This blog is part of our Quality Times series, inviting professionals working with young people with SEND / ALN in further education to speak about their work developing quality provision.
Andrew Evans has worked as Natspec’s Learner Voice Co-ordinator since November 2020. Andrew has a range of experience working with people with physical and learning disabilities in FE and specialist colleges, previously managing learner programmes at National Star. Andrew now leads on Learner Voice at National Star and has a passion for promoting, listening and responding to the voices of students and young people. In this article Andrew explains actions National Star College has taken to ensure that methods to capture the learner voice are as inclusive as possible.
National Star carries out an annual Students’ Perception of College (SPOC) survey, requesting feedback on a range of elements, such as learning programmes, residential or day facility, or transition preparation, included within the provision accessed by learners. It has been a challenge, however, to enable meaningful and inclusive student feedback into quality provision, due to a range of factors, including the increasing complexity and requirements of learners, a disproportionate number of questions and a rigid structure to the previous survey. To make the survey more inclusive the Learning Programmes team revamped the SPOC in September 2023. They also looked at how feedback is gathered, to ensure it is as inclusive as possible and responses could feed into quality processes. We continue to learn and refine this process.
Previous surveys included up to 31 questions, which was felt to be an excessive number of questions for a cohort consisting of a wide range of disabilities, including an increasing number of learners with profound, intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD). The previous survey was differentiated to include Widgit symbols to support comprehension, but did not go far enough as to be considered inclusive. It was clear that change was required to elicit learners’ views and merge these within quality processes.
A new survey was designed for learners which asked questions based on a reduced number of seven areas, with the survey now taking place termly, as opposed to annually. The option to provide specific feedback, as well as rate one of the seven areas, has been provided to ensure both qualitative and quantitative results. The completion of the survey was not limited to a specific time within the term but allows for it to be generated over time. A guidance document for colleagues was developed alongside the survey, elaborating on a range of methods that could potentially be used to support the learner. The collection of prompts across the academic year is encouraged, including images, videos or objects of reference. The prompts are beneficial for learners who communicate verbally, as they aid recall. For non-verbal students, videos, photos and objects of reference may elicit a reaction which give insight into how they felt about the area of feedback. This would be recorded and combined with any staff observations.
This new method of gathering feedback was initially created to support National Star’s long-term living service users. It proved successful in drawing purposeful and clear feedback. During an audit of the long-term living provision by Gloucestershire County Council, it was noted:
“The resident survey for 2024 has recently been sent out. However, the manager and team want to make the experience more individualised and person-centred as the current survey is simply a list of questions with facial expression emojis to indicate the level of satisfaction.
For this recent survey, as a start to the more person-centred adaptation, a senior staff member videoed the building and showed it to the supported person when asking the question about how satisfied they were with the accommodation. This is such a good idea.”
Following the introduction of the new SPOC feedback from colleagues working with learners to complete the survey has been vital in continued development of the new process. Colleagues within National Star’s ‘Engaging with the World’ pathway felt that the document required further modification to meet the PIMD students’ requirements and that capturing learners’ views and opinions holistically and organically through their practice would benefit both learners and the quality of feedback. Through collaboration with the team, a separate, bespoke recording document was created, which yielded increased responses throughout the year, meeting the needs of the cohort.
The 2023 SPOC received a response rate of 61%, whilst the 2024 SPOC had an increase in responses with a 69% rate. Taking into consideration that the first term’s completion rate was 38% due to implementing the new process, this can be seen as a significant growth in completion.
Analysis of the termly SPOC is completed and specific themes identified. This analysis is then fed into quarterly Service Delivery Quality Assurance meetings, with senior colleagues in attendance. An action plan is based on these themes, with specific actions allocated to relevant heads of department to ensure that learners’ opinions and wishes are met, where possible. This analysis is then fed back to the learners, along with the apportioned actions. It is crucial to ensure the students are kept informed throughout the process.
Our Self-Assessment Report (SAR) enables the charity to identify organisational strengths but, more importantly, areas for development. It’s a key tool in safeguarding with quality being at the heart of our provision and practice. This year’s SAR observes
“The process for gaining Student Perceptions of College… has been refined and improved with feedback now being collated on a termly basis rather than an annual one. The means of giving feedback has been personalised and ranges from face-to-face meetings with key professionals or to collations of observations such as video evidence for students who require a more inclusive and holistic approach to making their voices heard. A culture of ‘nothing about me without me’ has been adopted within the Engaging with the World pathway and has been informed by evidence-based research and post-graduate studies by professionals in the team.”
The new SPOC and processes surrounding it has already begun to yield greater responses and buy-in from learners, enabling them to feed back in an individualised manner that best suits their needs. The key learning for the Learning Programme teams is that consistent development, improvement and collaboration between professionals and learners is fundamental in ensuring that the learner voice can impact quality of provision and service delivery. After all, the learners are the experts in their own experiences and college lives and should have a say in how this takes shape.