been involved in mentoring for her whole career. She has a lifetime of lived experience of neurodiversity. Outside of ASM, Eve works as a life coach and mentor. Photo of Gurleen Gené Wyrley-Birch, Employment Consultant Gené is committed to raising awareness and understanding of ASC to improve social inclusion, acceptance and understanding; to making a real difference to the lives of people on the autism spectrum and in broader society. Over the past 12 years, while caring for and advocating for her son, Gené has developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of autism as well as related challenges including ADHD, PDA, Social Communication Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. She has a creative, positive and flexible approach and is determined to combined her personal and professional experiences to help clients into work and successfully retain their jobs. Throughout her previous roles in both Investment Banking at JP Morgan and UBS Warburg and Commercial Conferencing, Gené had an active role in recruiting, training and mentoring new team members. Gené has worked across many sectors, including Finance, Pharmaceuticals, Defence, Utilities, Aviation and Telecommunication. Gené Holds a BA degree in Industrial & Organisational Sociology and Industrial & Organisational Psychology from the University of Cape Town. Photo of Gurleen Georgia Thursting, Employment Consultant Georgia has worked with autistic adults and children in a variety of settings including education, play and social settings for the past year. As a support worker with Resources for Autism, she continues to support her clients in achieving their personal and work goals and loves to get creative with her approach. Georgia also works for Share Community in Battersea as a music tutor/ therapist, building the confidence of adults through music and artistic expression. She also enjoys planning and delivering online workshops for adults with Autism, focusing on well-being, physical health and emotional expression through music making. Outside of her work in Autism, is a trained musician, singer/ guitarist and enjoys performing at events across the UK. Photo of Gurleen Gurleen Manku, Regional Employment Consultant Gurleen has 18 years' experience of autism. She has a sibling on the spectrum, and has previously worked in primary education for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and has been a SEN Secondary School Govenor. In 2015 Gurleen volunteered at Autism West Midlands to support adults with autism to find employment. She then worked for Enable, Shropshire Council as a Job Coach in various workplaces supporting adults with autism and learning disabilities. Gurleen is highly experienced in delivering Pre-employment support, mentoring and Workplace support at AS Mentoring across the West Midlands since 2015. Gurleen holds a BSc in Business Psychology and is a member of the British Psychological Society, within the Division of Occupational Psychology. She has also completed her Masters in Occupational Psychology. Photo of Gurleen Mahlia Amatina, Employment Consultant Diagnosed with autism as an adult, Mahlia has first-hand experience of the challenges that can arise from a range of workplace settings, but more importantly; how to overcome these. Outside of AS Mentoring, Mahlia works as a visual artist, where she raises awareness and understanding of neurodiversity through different art forms. With a special interest in autism and work, Mahlia is keen to combine lived workplace experience with her mentoring skills as an employment consultant to support clients. Photo of Helen Mark Blake, Employment Consultant Mark has a broad range of experience across social care with several client groups and in varied settings. Following an arts degree he spent a couple of years on voluntary projects with disabled adults living independently, and with homeless men in an emergency night shelter in central London with subsequent paid roles including community support work with disabled adults moving back into the community following long periods in residential hospitals. Mark has also spent time as a residential care worker in adolescent residential units. The last 30 years has seen a focus on Adults and Children with Disabilities in a both a Day Service and Residential Home setting. As a Manager of services in these fields Mark has increasingly focused his support to children and adults on the autistic spectrum and has become keenly aware of the challenges faced by them and their families in achieving independence and realizing their potential. It is this interest that has led to an involvement in a mentoring role with AS mentoring and employment. Photo of Helen Mike Leat, Employment Consultant Mike comes from a background in advocacy, design and communication. Through his own business he previously ran an Easy Read design service which employed people with a learning disability and autism. In 2015 he co-produced a DVD on Autism and Mental Health for the Autism Partnership Board in Surrey. Mike previously worked for The National Autistic Society Assist service providing one to one support/mentoring sessions, and facilitating social and support groups for autistic adults. After completing an undergraduate module in autism with The Open University, Mike went on to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Autism and Asperger syndrome. Mike also works with a project called ‘Autism by Experience’ which is a team of mostly autistic adults providing Understanding Autism training to staff in a variety of roles including health and social care. Photo of Laura Lauren Moore, Employment Consultant Lauren has a number of years experience of supporting people with autism as well as additional needs. Her main influence for working with people on the spectrum is her younger sibling who was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Over the past decade she has worked in a school specifically of young people with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, starting as a Teaching Assistant and then working as the Intervention Co-ordinator for the secondary department. Lauren also worked in a specialist autism college as a Learning and Behaviour Specialist, moving up to become a Learning Support Co-ordinator. She studied History at undergraduate level and has more recently graduated with a Masters in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in July 2018. Photo of Rachel Rachel Pearson, Senior Regional Employment Consultant Following a successful 13-year career in the City Rachel moved into HR and Business Consultancy specialising in organisation restructuring projects involving (often large scale) job review, recruitment and redundancy programmes. She has extensive experience of working with SME employers and large organisations in the public and private sectors around all aspects of the employment relationship. Rachel previously volunteered with the National Autistic Society's Prospects Team and she now works as an employment consultant specialising in supporting people with an ASC to find and retain work. She also works with the NAS's Employment Training and Adult Services Teams supporting students and employees, and providing advice and guidance to employers. With a close family member on the autistic spectrum, Rachel also volunteers with her local NAS branch in Surrey. She holds an MSc in Human Resource Management and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. Photo of Siobhan Siobhan Pauley, Employment Consultant Siobhan has first-hand experience of supporting someone with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD as her son has moved through various life transitions, experiencing the hurdles faced by people on the autistic spectrum. She spent 30 years working within Human Resources of a large financial institution attaining her MCIPD status, where she became the company’s Reasonable Adjustment Officer. It was her responsibility to ensure that employees with disabilities were able to receive the right workplace accommodations to enable them to access various roles in the company. This has given her considerable insight to enable her to support our clients. Following a career move, Siobhan is setting up AS Mentoring services in and around Poole, Dorset- as well as working part time to support an individual with profound learning difficulties within an independent living service.

patchway dragon tang soo do

Dragon Tang Soo Do is an Association of friendly family martial arts clubs based predominantly in the South West of England. Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial art which teaches self-defence, fighting skills and weapons, in addition, its many benefits also act as a guide to allow people to live a healthy and harmonious life. Incorporated within the Association is a Japanese based style of martial arts called Wado Ryu. These clubs which are based in Bournemouth joined the Association in 2004 and share our ethos, values and aims. Together we are a strong, united and friendly group of like minded martial artists keen to improve our knowledge and pass on our skills and experience to others. Our clubs cater for people with a wide range of abilities and ages (5 years and above), so whether you want to train to improve your fitness and health, or are keen to learn how to defend yourself, or simply want to find a hobby to relieve stress and make new friends, then we maybe for you! We live in challenging times and nowadays, increasing numbers of people are learning to protect themselves and their families, our martial arts are a very effective tried and tested method of self-defence. However there are many other reasons why men, women and children train with us, our martial art also provides skills such as self-confidence, self-discipline, physical fitness, flexibility, co-ordination and respect, skills that help us all to cope better with the pressures of everyday life. The real benefits of Dragon Tang Soo Do are not the coloured belts you earn, but the positive changes that you will experience, the enhancement of your mind, body and spirit as well as the development of individual character and respect for others. The true goal of Dragon Tang Soo Do is to use the lessons you learn in class to enrich every part of your life. Our Vision The vision of Dragon Tang Soo Do is one where people can practice the Martial Arts in a safe and controlled environment. Dragon Tang Soo Do will strive to retain the important traditional aspects of our style, whilst being adaptable and open to new techniques and ideas. Our Instructors and senior grades will endeavour to provide instruction and guidance in a way that does not prejudice any student and will enhance the development of all, both in and out of the Dojang and Dojo (Training Halls). It is important that people enjoy the learning experience provided by Dragon Tang Soo Do. Goals To develop an individual’s mental and physical health. To build confidence in all who train with us. To have a reputation as an organisation of quality martial artists. To provide scheduled events to support the development of all. To set and maintain high standards. To build healthy relationships with other martial art organisations, in the interest of sharing best practices and continually developing the level of knowledge of the instructors and senior members. To maintain a balance between organisational cost effectiveness and the cost to the practitioner. To provide a challenging, fun environment that keeps the safety of all in mind. Diversity Every single person counts and everyone has a justifiable expectation to be treated with dignity and respect. That’s why through our ‘vision and goals’ the Directors, Masters and Instructors of Dragon Tang Soo Do are committed to ensuring that our Association respects and celebrates diversity and that all members are helped and encouraged to reach their full potential. Central to this we accept that we are all different and believe that everyone should be treated in an honest, fair and transparent manner in which their individuality should be celebrated and not used as a possible means of discrimination or barrier to achievement. If you feel there is anything more we can do to improve the way we treat our students then please speak to an Instructor, Master, Director or Master Thomas our Diversity Lead. History of Tang Soo Do The very first evidence of this ancient form of Korean martial arts appeared during the Three Kingdom era (57 BC-935 AD) as Hwa Rang Do. Since then, 2,000 years have passed. The indigenous martial arts quietly developed through generations of the Korean people. During some eras it flourished and other times it diminished, according to the political, economic or cultural environment. The art was known by various names throughout the eras, such as Hwa-Rang Do, Kyuck Too Ki, Moo Sul, Soo Bahk Ki, Soo Byuck Ki, and others. Following 1945 Korean independence, the Korean martial arts were again merged and flourished throughout the entire Korean Peninsula. Many organisations were founded with various names such as Soo Bahk Do, Tang Soo Do, Tae Soo Do, etc… At the beginning of the modern era of the Korean martial arts, Tang Soo Do was the most popular term for these arts. However, at that time, the Korean political leader was concerned about establishing Korean value based on Korean nationalism. The political leaders recognized the popularity of Korean martial arts around the world, but were opposed to the use of the name Tang Soo Do for the art, as it sounded like a Chinese martial art, because the first word “Tang” could be interpreted as representing the Chinese Tang Dynasty (617-907 AD). In 1964, a government sponsored small group created a new name for the Korean martial arts: Tae Kwon Do. We still respect the original term, Tang Soo Do, and intend to preserve its heritage and value as a traditional way or path. Unfortunately, many Tae Kwon Do instructors did not maintain the traditional values of the true martial arts. Instead, they converted to a sport as they have progressed to the internationally recognized sports arenas such as the Olympic games. This was considered to be a great political achievement, to bring strength and prominence to the Korean government in International politics. True Martial Arts lovers had no place within these Tae Kwon Do dojangs (Training Halls) to continue to pursue traditional martial arts because they abandoned many valuable aspects of true Martial Arts to become a simple competitive sport. We, as Tang Soo Do practitioners are striving to maintain traditional values of respect, dicipline, self control, self improvement, etiquette and ultimately live a healthy and harmonious life, physically and mentally. History of Wado Ryu It would be very difficult to trace the original roots of karate back to their inception, however it is believed that the Okinawan Islands off the Japanese coast were the birth place of the art practiced across the world today. Despite the strong links to Japan, the original name was “Chinese hand" or "Tang hand" which during the early part of the 1900s, the Japanese changed to Kara-te “open” or “empty hand” Wado Ryu is one of the four most popular karate styles practiced today, in comparison with others, it is relatively modern with the founder Hironori Ohtsuka, who had studied other forms of martial arts previously, introducing Wado Ryu in Tokyo around the mid 1930s. It wasn’t until 1965 that it was introduced to the United Kingdom by Tatsuo Suzuki. Our Clubs in Bournemouth have been operating since 1992 and we work hard to maintain the traditions and techniques as outlined by the Founder.

standout programmes

Penny started her career as a corporate lawyer at City firm Freshfields. On a career break she became involved as a volunteer in her local prison which led her to train as a tutor with Prison Fellowship and lead the restorative justice based Sycamore Tree programme in HMP Wandsworth for 12 years. She was involved in rolling out Sycamore Tree in HMP Bronzefield and HMP Pentonville and also has experience of tutoring the course with people in prison long term. Penny was a Trustee of Prison Fellowship for several years and acted as Interim CEO in 2015. Penny has also volunteered with the Prison Reform Trust, supporting work around mental health and criminal justice issues. She has a Masters degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from King’s College London and believes in second chances and releasing potential. Andy Bater, Head of Operations Andy joined the StandOut team in October 2022 from a community organisation based in Holborn. With a background in project and operations management working with various large corporate organisations, he brings his breadth of experience and knowledge to StandOut. Despite his career achievements, Andy would much rather talk about his time being a mature student in Canada, starting a wellbeing and employment social enterprise and especially about rugby, boxing and the Andrew Kaufman book 'All My Friends are Superheroes’. Rich McStraw, Fundraising Manager Rich joined us in April 2022 from Clinks, the infrastructure organisation for the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. He spent the last three years as Clinks’ Fundraising Officer, and prior to this worked as a freelance fundraiser and sales manager for renewable heating systems. He has previous experience of fundraising regulation and compliance, sales and marketing, and developing training programmes. Louise Harbert, Communications Officer Louise is passionate about supporting people with lived experience to share their stories. Before joining the StandOut team, she worked for a health charity to amplify the voices of volunteers and shine a light on health inequalities. A strong believer in social justice, Louise is determined to change the narrative around prison leavers, and is excited to contribute to StandOut’s development and growth as our first full-time comms officer. Alex Rose, Coaching Manager Alex joined the team in April 2018 from Prospects where he was a National Careers Service advisor. Previously he worked as a behaviour change manager and an achievement coach working on gang prevention and exit programmes. Alex is passionate about helping people who have been in prison back into work and recently completed his OCR Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance & Development. Amrit Hunjan, Lead Coach HMP Wandsworth Amrit joined the StandOut team in September 2019 having previously worked as part of a council multi-disciplinary team working collectively to improve the well-being, participation and attainment of young people in mainstream education. Amrit connected with StandOut whilst volunteering with the youth mentoring service Trailblazers at HMP Wandsworth and she is passionate about using a relational approach to build confidence and unlock potential. Amy Young, StandOut Coach HMP Wandsworth Amy joined StandOut in November 2022 after completing an English Literature degree at KCL. During and following her degree she voluntarily set up Shakespeare and poetry workshops in HMP Brixton, believing in the power of arts in Criminal Justice. She found she facilitated enlightening and illuminating conversations, using literary themes to generate powerful reflections and increased emotional awareness. She looks forward to coaching at Wandsworth and supporting trainees with a holistic approach, offering guidance and practical help post-release. Hannah Jolley, Lead Coach HMP Pentonville Hannah joined StandOut in February 2022. Prior to this, she was Lead Coach on the Spear Programme, supporting young people who face barriers to employment and also coached corporate delegates on various topics. Hannah graduated from Durham University with BA Criminology, and spent time volunteering with vulnerable people in prison at HMP Durham. She is passionate about reducing reoffending rates, through showing that there is hope and are opportunities out there for those leaving prison. Erin Crombie, Lead StandOut Coach Erin discovered StandOut in 2018 whilst completing her Masters in Criminological Research at the University of Cambridge, when she carried out an evaluation of the charity for her dissertation. On graduating, Erin joined the education department in HMP Pentonville as a Student Support Worker, whilst maintaining contact with StandOut in a voluntary capacity. She joined StandOut at the beginning of 2020 and is now in a new role leading our expansion to a third prison. Erin’s favourite thing about working for StandOut is seeing the trainees’ confidence grow over the duration of the Phase 1 course and getting to celebrate their achievements. Louisa Laven, Lead Community Coach Louisa joined the StandOut team in November 2020. Prior to this she was on the Unlocked Graduates Programme, working as a frontline prison officer for two years while completing a Masters in MSc Leadership and Custodial Environments. Louisa loved the relational and support aspect of the officer role, but wanted to move into the charity sector and focus on the critical resettlement period after prison. She is enthusiastic about helping people leaving prison to get back on their feet and build towards a positive future. Iona Warren, Community Coach Iona joined the StandOut team in September 2022 after spending two years as a prison officer on the Unlocked Graduates programme. Whilst working in a women's prison, she completed a Masters in Applied Custodial Leadership, writing a dissertation on the women's experience of trauma informed practice in their establishment. She loved building relationships with the women on her landing, and relished the opportunity to support them whilst in custody. She is particularly excited to now be working with those transitioning into the community, and is passionate and motivated to see them thrive. StandOut Trustees Joe Froud, Chair Joe is the co-founder of Paloma Capital LLP, a London based real estate private equity business that was established in 2015. Paloma raises equity from foundations and endowments, pensions funds and family offices and invests in UK commercial real estate projects. Prior to this he was the founder and Managing Partner of Columbus Capital Management LLP, a real estate private equity joint venture that he established with Schroders plc in 2008. Joe is married with four children and lives in West London. Liz Delacave, Trustee Liz Delacave is a leadership consultant, experienced in training leaders, developing teams and coaching individuals to excel. She studied Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, worked in Citibank’s global commercial and investment banks, becoming chief of staff for Citibank’s European Private Bank. While Divisional Finance Director of a multinational engineering company, she was responsible for managing a global change programme. As a Non-Executive Director, she has helped turn around an underperforming NHS Foundation Trust hospital in East Anglia. Liz has advised a number of charities, including the International Federation of the Red Cross in Geneva and Prison Fellowship. Marion Peters, Trustee Marion Peters studied English Literature at Reading University before joining the Post Office fast track graduate management scheme. After 4 years in marketing and development roles Marion entered the charitable sector, working for international and small local charities in a generalist capacity. Marion has led client service teams, HR departments and spearheaded major fundraising projects and most recently worked as CEO of a heritage almshouse. Since stepping down from this role, Marion has continued to offer her operational and organisational skills to not for profit organisations on a voluntary basis. Passionately committed to the Justice System, Marion has been a volunteer within Her Majesty’s Court Services for over 20 years and is a great believer that where we have come from does not determine who we are. Joseph Ewing, Trustee Joseph studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, has worked in a range of research, campaigning and public affairs roles - including three and a half years in public affairs at Cancer Research UK - and now works in policy at the Academy of Medical Sciences. His work includes policy development, advocacy and strategy. He became a trustee in April 2019 and is still inspired by StandOut’s belief in people. StandOut Consultants Jo Fellows, Programme and Coaching Consultant, Co Founder Jo's background is in group facilitation and project management and she has extensive experience leading employability services for those with additional barriers to employment. Her experience includes 4 years working with the award winning Spear course, partnering with IBM through her work with City Gateway and designing a 1-1 service for those leaving custody or care. Jo is passionate about equipping people coming up for release with the tools, skills and confidence to step into sustainable and fulfilling work. Jo has a Postgraduate Diploma in Voluntary Sector Management from CASS Business School. Jo co-founded StandOut with Penny and now supports StandOut as a consultant bringing her expertise in programme design and coaching skills.

act fast nl

Act Fast is a well-established Independent School near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. Act Fast has grown organically as the need for a high standard of provision has emerged and developed. The premise of Act Fast’s provision is that we are promoting the value of education to previously disaffected young people. what we do We operate a bespoke curriculum at Act Fast, which is both written and delivered by in house staff and is in line with the DfE Independent Schools Standards. We overtly deliver lessons in the following subject areas: Maths up to Functional Skills level 2 standard English up to Functional Skills level 2 standard Motor Vehicle Technology with the Institute of the Motor Industry up to level 2 standard PSHE (Including RSE) against a verified and recognised scheme Motocross, delivered by qualified and experienced staff Physical Education through a range of on-site and off-site activities. Art/Crafts Music Further to this, lessons in the following subject areas are delivered as embedded features of the timetabled lessons. Human and Social Understanding Aesthetic and Creative Scientific Technological British Values Our learners know if they work hard, they are awarded by riding the motorcycles here at Act Fast. This has proven to be successful, helping young adults to achieve their qualifications and have a positive attitude towards learning. Curriculum Act Fast has made a commitment to give every young person who is capable of the opportunity to reintegrate and to take a range of exams. For those subjects that Act Fast does not currently deliver, as we develop learners opportunities will increase. We are an accredited exam centre through OCR, NCFE, ABC, D of E, and when required will extend this to meet the needs of our learners. Our curriculum also enables and encourages learners to develop their interests and talents. We have a number of students here who have found their passion for music, learning how to play the guitar, as well as a large number of young, talented motorbike riders who love learning about riding, fixing and maintaining the bikes. It’s important to us to support our learners in keeping them physically and mentally healthy. We have access to: Mental Health Champions, outreach support and therapeutic counselling services, available to all our learners. We have regular sports activities within our timetable to encourage physical exercise, as well as access to local gyms and leisure centres. These activities help to prepare young people to access their community in adulthood. Hidden Curriculum Act Fast’s curriculum, throughout the range of its delivery, is heavily invested in the “Hidden Curriculum”. The Hidden Curriculum argument is that the most valuable lessons our young people receive here are to arrive on time, respect authority, follow instructions, keep regard for safety, take responsibility for their actions, behave in an acceptable standard, liaise with other people respectfully, and respect other people’s personal choices, encouraging equality and diversity. Other ways in which we promote equality and diversity include: Challenging negative attitudes amongst students. Setting clear rules regarding how people treat each other. Treating all students and staff equally and fairly. Using resources that have multicultural themes. Creating lessons that reflect and promote diversity in the classroom. Making sure that all students have equal access to participation and opportunities. Ensuring that all procedures and policies are non-discriminatory. Making sure that classroom materials never discriminate against anyone. Safeguarding protected characteristics throughout our culture and ethos. All of these things, to a greater extent than formalised subject lessons, will make them responsible, independent, resilient and above all else employable young people once they finish their school career. Act Fast has trained and qualified staff to recognise some of the barriers to learning that students face. These barriers might be due to Adverse Childhood Experiences and with knowledge and understanding of such issues Act Fast staff can help students overcome them to maximise their potentials. Referral, Application and Introduction After a referral is made to Act Fast, we invite a representative from the referring body (usually the Inclusion Officer), the learner and the learner’s parents into Act Fast for a familiarisation visit. During that visit the learner is given a tour of the facility, is introduced to key staff members and receives an explanation of the culture of Act Fast. Learners are given the opportunity to voice any concerns and any questions they have are answered. We set a high expectation on behaviour here, and partly because expectations are high, but also because more established learners mentor new arrivals, new learners very soon fall into compliance with our way of doing things. Act Fast works because our learners buy into the culture. This is the first opportunity that a young person has to involve themselves in how we operate here. Application forms must be completed prior to a young person starting at Act Fast. Once applications are complete, the referring body typically takes a few days (sometimes up to a week) to arrange their transport. Personal data will be stored and processed at this point, and details entered into our MIS system, Arbor. We insist on a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) meeting with stakeholders and the young person present within the first month. This allows any teething troubles to be voiced and solutions to be sought. Further PLP meetings are held regularly, no less frequently than once a term. At those meetings, Act Fast staff will deliver a report detailing the engagement of the young person, levels of educational attainment, attendance, general engagement, and commentary on the likelihood of a reintegration being successful. Reintegration planning must be tailored to suit the needs of the individual. Staff Investment Our staff all take part in quality training including regular CPD sessions and ongoing programmes of accreditation such as SSS online training (recently completed by all staff members). Training needs identified are acted on as soon as practical. The organisation believes and invests in the continuous professional development of its people. Our commitment to CPD is such that every member of staff has received CPD accredited training in the last 12 months. Our qualified teachers ensure pedagogical content methods are in place to deliver high standards of teaching for our young learners. We engage with our staff continuously here and know of the main pressures on them, including managing workload. We aim to support every staff member to help guide them throughout their career at Act Fast. Educational Framework It is our aim to provide an educational framework which is heavily invested in the hidden curriculum. By that, we mean that as well as lessons formalised in Maths and English for example, our young people develop an understanding of: working to a process arriving on time respecting authority abiding by the rules accepting that their first choice may not always be the right choice following instructions not expecting to leave early attending every day These are the skills whereby a young person will be employable post 16. Without these key skills, a young person is unlikely to be able to function in the workplace. We develop the hidden curriculum, embedded in everything we do, in order that our learners gain an understanding of their expectations being matched by the expectations of attendance, compliance and engagement We have a tracking system in place for our core subjects. We also use a “readiness to learn” scale, whereby a learners attitude, engagement, and involvement in their own work is measured. Bespoken When evolving Act Fast into an independent school I was very mindful that Mainstream school had not been a successful outcome for the majority if not all of our learners. It was imperative that we were bespoke and able to meet the needs of all our learners and not just the few. For this reason we created our own curriculum that is more sympathetic to our learners’ needs. Our teachers create an environment that allows our young people to focus on learning. 1:1 support as well as small group teaching (where appropriate) is in place to make teaching more effective, allowing tutors to concentrate on each individual learner’s needs. We believe in student voice here at Act Fast. Our EHCP’s (Educational Health Care plans) allow us to capture our learners’ views. It’s not only in our annual reviews that we give learner’s opportunity to be heard. For example, one young adult suggested we invested in a bigger bike here, so we put arrangements in place and made this happen. We encourage our learners to make their voices heard. Below are some examples of student voice council meetings held at Act Fast and how they shape decisions made at the school. Student Voice Meeting 040322 We have effective arrangements to identify learners who may need early help or are at risk of neglect, abuse, grooming or exploitation. We strongly promote our policies and legislation such as safeguarding, diversity and equality of our staff and learners at Act Fast. Ofsted Report 2022 Best Bits: “Act Fast school is a place where the proprietor and staff go the extra mile to support the pupils who attend. It has a unique vision of how to ‘hook’ pupils back into education, and it is successful in doing so. Act Fast has started to re-engage pupils who have experienced difficulties in their education”. “Parents believe that, finally, a school ‘gets’ their child. The wider curriculum, built around motor-cross, is a distinctive feature of the school. It motivates pupils to attend and to behave well. For those pupils who do not wish to ride the bikes, staff work with them to find alternatives. The proprietor and staff have limitless ambition for what pupils can achieve in their personal development. At the heart of this is a patient, careful building of relationships, and, in many cases, a re-building of trust between the pupil and their experience of education.” “The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a strong understanding of the requirements of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Recently, the SENCo has started to work with a senior leader to more effectively incorporate pupils’ SEND targets from their education, health and care (EHC) plans into teachers’ planning.” “Leaders have also recently taken action to improve the school’s support for pupils’ reading. For instance, a primary specialist has been appointed with experience of teaching phonics to the weakest readers. The English lead is in the process of building a programme to encourage pupils to read widely and for enjoyment. Leaders’ wider curriculum for pupils’ personal development is, to very large extent, a strength of the school.” “The proprietor’s vision for getting young people who have had difficult experiences of school back into education is impressive. It is backed up by an innovative personal development curriculum, built on a range of activities that take place in the afternoons. These include a variety of motor vehicle-related opportunities, as well as visits out of school to a range of venues. Recently, for instance, pupils have started to be taken to a local engineering firm to participate in a scheme to broaden their career aspirations. Pupils know that there is a plan in place for them to make a suitable next step into further education or training at the end of Year 11.” Improvements: “Leaders’ PSHE curriculum includes reference to the protected characteristics and the school is a respectful community: however, coverage of the protected characteristics in the curriculum strategy is not as detailed as it could be, so pupils’ understanding is not as developed as it could be. Leaders should revisit their curriculum thinking for PSHE so that teaching of the protected characteristics is made more overt.” “The current curriculum is based on a limited set of qualifications in two subjects. For a registered special school, this lacks ambition. As a result, pupils experience a narrow curriculum, including a limited suite of qualifications. Leaders should take action to broaden and deepen their curriculum so that pupils have opportunities to study a wider range of subject content, organised coherently and cumulatively over the entire secondary and post-16 phases; and, for those who are capable, to a higher level of accreditation.” “Leaders have not taken the required action with regard to the statutory guidance for the teaching of RSHE. Consequently, parents have not been made aware of the school’s policy and their parental rights within the policy. Also, the teaching of Inspection report: Act Fast NL Ltd. RSHE is not clearly planned in the school’s curriculum. Leaders should take action to be compliant with the statutory guidance and to ensure that curriculum thinking incorporates structured RSHE teaching.”