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Toolkit for Measuring the Outcomes of Therapy in Specialist FE Settings

A learner engaging in a therapy session, handling a spiked plastic ball with his therapist

Welcome to this Natspec toolkit developed by therapists from across our member colleges.

Finding suitable tools to use with young people with learning difficulties and / or disabilities can be a challenge for therapists working in the specialist FE sector. Our students’ progress can be significant but often comes in the form of very small steps. At the same time, it is vitally important that therapists are able to demonstrate the impact and value of therapy, including to commissioners.

We hope this toolkit will help you to:

  • develop and improve your practice in relation to therapy outcome measurement
  • select effective outcome measurement tools
  • increase your confidence in accurately measuring progress and outcomes and in articulating this information to others.

Our thanks go to all the therapists who supported this project and, in particular, to Sarah Gummett-Hart of Orchard Hill College who led the work.

In the toolkit, you will find:

Descriptors of therapy outcome measurement tools

Each tool has been identified by the project team as effective at evidencing outcomes for students in specialist FE settings. They represent a small sample of tools and are by no means an exhaustive list. Each descriptor provides information on how the tool might be used with students with SEND. Links are provided to enable you to explore the tools in more detail.

Characteristics of effective therapy outcome measurement tools for use in specialist FE settings

The characteristics are designed to support you in evaluating the effectiveness of your existing outcome measurement tools and in selecting new tools.:

Adding tools to the toolbox

If you are therapist in a Natspec member college and would like to recommend inclusion of an additional tool in the toolkit in the future:

Using the toolkit

As part of Natspec’s National Conference week in 2021 we hosted a session about the toolkit, how it was developed and how you might use it.

 

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