Outline of organisation and the area of work

National Star provides a variety of unique and specialised opportunities for it’s students by integrating a multidisciplined team including occupational therapy to ensure work programmes are tailored to the service users’ needs.

Utilising a collaborative approach, the various work programmers offered strive to maintain or improve functional performance while also increasing independence and autonomy.

Scope of the study

Approx 15 Skills for Work/Supported Interns in Cheltenham, 5 Adult Employability skills students, 5 Bristol Supported Interns, 5 London Supported Interns, 10 Trainees and 30 Ullenwood work outcome learners.

• Trainees are on programme for 6 months and need 16+ hours of paid work post course
• Skills for Work/Supported Interns are on programme for 1 year and their outcome is to transition into paid work
• Ullenwood Work Outcome learners are on programme for 3 years and are supported to transition into paid and/or voluntary work

What takes place? Examples of where the multidisciplinary team are involved 

Work Outcomes

Students on the work outcomes programmes, work with tutors and job coaches develop transferable work skills through college based work enterprises work placements.  Every student is assigned a job coach, who supports them to explore and identify work aspirations and secure work placements with a host employer in an industry of interest.

Job coaches work on employer engagement, actively building relationships to establish links with businesses who may be able to host a student. The job coach works closely with students and employers, settling the students in and supporting them with their induction. Employers are reassured by the consistent contact with the job coach and made aware of the importance of ‘job carving’; the technique used to identify elements of the job students can undertake- be it everything, or some parts.

College’s enterprises and work placements are an essential part of a students’ work skills development, as they offer the opportunity to improve their independence and confidence in the world of work, build their CV and inform subsequent job applications and interviews. After a series of placements, students are better prepared to transition into voluntary and/or paid employment.

Occupational Therapy and Star Bistro

When students arrive at National Star Occupational therapists will complete a variety of assessments and models to better understand the student holistically. They will assess the students physiological, physical, cognitive, and psychological characteristics whilst taking into account their social support, culture and values, and personal values, goals and needs. OTs work alongside the student and job coaches to provide practical support and guidance as well as providing education on safety awareness, coping strategies, and developing personalised SMART goals to ensure that the student has the necessary skills needed to enter the working world.

The OT team also collaborates with Star Bistro – a busy cafe open to the public where students can gain valuable work experience by working in the kitchen or serving customers to hone their employability skills.

Anne Bradbury, Occupational therapist

“It has been really beneficial for Occupational Therapy to have some involvement and input in Thomas’ work placement at the Bistro.  It has given the OT the opportunity to assess Thomas’s skills in areas such as planning & sequencing, social interaction, and safety awareness in a functional real-life activity rather than an education-based setting. Working alongside the staff team in the bistro has allowed us to scaffold and extend Thomas’s learning in a structured way through identifying target areas for him to focus on during his work sessions. Occupational Therapy have also been able to offer advice and implement some strategies to support Thomas with things he might find difficult, such as retaining focus in a busy environment or dealing with unexpected change to his day. Thomas is doing really well and developing skills which will be transferable to many environments after college. “

Estates and Facilities

Site Services at National Star consists of 81 members of staff which support the organisation by providing a service in the following areas:

• Maintenance on main site and the 7 other satellite sites
• Gardens and grounds, including golf course
• Transport
• Cleaning and Housekeeping
• Compliance
• Administration

Some examples of workplace opportunities available in Site Services

Maintenance

• Portering and delivering posts
• Waste management
• Two person activities
• Sign cleaning
• Path clearance
• Carpark attending and maintaining
• Window cleaning
• Gutter clearance
• Escorting contractors
• Compliance testing

Gardening

• Weeding
• Watering
• Grass cutting
• Brash clearance
• Ivy removal
• Tree inspections

Transport

• Driver’s mate
• Cleaning vehicles
• Vehicle checks

Cleaning and Housekeeping

• Cleaning site
• Touch points
• Housekeeping
• Emergency cleaning
• Deep cleans

Compliance

• Testing
• Audits
• Data entry
• Escorting contractors

Administration

• Meeting customers
• Reception duties including answering the phone
• Receiving parcels
• Data entry
• Escorting contractors

National Lead for Estates and Facilities; Adam Hockaday states;

“From an employer’s perspective it really supports the efficiencies and productivity of the department. By breaking tasks down though into smaller ones we can allocate works specially to people’s strengths. Therefore, some of the smaller repetitive tasks can be completed by students, who love structure and routine, which then frees up the skilled work force to complete technical reactive works. We see this as teamwork where everyone has their role to play, with equal value to achieve our overarching goals by providing a safe and clean environment for our staff and students.

It’s evident that this will require a strong relationship between trainers and employer with potential guidance from specialists where needed. For example, instead of recruiting a mechanic who can do everything, employ someone who does MOT’s, tyres, brakes and exhausts enabling the mechanic to complete more complex work. Our goal is for person inclusivity. This way of working makes students feel values, part of team, skills and begin to generate their own income

 They are valued, important, generate income and work as part of a team. Yes, we are aware that this is a new approach to employers in different countries but that does not mean it should not be your approach.”

Outcomes

Rewards to students

To build transferable skills in time keeping, organisation, a chance to develop communication, team working, achieving time bound tasks as well as goal fulfilment, a sense of giving back to the community and to meet people outside of college.

Additionally, there are great benefits between colleges, business and the wider community. It builds a greater team of inclusivity and encourages diversity. As well as utilising personal skills to complete tasks which may have previously been left uncompleted.

Student Quotes

Site Services

“ I really like working with Sue the cleaner, she is kind and lovely. “

“ When I worked with the garden man it was nice to use different tools “

Star Bistro

“I enjoy working in the Bistro kitchen, where I’ve learned lots of skills. The chef and kitchen staff are very helpful. It can be stressful at times, but my Occupational Therapist has helped me stay calm and focused.”

Key messages

Use naturally occurring work within the school

Adopt a job coaching approach

Teach transferrable skills such as effective communication