Insight - Issue 24

Hello everyone.

Wow! Can you believe another year is coming to an end? I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all their hard work. 2022 has not been without its challenges but ACT continue to thrive.

In April, we launched the new JGW+ programme, achieved growth in our apprenticeship contract, secured a substantial part-time FE subcontract from CAVC and ACT Schools began the year with our highest ever occupancy in September.

In addition, our practitioners and learners have scooped the top awards at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru and the Inspire! Awards, with learners winning a record number of medals at Skills Competition Wales and securing silver at WorldSkills!

Despite the challenges 2022 has brought, we continue to rise above them and deliver fantastic results! On behalf of everyone at the board, an enormous thank you to all our brilliant staff for all that you do! We appreciate the effort that everyone puts in and we look forward to seeing you all in January refreshed and recharged for an exciting year ahead.

important dates

Christmas

Shutdown

22nd December 20226th January 2023

contents

In the know 4

Have you heard? 7

Hadfield's Secret Garden 8

ABUHB celebrate apprentices! 10

Staff support Wear Red Day 11 Meet the Facilities Team 12 Staff Health Week 15

Ukrainians step into Welsh history 16 Staff Recognition Awards 2022 18

Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 20

Sign language at Macmillan morning 21

Faith building strong future with JGW+ 22 Worldskills Competition 2022 24

Jenna wins Inspire! Award 25 Actions from b-Heard Report 26 'Our Plan' is launched! 32

Staff in the Spotlight 34

New Ebbw Vale centre opens 36

The Book Club 37

Welcome to our newest recruits 38

know

JGW+ Autumn Promotional campaign

Keep your eyes peeled for the latest JGW+ Campaign ran by Welsh Government, as the campaign features none other than our own brilliant ACT learners. Kavan Cox, Ethan Richards, Angel Adraufski and Nina De Freitas all appear sharing their experiences of JGW+, offering insight into the Advancement and Employment Strand of the programme and how it’s benefitting their learner journey so far. Well done guys!

Help tackle hygiene poverty

Did you know that, according to research conducted by “The Hygiene Bank”, over 3.1 million people in the UK are unable to afford fundamental basics like toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent and period products?

ACT are committed to tacking this issue, by providing products to learners and staff where we can. If you have any products that you can spare to support those in need, please contact Becky Morris or Jenna West.

Learners awarded after hospital job

A group of hardworking Construction learners bagged certificates, after they worked on fencing for a South Wales hospital. The four learners undertook the work for Llandough Hospital, as part of the Down to Earth Project, a South-Wales social enterprise. They were presented with certificates for the L1 Award in Work Related Education. Well done to everyone involved!

Be germ-aware this season

Due to the time of year, we’re seeing an increase of colds, flu and Covid cases among staff. For this reason, we’re asking everyone in our centres to be mindful of anything that could spread germs and make use of the hand-sanitiser provided. If you do have any symptoms, please stay at home and avoid contact with other people.

Updates to Finance Team

In August we saw our Finance Manager, Becky Yearsley, return from maternity leave. Becky has returned to a new role and is “stepping in to the shoes” of our Head of Finance, John, as he starts to work through his retirement plan. This change has seen Suzanne Palfrey, who joined us to cover Becky’s maternity, remain as a permanent staff member and has taken over Becky’s old role.

Suzanne will now manage the finance team and will be responsible for the day-to-day queries and functions of the finance department. Becky is working closely with John to take over his work and take on a more strategic role as well as take over line management of Suzanne and Lesley (Procurement Manager).

Whilst John starts to step away from the day-to-day activities, please direct any queries that would have gone to him to Becky. For general day-to-day queries, please contact Suzanne who will be happy to assist.

Safeguarding sessions delivered in-person

After successfully moving staff training back to face-to-face sessions, our Safeguarding Induction will now also be delivered as in-person training. In the new year, we’re looking to deliver training at multiple sites across ACT. Face-to-face Safeguarding sessions are now available to book on Iris HR and will run every four weeks.

Covid tests still available

Staff should know that free lateral-flow Covid tests are still available to collect. The test kits can be obtained from reception at Ocean Park House. If you would like a large quantity of them, please email facilities@ acttraining.org.uk to arrange.

New recycling bins for sites

Colleagues in our Hadfield Road, OPH, Barry and Aberdare sites now have new recycling bins in centre as part of our Environmental Strategy. The colour-coded bins are loudly labelled, to make it very clear what can be put in each one. We all need to do our bit!

ACT staff tackle Cardiff Half Marathon!

Three determined colleagues from ACT ran a half marathon, for a very important cause.

JGW+ Skills Tutors Steve Williams, Mary Foley and Natalie Grunewald completed the Wizz Air Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday October 4. They raised vital funds for the Terrence Higgins Trust, to help tackle HIV.

Steve said: “I could not have done it without Mary and Natalie. We did well considering we had very little training before. But all agree it was a fantastic experience and the crowd was amazing. We enjoyed it so much we are going to do it next year with a lot more staff joining us.”

Children In Need

In support of Children in Need, staff came to work dressed in stripes and spots and participated in a range of fun games, from bear pong to a raffle offering a range of prizes. A total of £216.50 was raised on the day, so thank you to everyone who participated and contributed.

Cycle 2 Work scheme

To improve wellbeing, reduce stress and get fit, ACT are now offering access to the Cycle 2 Work scheme. Cycle 2 Work is a salary-sacrifice scheme, which means the cost of a new bike and cycling equipment is deducted from your salary, as a non-cash benefit, so you save on tax and national insurance. To find out more information visit www.cycle2work.info or contact Jenna West in P&D.

English speaking classes expanded

We are excited to share we will be increasing our new ESOL delivery after securing some important funding from the Welsh Government’s Renew and Reform fund.

The ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) classes taking place at OPH will now run on both Mondays and Tuesdays, with the funding allowing additional occupancy for 10 additional learners.

The support from the Renew and Reform fund allows for an ESOL teacher from a charity to come in and host the sessions. ESOL teacher, Tung Son Bui, from Oasis Cardiff, a charity providing support to refugees and asylum seekers, has already begun working with learners at OPH. As well as opportunities to complete further learning at ACT’s other centres, ESOL learners will also have access to our Essential Skills Qualifications too.

Have you heard?

In this new audio world, podcasts have never been so popular. Every issue of Insight, we’ll pick a work-based relevant show that we think you might like:

Lexx Education with Laura Lexx

This podcast offers a fresh and funny take on learning and the British curriculum. In it, comedian Laura Lexx talks about her experience of preparing for science GCSEs and different learning and revision methods. While useful for teachers and those who work in education, anyone who has sat in a classroom will find it both relatable and insightful. Listen to it here: bit.ly/3GEaSzD

Learners plant healthy crops at Secret Garden

Our eager young Health and Social Care learners got down to earth at the Secret Garden located at our Hadfield Road centre!

They rolled up their sleeves and cleared compost, before seeding parsnips, carrots, shallots and sprouts. As well as the tasty, healthy veg, they also planted seeds for a selection of wonderful winter flowers.

Everything was dug into the soil following classroom-based lessons in Balanced Diets and Healthy Lifestyles. Next, the same learners will help decorate the garden’s walls, with graffiti designs!

Employability Tutor Jessica Caramella said that while traditional, indoor lessons are important, more hands-on activities, like those in the garden, are needed to illustrate what the theory means in real life.

She said: “Theory teaches you about the experiences of other people’s learning, but practical education builds knowledge of our own world and this activity did exactly that!

“Firstly, the classroom lesson gave learners the ability to understand different food groups and the benefits they can have on our body and mind, then our practical session enabled learners to plant in an area they call their own.

“Once these grow, learners will be able to utilise the kitchen to prep and cook food which will build on their real life and independence skills.”

ABUHB celebrate apprentices!

On October 28th we were delighted to host a special event at OPH for apprentices from Gwent NHS to celebrate their post-pandemic study achievements. Hosted by ACT’s ambassador Jonathan Davis MBE, the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) cohort were celebrated for their commitment and dedication in achieving various Clinical Healthcare and Leadership Management qualifications.

Those attending the event to mark their achievements in gaining Apprenticeships ranging from Levels 2 - 5 won particular praise for their dedication to continuing their studies despite having to work through, and being on the front line of, the Covid-19 pandemic.

Staff support Wear Red Day

Colleagues across ACT took part in Wear Red Day, when UK organisations were asked to dress in the colour, to show opposition to racism in all its forms.

Staff throughout the company wore red on Wednesday October 26, to show support for the campaign, Show Racism the Red Card.

Colleagues wore a range of red outfits to our different centres and shared them on Yammer, while those who worked remotely used special “Wear Red Day” Teams backgrounds in virtual meetings.

Meet the Facilities Team

ACT’s Facilities team oversees everything from the upkeep of our buildings, to making sure environmental targets are met. Here the team share their busy day to day activities to ensure our offices run smoothly.

Emma Page Facilities Manager

“My role is to look after our buildings, as well as the Health and Safety of the organisation. The role of a Facilities Manager is incredibly random and no two days are the same. My day can often go from speaking to a solicitor in the morning about a property transaction or new lease, to getting my hands dirty and cleaning up after a leak in the toilets. The facilities team has grown this year to include two new roles: Workplace H&S Officer and Sustainability Officer as ACT moves toward a more sustainable approach to our business. We have also recently welcomed the Employer Appraisal Officers into the team from November.”

Dean Knapton Workplace Health & Safety Officer

“My job is supporting the Facilities Manager, Emma Page, in ensuring that ACT Training is kept compliant with Health and Safety legislation. My main role is to keep all our employees and learners as safe as possible, during their day-to-day activities. I’m involved in activities relating to the safety of our buildings and our people and learners. I’m also responsible for ensuring that Risk Assessments are kept up to date, updating policies and procedures and carrying out audits and checks within our training centres. I also work with our contractors to ensure outsourced risks are being controlled and managed.”

Alex

Cordery

Sustainability Officer

"I work with the Facilities Team to minimise ACT’s environmental impact. In order to do this, we’re creating an environmental management system (EMS) which is a set of processes covering many aspects that may have an environmental impact, through ACT’s operations. Some of these processes include our pollution response, waste management, legal compliance, communications, and much more. We’re gathering data on waste management, energy usage, and essential business travel to find areas of improvement. The aim is to have our EMS accredited with ISO 14001 which is the highest international accreditation available and show ACT's commitment to continual improvement!”

Mark Blewitt

Employer Appraisal Officer

"My role involves completing Health and Safety Appraisals for the Apprenticeships and JGW+ programmes, to ensure that our learners are kept safe while they are completing their work-experience placements or Apprenticeship opportunities. I get to see first-hand how important our work placement and Apprenticeship opportunities really are! I also complete various maintenance and facilities tasks within the Caerphilly centre, work with our various contractors when they visit and liaise with colleagues on a regular basis. I do this to ensure that any Health and Safety or Facilities issues at the centre are dealt with.

Darren George Employee Appraisal Officer

"My role involves completing Health and Safety appraisals for the Apprenticeships and JGW+ programmes. This is to ensure that our learners are kept safe while they are completing their work-experience placements or Apprenticeship opportunities while adhering to The Welsh Assembly Governments Health and Safety code of practice which is a contractual obligation. I could be at a construction site one day then a home working self-employed accountant the next. I also complete various maintenance and facilities tasks within the Hadfield Road centre, work with our various sub-contractors when they visit and liaise with my colleagues on a regular basis to ensure that any other issues at the centre are dealt with."

Stephen Bailey Post Officer

Stephen’s role as Post Officer is to distribute all incoming post and prepare all outgoing post for mailing. Stephen also has a role within Ocean Park House for testing the fire alarm bells on a weekly basis. He is our longest serving ACT team member, having been part of the ACT family for over 30 Years.

John Hayward Caretaker

John’s role is to ensure the smooth running of our Ocean Park House Building. You will often find John out onsite bleeding radiators, sorting the rubbish and clearing up leaves/litter. John will also get involved in maintenance around the site and often assists with maintenance in some of our other locations.

Alan Johnson

Security Officer

Alan is ACT’s Security Officer. He is now based over in our Hadfield Road centre, following the joining of the two JGW+ teams. Alan’s role is to provide a security presence and be on hand to assist with the management of behaviour around the Hadfield Road Site.

Staff Health Week

ACT colleagues stepped up, to get fitter and happier, as part of our Staff Health Week in October.

Keen team members enjoyed workout sessions, fun walks, recipe tips and even a dance exercise class!

A mixture of face-to-face sessions and digital demonstrations were put on across our centres, to ensure as many people as possible enjoyed Staff Health Week, which kicked off on Monday October 24.

As well as exercise sessions for fitness, staff were also invited to try out new hobbies to aid wellbeing.

A big thanks to the P&D team who worked tremendously hard to coordinate the weeks activities.

Ukrainian learners step into Welsh history at St Fagan’s!

A group of Ukrainian teenagers, who are studying with ACT, enjoyed a fascinating trip to St Fagan’s National Museum of History recently.

For a special Enrichment Day, they explored the sprawling heritage site and were accompanied by ACT's Learning Coach Diana Oleksiuk, who is herself a Ukrainian national who began working with ACT a few months ago.

The Ukrainian students – who are learning English on our ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) programme – said they all enjoyed the wonderful Welsh sights at St Fagan’s.

Tamara Podolska,16, said: “There were really old buildings from across Wales, that had been taken apart and rebuilt at the museum. It was very nice that there were some old shops, so we could see how it looked hundreds of years ago! Since coming to Wales, I like that there are a lot of castles and beautiful parks. Also, there are kind people!”

Veronica Nahovna, 17, also said the eye-opening St Fagan’s trip was a highlight of her time with ACT, Wales’ leading training provider. “I started at ACT a few weeks ago, I really like studying here,” she said. “Especially since I love socialising with new people, travelling and improving my English skills.”

ACT'S Learning Coach, Diana Oleksiuk, who’s from the city of Chernivtsi, in the west of Ukraine, said the learners found stepping into the past of Wales, at the museum site, captivating. She added: “The St Fagan’s trip made us realise just how much Welsh and Ukrainian people have in common! Welsh people are very friendly and welcoming. It was a lovely day and one to be remembered!”

The St Fagan’s trip made us realise just how much Welsh and Ukrainian people have in common!

Diana Oleksiuk

ACT Staff Recognition Awards 2022

We are delighted to share the results of the Staff Recognition Awards 2022, announced at our Christmas Party held on 2nd December. A huge ACT-style congratulations goes out to the following employees/teams who have shown a tremendous commitment to their role, achieved excellent results and have gone the extra mile for our learners and stakeholders:

Winner Tiffany Treadway Piera Brown - Finalist Jasmine Hopwood - Finalist

Supporting

Supporting Staff Winner Kelly Harry Angela Clifford-Hillman - Finalist Janet Welch - Finalist

Going the Extra Mile Winner Adrian Davila Rhian Cosslett - Finalist Tiffany Treadway - Finalist

We’d also like to give an enormous round of applause to all our nominees and finalists throughout the year - you’re all winners in our eyes! Keep doing the fabulous things you do as your efforts do not go unrecognised!

If there are any brilliant colleagues who you’d like acknowledged and considered for the next round of the Staff Recognition Awards 2023, just head to IRIS and use the Kudos feature! It’s located on the main dashboard of the home page, under ‘your details.’

Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2022

Following the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2022 which took place on the 11th November, we are absolutely delighted to share that our Digital IQA, Angelina Mitchell was announced 'Practitioner of the Year and our Advice & Guidance Learner, Jayne Williams was crowned winner of the Higher Apprentice of the Year category.

The Apprenticeship Awards Cymru recognises the achievement of individuals, employers and work-based learning practitioners across 7 different categories and showcases the very best of work-based learning.

To be shortlisted for the awards is a huge feat in and of itself, so we are incredibly proud of Angelina and Jayne for taking the top awards home on the night.

Congratulations both!

Sign language at charity coffee morning!

To celebrate International Sign Language Day at the end of October, colleagues gathered in OPH’s Conference Room, where an interactive lesson in British Sign Language was led by ACT’s own Angela Clifford-Hillman.

Those who took part also purchased delicious cakes, raising more than £175 for Macmillan! After enjoying brownies, lemon drizzle cake and other delicacies, they were then seated for the sign-language class, taught by Angela, who works in ACT’s Health and Social Care Route.

The event was also attended by ALS staff members and streamed over Teams.

Angela commented: “Everyone was engaging and trying out the signs, which was fantastic. My background is Mental Health and Learning disability, so I’ve learned a variation of different ways to use non-verbal communication, such as Makaton signing and now British Sign Language.”

https:// bit.ly/3SNWUhW.

If you’d like to try an introductory course in British Sign Language, you can do so by visiting

Faith building strong future with JGW+!

JGW+ learner Faith Bahwish, 18, wants to put her mark on the world and following her time with ACT and a new bricklaying career with KEIR Construction, she’s doing just that.

Faith chose to focus on a career in Construction during her time on the JGW+ programme and gained hands-on training and qualifications at our Hadfield Skills Centre. As Faith’s skills progressed, she was introduced to KEIR Construction, where she is now employed as a bricklayer. It’s a role she’s very excited and passionate about.

She explained: “Bricklaying is very demanding physically but I enjoy doing something in an area that people aren’t sure you can do as a woman. I love proving them wrong and doing a really good job. I went to college thinking that was my only option and I discovered there’s so many other ways to live. You don’t just have to follow the same path as everyone else. That’s why I love ACT because I was able to explore what I wanted to do with my life!”

WorldSkills 2022 Result!

An enormous round of applause to our JGW+ Learner, Kavan Cox who took Silver medal in the Foundation Skills: IT Software Solutions for Business category at this year’s WorldSkills National Finals 2022.

Kavan is studying Business Services in our Aberdare centre and previously secured Gold at the Skills Competition Wales 2021/2022 competition for his performance in the Customer Service Level Category.

WorldSkills supports young people across the world via competitions-based training, assessment and benchmarking, with members’ national teams ultimately testing their ability to achieve world-class standards in the biennial ‘skills olympics’.

More than 500 young students and apprentices took part in finals in over 60 disciplines held at seven venues across the UK.

A huge congratulations to both Kavan and his Tutor Martina Chapman on this fantastic achievement.The registration portal for Skills Competition 2023 is now open until 5th December at 5pm.

Competition briefs are available to give staff a helping hand with Route Managers, Delivery Managers and Deputy Heads on hand to offer more detailed information. You can also find out more via the Skills Competitions Wales website

Competitions will take place between 16 January 2023 and 3 February 2023.

If staff have any further queries, or need more information please contact Becky Morris, or Rebecca Broad.

Healthcare learner Jenna scoops Inspire! award

She collected the amazing honour at a glittering ceremony in St Fagan’s National Museum of History on Thursday October 20.

Run by the Learning and Work Institute, the awards honour those improving their lives with training.

Determined Jenna completed a Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support with ACT, while also working at the busy Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, during the pandemic.

Jenna said she couldn’t have done it without ACT and the support she received from staff.

She said: “I’m overjoyed to be awarded the Skills for Work Award with Inspire! after being nominated by Natalie Williams, my wonderful assessor with ACT.

Natalie has been extremely supportive and helped me through some very difficult personal and professional circumstances that I experienced while working

in the hospital, during the pandemic.

I couldn’t thank or recommend ACT enough for supporting me through my qualification, which has allowed me to start my nursing degree with the Open University."

Natalie Williams, Clinical Health IQA at ACT, was happy to share in Jenna’s fabulous news. She said: “I am beyond thrilled to see Jenna win this award as she really truly does deserve it.”

ACT’s very own Healthcare learner Jenna Smith won the Skills for Work Award, at the prestigious Inspire! Adult Learning Awards!

Actions from B-Heard Report

Building on our recent, ‘You Said, We Did’ document, here is an update of the latest actions we have been working on behind the scenes in response to staff feedback from the b-Heard Survey.

We really do appreciate all of your input and hope that these updates show ACT’s continued commitment to ensuring staff happiness is our top priority.

All Staff FEEDBACK

Cross team shadowing to help staff gain a better understanding of other job roles and processes and awareness of teams impact.

ACTION

SLT have started shadowing other teams and this activity will be ongoing.

All Staff

FEEDBACK

Promoting, demonstrating and measuring ACT’s Core Values more effectively

ACTION

Throughout 2022 our SLT have undertaken a development programme with The Management Centre based around Kouzes and Posner’s 5 leadership practices:

1. Challenge the process 2. Inspire a shared vision 3. Enable others to act 4. Model the way 5. Encourage the heart

As a result of this programme our SLT have developed a core purpose and set of values and behaviours which compliment ACT core values and will enable the team to work together brilliantly engaging, motivating and supporting teams across ACT to provide the best possible service to our learners.

Our SLT have also been getting involved in enrichment days for learners and attending team meetings across ACT with this continuing in 2023.

FEEDBACK

Improved internal and external communications plans. /Improving communications throughout the business with a new communications plan.

ACTION

Based on feedback from Bheard, our previous Internal Comms survey and the recently launched Internal Communications Culture at ACT survey, an all-new internal communications plan will be launched in the Spring of 2023. The plan will strive towards improving our top-down/leadership comms, peer-to-peer comms, along with our organisation’s overall day-to-day comms culture.

FEEDBACK

Collecting feedback in relation to departmental Professional Development needs for 2022/23 using our Self-Evaluation process. This action has been completed with Self-evaluation reports containing section where managers detailed CPD requirements for the upcoming year. This information was collated and shared with P&D to include in planning.

ACTION

FEEDBACK

FEEDBACK

Introducing a cycle to work scheme. The scheme started in November and we received 10 applicants in the first week.

ACTION

FEEDBACK

Ensuring that staff activities are accessible to all parts of the business (as far as possible).

ACTION

This action is ongoing. However, our Health Week was a great success with activities taking place across our centres at different times and on TEAMS to improve accessibility for all staff and teams.

Investigating scope for further one-off assistance to staff with cost-of-living pressures, subject to increasing occupancy.

ACTION

We introduced and implemented the Real Living Wage from 1st November meaning the national living wage will increase by 9.7%.

FEEDBACK

Reintroduce Managing Director participation in team meetings across the company.

ACTION

Richard Spear is involved with centre and department team meetings throughout the year.

FEEDBACK

Update “Our Plan” for 2022/2023 which will be released to all staff in September.

ACTION

This action has been completed and was shared with staff early October.

JGW+

FEEDBACK

Have meetings weekly at the same time across all centres to ensure information is received timely.

ACTION

These meetings have been taking place since May and are proving useful. Following our July review and JGW+ staff feedback, meetings have moved from weekly to fortnightly.

FEEDBACK

Have a meeting once a month for all managers to ensure cohesive working.

FEEDBACK

Have a reset day once a month for all staff to focus on CPD activities.

ACTION

These have been implemented from May with agreed set tasks for staff to complete as part of these days. Following feedback from staff, we rotate the days we hold reset days, to ensure staff who work part time have opportunities to contribute.

ACTION

These are taking place with managers then feeding information back into their fortnightly meetings. It has been also been useful for wider colleagues to attend if they need access to the JGW+ management team.

Apprenticeships

FEEDBACK ACTION

Use management meetings every other month to share best practice between managers which will enable them to lead on areas of interest as required.

The team meet once a month or bi-monthly to share best practice and/or work on current projects which is fed back and allocated to teams.

The Apprenticeships route are also organising a charity fun day for the whole programme.

Apprenticeships

FEEDBACK

Staff returning to in person meetings and socialising more.

ACTION

All staff are now attending face to face team meetings and standardisation meetings monthly.

FEEDBACK

Evaluating the work flow of all routes to ensure caseload size reflects the time required to deliver qualifications.

ACTION

All route managers have conducted a delivery plan - reviewing caseloads - and these are now reflective in the apprenticeship contract plans and future growth plan. All those routes above capacity are now in line with agreed caseload plans.

All SLT shadowing assessors on a regular basis.

FEEDBACK ACTION

The Head of Apprenticeships began shadowing assessors this year with further shadowing planned as an ongoing commitment.

FEEDBACK

Creating a solution focused idea group that will feedback any route suggestions to support delivery and efficiency.

ACTION

The HSC Route Manager has begun the process of nominating team members. Head of Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Delivery Managers will attend quarterly meetings to hear suggestions and feedback.

Apprenticeships

FEEDBACK

A review of geographical caseload areas to minimise excess travel.

ACTION

This was within the Care sector routes and reviewed as part of the caseload and growth plan. All routes now have a caseload geographical plan but will take time to fully implement due to capacity and needing to maintain consistency for the learner experience.

Schools

FEEDBACK

Introduce extra meetings to give staff more opportunity to share ideas and contribute towards decision making

ACTION

Additional meetings are gradually being added to the calendar. These include more topic specific meetings i.e. safeguarding. Full meeting structure will be rolled out in spring 2023 to align with introduction of new responsibilities of senior teachers. More mechanisms to gather staff feedback are being developed e.g. inset day reviews.

1:1 meetings with staff and head of education have begun. The focus of these meetings is on discussing pedagogy and improvements to the schools. These will continue for all staff throughout the academic year.

FEEDBACK

Staff are feeding in to the re-writing of the School’s shared vision. This should clarify what the vision is and what priorities are going forward.

ACTION

The second whole team input session was carried out on Monday 7th November to articulate vision and mission.

Finalised statements, behaviours and values are to be completed and published by Jan 2023.

‘Our Plan’ is launched!

Following the launch of “Our Plan” recently, here is a quick visual reminder of each programme’s strategic aims for the future!

We ask all staff to familiarise themselves with the plan so they’re aware of ACT’s goals to reach by 2025.

You can find Our Plan here.

Where do we want to get by 2025?

Apprenticeships

• Strategy 1 – Ensure all learners meet their full potential

• Strategy 2 – Increase volume of youth apprenticeships

• Strategy 3 – Support staff to achieve their potential

• Strategy 1 – Develop our route offer

• Strategy 2 – Enhance staff skill-set

• Strategy 3 – Redefine employer engagement

Learning for Work

• Strategy 1 – Maximise funding through increasing priority sector courses

• Strategy 2 – Launch part-time training for adults

• Strategy 3 – Deliver accredited short courses for employment strand of JGW+

Business Development

1. Achieve Apprenticeship starts in line with contract value

2. Reduction of 8-week terms

3. Increase starts from new vacancies by 10%

Contract Support & Systems Development

1. Ensure staff are equipped to utilise digital technology 2. Build more partnerships to enhance our provision 3. Support the ACT Network to effectively deliver their subcontracts

Finance, Procurement and Facilities

1. Improve our financial performance year on year 2. Develop our learning environments and resources 3. Ensure our financial stability

Marketing & Communications

1. Launch ACT’s new website

2. Establish a Learner Recruitment Team 3. Continue promoting ACT programmes and services

Schools

• Strategy 1 – Ensure our practices promote equity, inclusion and wellbeing

• Strategy 2 – Review and develop our curriculum, teaching and learning

• Strategy 3 – Strengthen our leadership, evaluation and accountability

Continuous Improvement

1. Embed FREDIE principles across the business

2. Further develop Welsh language and culture within delivery 3. Improve collaboration across ACT Network

Essential Skills & Curriculum Development

1. Provide essential skills development across all programmes 2. Provide all delivery programmes with curriculum development support 3. Offer enrichment opportunities for all programmes

People & Development

1. Implement ‘Staff Health & Wellbeing Strategy’ 2. Further develop staff training system (LMS) 3. Monitor and review working practices

STAFF IN THE spotlight

Darren Gould, JGW+ Delivery Manager at our Ebbw Vale centre, shares what makes his job so worthwhile and how he’s kept busy day to day with our learners.

Tell us a little bit about your role, and what the average day looks like…

In my role no two days are the same!

I spend large parts of the day supporting my team in dealing with various issues that our young people present us with. I ensure the centre runs smoothly and that all my team and learners have everything they need. In the afternoons, I’m either meeting new young people, to bring them onto our programme, or I’m out visiting other youth support services to see if we can provide help.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

This is an easy one. The most rewarding part of my job is being able to positively influence the young people of my area and help them make something of themselves. We all know how tough it is at the moment and with us just coming through a pandemic the need for support amongst our young people has never been greater, I am fortunate that my role allows me to make a difference to these young people.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself…

I am a coin collector, I have a collection of over 300 coins - some dating back to the 1800s and some more modern ones. It’s what I like to call my anorak hobby.

Where is the best place you have travelled to?

I have travelled around a fair bit but my favourite place is Tenby in West Wales. I just love the calmness of the place and would retire there tomorrow if I could.

What is the last album you listened to?

Green Day - American Idiot

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

I once worked as a mechanic in a used car garage and it was the most awful experience dealing with screaming people and a less than trustworthy garage owner. I lasted 3 weeks.

How do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?

I love spending time with my family. I have 3 fantastic kids and treasure every moment with them. I also coach rugby at my local rugby club and enjoy mountain walks, although I don't get out as often as I would like.

What would be your top tip for colleagues?

Don't take things too personally and always remember to leave some time for you.

A big thank you to Darren for taking the time to answer our questions this month. If you would like to feature in our Staff in the Spotlight section, or have a colleague you’d like to put forward, please e-mail communications@acttraining.org.uk.

"The most rewarding part of my job is being able to positively influence the young people of my area and help them make something of themselves."

Spacious new Ebbw Vale centre opens!

Our Ebbw Vale JGW+ Delivery Centre has moved

The large centre is based in the heart of the town, providing opportunities to 16-18 year olds in the area.

ACT previously operated from just two rooms in the Ebbw Vale Institute building, which limited what we could offer learners.

The new centre, on Church Street, has a separate wellbeing area, as well as a breakout room, where a breakfast club is run. The building also has a large garden, with plans for a vegetable patch, where learners can help grow veg for the local foodbank.

JGW+ Delivery Manager, Darren Gould, who’s from the area and is head of the new centre, said it’s great that ACT is now more visible in the town.

He said: “I’m very passionate about making a positive difference to the young people of this area and feel our new centre gives us a great opportunity to do that. We’re a bigger presence in Ebbw Vale now, which helps us work closely with businesses and other youth-support organisations in the area, so we can offer young people great opportunities and have a real positive impact.”

to an expansive new premises.

The Time Management Solution

by Damon Zahariades

This helpful book promises “21 Proven Tactics To Increase Your Productivity, Reduce Your Stress, And Improve Your WorkLife Balance!” Bestselling author, Damon Zahariades, takes you step-by-step through an up-to-date collection of time-management best practices. You'll discover how to manage your time to be more productive and achieve a healthy work-life balance. For more click here.

Your review of our past featured book: A Manual for Being Human by Dr Sophie Mort

“This is such an excellent book and I would highly recommend that everyone reads it. It fulfils its title very well and is evidence based, but also easy and enjoyable to read and understand. It includes lots of really helpful coping skills for your mental health.”

Chloe Mundell, Learner Representative

Want to take part in our next book club?

Books are free for the first 50 staff who request a copy (first come, first served basis) and could count towards your CPD hours (subject to suitability). Request your copy by emailing bookclub@acttraining.org.uk

welcome to our newest recruits!

Huw Barnes Essential Skills Tutor

Matt Hillier JGW+ Skills Tutor

Jess Norris Schools Higher Level Teaching Assistant

Helena Collard Health & Social Care Assessor

Paul Hodge JGW+ Skills TutorMotor Vehicle

Ceri-ann Owen Essential Skills Tutor

Lesley Edwards Clinical Health Apprenticeship Practitioner

Jacqualine Jeremiah Learning & Development Advisor

Kim Harrison-Weaver Animal Care Apprenticeship Practitioner

Gareth Macarthy Schools Construction Tutor

Leah Heaton-Jones Digital Marketing & Media TutorAssessor

Hannah Murphy Clinical Health Apprenticeship Practitioner

Llian Parry

Chloe

Nicola Pritchard Health & Social Care Assessor

Maria Robinson Training Centre Cook/Tutor

Andrea Saunders Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) –Management Route

Care Assessor

Jo Wisenden Essential Skills Tutor

This publication has been brought to you by the Marketing & Communications team.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue. If you have suggestions, stories or ideas you’d like to share in future issues please do get in touch with our communications team: communications@acttraining.org.uk

Your ideas and input are always welcome!