As part of the Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) programme, participants are required to undertake a quality improvement project.
SET’s Professional Status team reviewed all 60+ Quality Improvement Projects submitted as part of the October 2020 ATS cohort shortlisting the top 12 using a scoring matrix, including the below from Helen Sonnenfeld, Education Lead at CNTW.
This editorial provides an overview of Helen’s improvement project which focused on the role of education for service users and in particular, the importance of literacy and numeracy skills in their recovery.
Whilst the importance of therapeutic activities is generally accepted, the role of education and its impact for service users has not been formally evaluated in secure, forensic services within our hospital setting.
Current debates have highlighted that those who have mental health and/or learning disability diagnosis are more likely to have low skill abilities in English and maths.
It is difficult to estimate how service-users initial assessment results compare with those of the wider population within the current literature.
It is hoped that the findings will support colleagues and the wider organisational development of the service.
To ascertain the importance that service users assign to literacy and numeracy skills in their recovery
The table below shows the findings across secure services:
English | % English | Maths | % Maths | |
Pre-entry | 4 | 14% | 3 | 11% |
Entry 1 | 10 | 36% | 7 | 25% |
Entry 2 | 7 | 25% | 11 | 39% |
Entry 3 | 5 | 18% | 2 | 7.1% |
Level 1 | 1 | 4% | 1 | 3% |
Level 2 | 1 | 4% | 2 | 7% |
Declined | 0 | 0% | 1 | 4% |
Not attempted | 0 | 0% | 1 | 4% |
Total | 28 | 28 |
The majority of service users are working at Entry 1 in English and E2 in Maths. Only 7% are working at Level 1 or above in English and 10% in maths.
Comparison with PIAAC and Skills for Life. Table shows the descriptors that the majority of the populatiion are working at:
Literacy | Numeracy | |
Forensic Services findings | Entry 1 (Age 5-7) | Entry 2 (age 7-9) |
PIAAC findings | Level 1 | Level 2 |
Skills for Life findings | Level 1 | Level 1 |
Limitations include:
PS2.1, PS3.1, PS4.1, PS6.1, PS7.1, PS8.1, PS9.1, PS12.1, PS16.1, PS18.1, PS20.2
Content from Poster Presentation - Viva preparation - Helen Sonnenfeld - 2022
Find out more about the Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) programme.