Our in-house Learning Academy, funded by a corporate partner, has provided training and development for staff since its launch in January 2025.
Now in the next phase of roll-out, Shaftesbury is leading the way with a unique model enabling support staff and the people supported to learn together at the same time. Called Learning Together, it will be a key focus of our strategy moving forwards.
This is not standard practice in the sector. Care organisations typically meet mandatory training obligations for staff, but few commit to training people in their care who have disabilities.
“This is a big step forward for us and reflects our commitment to co-production, working together in equal partnership. If staff are doing training, it makes sense for the people we support to be included too, to enable a shared understanding,” says Esther Flanagan, Co-production and Best Practice Lead.
Some of the courses have been produced in-house with input from people with lived experience of disability – for example on the principles of co-production. Others are provided by Open Future Learning, a company specialising in training for the learning disability workforce.
Its ‘Side by Side’ modules are specifically designed for people with disabilities to complete alongside support workers who are also there to learn, not just to assist or help overcome any barriers to learning.
“If you’re being trained on how best to support someone, it lands differently when that person is sitting next to you accessing the training too,” explains Ben Drew of Open Future Learning. He founded the company 12 years ago to provide bespoke courses for people who might not otherwise be able to access learning.
Before committing to this provider, the courses were first trialled by our Changes for the Future Forum, made up of people with disabilities who act as representatives of Shaftesbury services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Forum meets monthly, giving us insight into what is working well and where we could do better. As training is one of the issues that frequently came up in discussions, members were encouraged to tell us what they wanted to learn. The wider community of people supported by Shaftesbury were also invited to complete a survey, with over 60 responses received.
A handbook has been produced outlining all the learning opportunities available, including courses on safeguarding; understanding rights; preventing abuse; building and maintaining friendships; social media; employment and digital skills, among others.
These are designed without jargon, using shorter sentences to aid comprehension and videos to reinforce learning. There is no assessment at the end but a certificate is awarded on completion.
Experience tells us there is a real sense of accomplishment when someone takes the time to learn and has something to show for their effort.
“We know people we support are really motivated by the chance to get certificates so they can build up a learning portfolio. Those who can access the online courses see it as a challenge, something new and exciting to get their teeth into. They like being able to tell others what they’ve learned,” says Rachael Caunter, our Learning Academy Lead.
Christopher lives at Shaftesbury Bradbury Court in Harrow. As a committed Forum member, he enjoyed the experience of trying something new: “What I learned will help me in the future and keep me out of trouble,” he jokes.
Philip from Shaftesbury Brookside House in Edgware says: “I like learning and this was a different way to get involved with Shaftesbury. I would definitely recommend it to others. It’s not just something to do; it’s given me more understanding about what rights I have and about how to recognise control.”
Asked about his view of the ‘Side by Side’ model, Philip says: “If you get stuck on something, you can pause it and talk about it with your support worker. I’ve not done anything like this before. It’s helpful because you’ve got someone there to share ideas with.”
One of the challenges in the care sector is staff not having time for additional training over and above the statutory minimum. Lack of self-development opportunities and career progression has an impact on job satisfaction and inevitably leads to poor retention rates.
The beauty of the ‘Side by Side’ model is it utilises the time already being spent with the person supported, making productive use of their time together.
It’s also a way of putting people on an equal footing with their carers, Ben believes. “The people with the power are the ones being paid. Training for both parties is a way to help address this imbalance,” he argues.
Enabling Support Worker Chigo found that completing the courses alongside people she supports opened up opportunities for discussion: “It’s very interactive and educational. It builds confidence in both parties. People we support can call out bad practice and know that we understand and they understand. I hear them refer to what was learned in the training.”
“What I find most appealing is hearing people we support relay their own personal experience of an issue. It builds more empathy and compassion,” Chigo says.
Our use of Enabling Support Worker as a job title is very intentional as the ideal is to enable people to do as much as they can for themselves. We don’t want to unintentionally de-skill people by making assumptions about their understanding or doing everything for them.
Reflecting on employers in general, Ben observes how much effort and resources other organisations spend training staff on disability rights. Although a necessity, he feels there’s an imbalance, with insufficient investment in making sure people with disabilities understand their rights.
As we identify as a learning organisation, considerable time and resources have been invested in our Learning Academy as a means of embedding Shaftesbury culture and values, helping to close the gap between top line policy and frontline delivery.
Our vision is to surpass the industry standard by providing training for as many people as possible within the Shaftesbury community; supporting and supported alike.
“We’ve always set our sights higher than the statutory minimum when it comes to training,” according to Jane Percy, Director for Care Operations.
She says: “Greater knowledge helps keep people safe and in some cases means they can be a voice for someone else in their community who doesn’t have that knowledge. If they do have concerns about their care, it’s really important they know what they can do about it.”
If someone supported by Shaftesbury has a willingness to learn, we have a responsibility to make that happen, Jane argues. “Ultimately, we want people to live as full a life as they can and for staff to be the best they can be in their role,” she says.
(Featured image: Jonathan and Al learning side by side)