Author: Sara Fletcher
Date last reviewed: February 2024
Renewal due: January 2025

This document describes what we teach at Team Domenica, and how we teach it. Our mission is to progress young people with additional needs on their journey to paid work, and we have laid out a framework of skills that we believe gives this journey direction, momentum, and clear success criteria.

Our approach is based on our understanding that every successful employee, no matter their sector, role, or status, has got to that point by developing what they can do in terms of competently applying skills to set tasks; our curriculum framework starts by exploring what it is to learn such skills and demonstrate competency. However, we also recognise that for true success and fulfilment, we need to help people develop holistically; our curriculum must support them to internalise the necessary knowledge and experiences that allow them to be a successful person in work, demonstrating the necessary personal characteristics and appropriate pro-social attitudes for sustained and meaningful work.

Our policy describes the principles upon which we have chosen our curriculum, the way that we selected and structured our skills framework, and how we personalise this through our baseline process, in practice, and in mentoring sessions. How we deliver this curriculum is described, as well as how we plan to improve this further. Our current measures for understanding the impact of our work are included in this policy, again with details about how this will develop over time. Our policy for monitoring the quality of teaching is included in this document.

Associated Documents

Admissions, Attendance and End of Placements Policy
Charity Ethos Statement
Compliments and Complaints Policy
Emergency Evacuation Policy (available on request)
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
First Aid Policy (available on request)
Health and Safety & Fire Safety Policy (available on request)
Mental Capacity Policy
Online Safety Policy
Promotion of Positive Behaviour and Relationships
Prevention of Radicalisation & Extremism Policy

Consulted

Lisa Campbell-Squires, Diana Purdie, Liam Smith, Clare Ventham, Rebecca Richardson (Speech and Language Therapist), Phoebe Smith, Jake Welham, Becky Chan, Ellie Hedley-Dent, Amanda Thomson, Georgia Stedman-Pink and the candidates at Team Domenica in Summer 2023.

Methodology and Consultation
ACE Curriculum Framework
Overview
Adulthood
Competency
Employability
Mentoring
Baseline Assessment and Progress Monitoring
Monitoring the quality of teaching and learning
The full curriculum framework
Unit completion and time frames
Employability qualification pathways for two-year course
Employability qualification pathways for three-year course
The baseline report template
Observation record

This Curriculum Policy was written in July 2023 by Sara Fletcher, Education and Quality Lead, in consultation with the staff and candidates at Team Domenica. This first iteration of the policy has the intention of describing the existing practice across the provision at Team Domenica and identifying the essential skills that are at the core of a successful candidate journey. At the end of this policy there is an action plan for the further development of our practice during the 2023-24 academic year.

Within the research phase, an exercise was undertaken to break down the outcomes stated on the Education Health and Care Plans of current and previous cohorts to look at shared common needs. This provided an initial answer to the question “what do our candidates, as a cohort, need to learn?” A scrutiny of high frequency words is summarised in this chart:

Using EHCP data as an initial evidence-base indicated that it was essential that our curriculum provided frequent and meaningful opportunities for candidates to improve in all areas of communication, and through this develop greater confidence and independence so better securing the foundations of employability.

Staff were surveyed about the core knowledge, skills and experiences that were the most essential for candidates to master in order to be successful in gaining, and keeping, paid work. They were also asked to identify common barriers to this outcome. The staff survey included Teachers, Training Mentors and Café Training Staff, the Employment Team and operational roles such as marketing and fundraising. Communication and independence remained important themes, alongside traits such as resilience and flexibility. The staff team also raised issues around personal safety and advocacy and the need to teach rights and responsibilities as adults and as employees. The Employment Team contributed important themes about how progress in many areas could not, and should not, be expected to be linear and opportunities to experience challenges, setbacks and some failures were important.

A different approach was used to seek candidate views about their learning. A values-based approach was taken, asking candidates to identify the things about their journey that they had most remembered, and which had most helped them. These impactful elements indicated what candidates had internalised as meaningful, truly developmental aspects of their learning. Improved confidence was listed most, closely followed by a resultant feeling of growing independence. What also came through was the significance of a relational experience and a sense of belonging. The overall range of experiences, setting and opportunity across the provision was also identified as having added great value to the programme for many.

Moving forward, at our next review of our curriculum, our aim will be to include more direct input from employers.

These three exercises helped crystallise the idea that our curriculum needs to thoughtfully blend a skills-led approach with a commitment to individual personal development. We believe that our café curriculum does this by carefully structuring the training and teaching needed for candidates to master necessary employability skills and thus improve what they can do as employees; and by allowing for the support, experiences, reflection, and opportunity to develop personal qualities and attributes that enable them to be successful as employees, and as adults in the world.

Throughout all of our teaching and training and opportunity led work, every opportunity is taken to consider how we foster and further develop the key values and attributes of confidence, independence and belonging. For a number of candidates, their time at Team Domenica coincides with a move to more independent living arrangements, away from family, making these key attributes even more essential.

What do we mean by doing?

At the most fundamental level, our training plan is designed to take our candidates from not knowing how to do certain tasks or perform certain skills to be able to carry these things out to an agreed level of competency. This is the basis of most roles in most workplaces and, as employees, we have job descriptions that set out what we need to do and the impact this should have. With a model based on competency there are clear success criteria, and we can demonstrate clearly that these have been met. Under this aspect of our curriculum learners acquire knowledge and apply it, use demonstrable skills to perform to set expectations and can work within agreed expectations and boundaries. At Team Domenica we have created a unique set of interlinked environments to facilitate skills that build in transferability and application until, as far as is appropriate for each candidate, they are mastered and can be performed flexibly and with autonomy.

We recognise that this process has more implicit benefits for our learners – the experience of undertaking multimodal learning in different settings with different teachers and trainings causes internalised changes that supports learners in constructing themselves as successful, confident, and independent through being part of a shared and collaborative process.

What do we mean by being?

This internalisation of experience as this crucial stage of maturation means that for some candidates learning will shift beyond the concrete to becoming a shift in their habitual day-to-day characteristics. For example, a learner early in the programme may learn that a confident customer service worker greets customers with eye contact and a scripted greeting. Overtime and with a range of successful experiences this will become, for some, not just what they” must do” but “who they are”. By providing opportunity, modelling this explicitly and using approaches based on intrinsic reward, values and aspirations the staff at Team Domenica can nurture this growth and thus provide for more sustainable and resilient opportunities for the future.

Ways that we may do this include:

• Providing experiences with different levels of structure and support.
• Allow for plenty of repeated experience so skills become familiar and habitual.
• Provide varied opportunities for social interaction in different formal and informal settings.
• Allowing for opportunities to reflect upon and evaluate experiential learning and opportunity led learning.
• Helping candidates make connections between experiences.
• Understanding how environments/relationships relate to cognition, and making these as beneficial as circumstances allow.
• Showing that outcomes may not need to be “right” or “wrong” to be useful, sometimes the process is the most helpful element of an activity.
• Being open to cocreation of experience and open to learning alongside candidates.
• Taking time to understand the theoretical underpinning of the best learning models for our learners. Work has started with our partner educational psychologists from Brighton and Hove to deepen our understanding of constructivist, enhanced discovery and experiential learning models and where they are most useful within our provision, alongside our existing successful, more behavioural approaches, such as Systemic Instruction.

Year One

3 x work experience placements:
Café Training at Preston Road
Café Training at Plus X
Classroom Provision incl. RSHE
Enrichment

Year Two

Classroom Provision
Supported Internship 3 days/12 hours at work placement

Our ACE curriculum has three elements that are linked through both the structure of our programme and the needs, abilities and situation of individual candidates. For example, many candidates may not be ready to show progress through the Employment Curriculum until they are in a Supported Internship with a job coach in the second year of the programme, others may have demonstrated some attainment in this area during their Year One Work Experiences.

The elements are:

Adulthood

Competency

Employability

Adulthood

The subject areas within Adulthood are:

This element is delivered through a mix of direct teaching, mentoring and experiential opportunity. Careful attention is given to progress in this element as too many stuck areas here could indicate significant barriers to success in the workplace. It is important to note that, over this element the emphasis is on the use of concrete strategies to problem solve and manage challenges.

Competency

This element has two parts. The first is mainly delivered through our café training programme and focus on training candidates in concrete skills related to café work.

The subjects in this part of the curriculum are:

While the primary aim is skills mastery, this element also prepares candidates to think about themselves as learners, develops their capacity to reflect on learning and plan for next steps and internalise a model of themselves as successful learners and workers. While there are personal and social skills listed the emphasis is on how these are done and put into practice at work. Success in the Competency element of the programme is a useful indicator of positive outcomes in later employment.

The second part of this element relates to the functional skills of Numeracy, Literacy, Communication and ICT. The primary task of this element is to provide our candidates with increased confidence and competency in accessing information, communicating and being numerate in relation both to the workplace and adult life. This element is mainly delivered in the classroom by our team of qualified and experienced teachers, who also oversee that other provision is delivered in line with learners’ capabilities, for example, a teacher would observe and participate in café sessions and guide those involved to use realistic targets for skills such as “access/read allergen advice”. It is a clear intention of Team Domenica to accredit functional skills in order to give candidates externally validated recognition of their functional levels, however our programme offers the flexibility for candidates to be working towards outcomes based on individual goals in all or part of this element. Our baseline process (page….) is used to establish this and describe the specific programme for each learner.

The subjects in the Functional Skills element are:
Number
Application of Number
Reading
Writing
Listen and Respond
Speak to communicate
Engage in Discussion
ICT

Employability

This element of the curriculum is the backbone of our Supported Internship Programme and of year 2, although work on the Adulthood and Functional Elements will continue as necessary and for some learners Competency Elements may have still have relevance depending on the nature of their timetable and placement.

The subjects are:

Baseline assessment of this element starts when a candidate is on their first work experience. This element is highly personalised – some subjects are a set of general skills, but most are set for the specific context in which the candidate is working. Where appropriate and helpful there will also be consideration around supporting candidates to further internalise personal and social traits such as resilience and flexibility, for others maintaining given strategies as concrete skills will continue to be the aim.

Adulthood

The taught parts of this element are RSHE (relationship, sex and health education) and Enrichment. Each of these have a Lead Practitioner and their work is overseen by our Pastoral Lead.

RSHE is taught in small groups in the classroom for a half day. Enrichment is a full day with a mix of class and community-based activities involving several partner organisations and visitors. Delivery focuses both on imparting knowledge and in building our key skills in confidence, independence and belonging.

An improvement action for 2024 is to implement a new curriculum for Year 2 candidates.

Confidence – Candidates will gain confidence on a range of RSHE topics using role play, mind mapping, games, activities, presentations, workshops etc. Speaking in front of a group will allow candidates to practise speaking skills that will be beneficial for the future in terms of employment and community engagement.

Communication – RSHE discussions and role play will help candidates with their communication skills. Covering topics relating to mental, physical health and wellbeing as well as relationships, social life and independence will allow candidates to understand and better articulate what their needs and wants are in their personal and professional lives. Candidates will work with each other during games and activities to build on their communication skills.

Independence – RSHE topics will help candidates explore their independence. Candidates will learn about practical skills, managing money, living in the wider world and aspects about human rights and diversity, all of which will help candidates to live more independent lives.

Health and Wellbeing – The RSHE curriculum will cover personal and social wellbeing in the community as well as life skills for the future. Sex and relationship education will help our candidates learn how to be safe and develop healthy relationships. Candidates will be able to understand and manage their emotions, look after their mental health and wellbeing, and be able to develop positive, healthy relationships with their peers.

Belonging – Candidates will use teamwork to explore RSHE topics and support each other to learn new knowledge and practice new skills. Throughout RSHE, candidates will have the opportunity to work together, share ideas and learn from each other’s unique life experiences. Understanding and celebrating our differences will help ensure candidates are able to help educate others in the future through an open minded and supportive approach.

Community inclusion – The RSHE curriculum will give candidates new knowledge about themselves and their lives within the wider community and the understanding to positively participate in our diverse society. Candidates will be encouraged to develop their sense of self-worth by positively contributing to the wider community. Visitors such as the police/fire department, Gig Buddies/Stay Up Late, and Grace Eyre will complement our RSHE curriculum to offer additional learning as well as to be an extension of the community at large. These outside providers and speakers are a great way for candidates to see examples of ways they can participate in their communities and connect with like-minded individuals. Candidates will gain an understanding and appreciation for differences and diversity as well as a sense of self-worth and an appreciation for the unique skills they can offer their communities. Candidates will gain awareness of the various community groups and services available to them.

Candidates will have personal binders that will contain relevant RSHE content such as the ‘Easy Read Healthy Relationship Workbook,’ and the ‘Snail Healthy Relationships Workbook.’ Candidates will also receive handouts and materials from the PSHE association. Using workbooks, handouts, and guided discussion, candidates will develop resilience and critical thinking skills relating to their lives and day to day wellbeing. A general concept will be introduced which will be followed by discussion and practice. Candidates’ knowledge on RSHE topics will be evaluated and any topic refinement necessary will be determined. RSHE will be taught by terms with an overarching theme for each of the six terms. Each group will be studying the same unit at the same time at their own level.

By the time candidates finish RSHE, they should be able to approach a range of real-life situations and apply their skills and knowledge to help navigate themselves through modern life. Candidates will have gained a better understanding of themselves and the world around them that will help them on their path to becoming healthy, respectful, open minded, socially and morally responsible, active members of society.

Term One: Personal Safety

We begin with personal safety because safeguarding and feeling safe and supported is a central part of our ethos at Team Domenica. It is important that early in the academic year in RSHE, we address how to keep ourselves safe both at home and in the community. In the first term we work on setting boundaries, creating RSHE ground rules, defining and discussing safeguarding as well as online safety, abuse and Prevent. For our candidates to move through the RSHE Curriculum successfully, it is imperative that they understand how to keep themselves safe and how to speak up for themselves if they feel unsafe.

Term Two: Personal Care and Wellbeing

Once candidates have completed the Personal Safety unit, the next term topic is Personal Wellbeing. Within personal wellbeing we cover topics relating to mental and physical health, understanding emotions, personal hygiene, and health and prevention. During this term candidates have the opportunity to explore who they are and learn about themselves and each other. This is especially beneficial when combined with the work candidates do in the café and the classroom. Part of coming to Team Domenica is figuring out what type of job you want as well as honing the skills needed to achieve those occupational goals. The personal wellbeing term helps provide the opportunity for self-reflection and exploration which is a crucial part of their Team Domenica journey.

Term Three: Relationships

Once you know yourself better, now we provide a chance for candidates to learn about their relationships and the personal connections they have in their own lives. Candidates participate in discussions and activities surrounding healthy and unhealthy relationships, different types of families, and family values. We look at friendship, dating, sex, LGBTQIA+ rights and importance as well as consent. Having established how to keep safe, look after their physical and mental health, the relationships term gives candidates the opportunity to think about themselves in relation to those around them and reflect on those who are important to them.

Term Four: Social Life

By this term, candidates will have learned about keeping safe, wellbeing, and relationships. They will hopefully have a greater understanding about themselves and their personal relationships which provides a strong foundation for looking at social life. RSHE groups think about the way we fit into society, the importance of effective communication, pink and red flags, drugs, alcohol and how to have a safe social life. Workshops and guest speakers from groups such as Gig Buddies and Stay Up Late help supplement the RSHE curriculum.

Term Five: Practical Skills and Independence

The fifth term is all about practical skills and independence. Candidates have moved through safety, wellbeing, relationships and social life, and continue to build on ideas about themselves and those around them. In order to feel more independent, we focus on certain practical skills and money management that better allow for candidates to attain higher levels of independence. A large part of this term is also focused on understanding fundamental British values, human rights, respect for other cultures, workplace and vocational skills and being a responsible citizen. These topics are enhanced by the work that is being done with candidates in the café and in the classroom. This term further helps prepare candidates for their futures in the workforce.

Term Six: My Life, My Future

The final term is all about focusing on the future. Candidates are invited to consider their personal strengths, hobbies and interests, and reflect on community participation. This term looks at goal setting, the role of choice, overcoming challenges and how to critically evaluate positive and negative situations. This final term lends itself to putting all the pieces together. By this final term candidates should be more familiar with themselves including their health and wellbeing, have a better sense of how to maintain healthy relationships and active social lives. By the end of the year in RSHE, candidates will have worked together towards collective and individual goals, worked to improve their practical skills and independence, and planned for future goals and opportunities. This term-by-term progression is centred around the candidate and their individual life and experiences. It starts with them focusing on themselves, and builds to include those around them, and then the wider world around them.

Enrichment

What is it? Enrichment is designed to engage our candidates with the wider community and develop soft skills necessary for the workplace. Candidates set themselves targets in the following areas and work with the enrichment lead to decide themselves if they have achieved their target for the term.

Belonging – social interaction, group work, sharing ideas, understanding others.

Independence – thinking for oneself, self-advocacy, problem solving.

Communication – speaking and listening, taking turns, following instructions.

Confidence – trying new things, being brave, performing, leadership.

Resilience – flexibility, not giving up, learning from mistakes.

SEMH (social, emotional, mental health) – fitness, discovering new talent, interests and friendships.

Where is it? We run our Enrichment programme from One Church. It gives the candidates a consistent space they can feel safe in and make their own.

When is it? Enrichment runs all week from Monday – Friday, 09:00-15:00. We have a different candidate group each day to ensure everyone gets to access the provision. There is one activity in the morning and one in the afternoon.

What Providers? We use a handful of wonderful providers based in Brighton and Hove. We try to change the activities each term, so the candidates get an opportunity to reap the rewards from alternative sessions. Regular providers include Nam Yang (Japanese martial arts), yoga, drama, a variety of dance workshops, Cricket (Sussex Cricket Team), Capoeira, beach tennis and pottery.

Another important aspect of Enrichment is the way we connect our candidates to the wider community. Speak Out are a charity that visit us regularly. They make sure that people with learning disabilities can speak up and act about the things that matter to them. Carousel is dedicated to making learning disabled creativity a valued part of the cultural landscape. They came in to record podcasts with our candidates, these podcasts can now be listened to on Spotify! Amaze is a charity for families with disabled children. They visited each candidate group to give a presentation, answer any questions and invite them to community groups. One of our candidates has started volunteering for them as a result. A development task for the Enrichment Team is to devise a plan for initial travel training.

The taught parts of this element are class-based literacy and numeracy sessions and café training days. In the first year,  each candidate has one and a half days of café training overseen by a lead practitioner who records progress and sets targets via each candidate’s café passport. Candidates have one full day in the classroom with the teaching team and their curriculum plan is outlined below. This part of our work is overseen by our Education and Quality Lead.

Literacy and Numeracy

Our accredited curriculum is comprised of qualifications in employability, numeracy and literacy. Candidates spend one day in the classroom each week, generally working on their employability qualification in the morning and alternating between numeracy and literacy in the afternoon. They are usually taught by a single teacher supported by a training mentor, though some classes are shared with the teachers swapping over after lunch. It is our intention that candidates complete an accredited pathway but there are circumstances in which a learner may be working on a programme constructed around personal targets.

All units are presented to the candidate in the form of workbooks which are clearly set out as follows:

• A title page with qualification name, level, code and unit name and code.
• An assessment checklist showing GLH, learning objectives and assessment criteria for the unit. Candidates keep track of their own progress by entering the page numbers and completion date of their work. There is an authentication statement for candidates, assessor and IV to sign.
• A literacy page detailing our literacy standards, key words for the unit and our protocol for developmental and formative feedback.
• A feedback sheet for the assessor’s summative feedback and a space for candidate reflection.
• Body of the workbook with tasks clearly set out.
• An end of unit quiz.

Teaching activities include practical activities, group discussions, group and paired work, written tasks, question and answer, independent research, visits. Evidence in the form of photographic and video evidence, observations of performance and witness statements, together with written work is captured in the workbooks.

Numeracy and Literacy Qualifications

1.1 NOCN

We have chosen to work with NOCN for our numeracy and literacy qualifications for three reasons: Firstly, the range of units offered within the chosen qualifications has enabled us to select units which tie in well with our provision and are meaningful for candidates. Units are chosen in both numeracy and literacy to mirror our provision in café and work skills training. Secondly, assessment is by portfolio which is suitable for our candidates. Thirdly, the awards can be delivered over two years which ties in well with our two-year course.

2.2 Baseline and pathways

The first year (SEP) candidates undertake a series of baseline assessments in September of their first term. We currently use Open Awards Functional Skills sample assessments for our baseline assessments as follows:

Numeracy assessment: calculator and non-calculator papers.

Literacy Assessment: reading and writing assessments.

We assign numeracy and literacy levels to our candidates depending on prior knowledge and qualifications, results of our baseline assessments and conversations with the candidates. From here, we assign the level they will be working towards through from Entry Level 1 to Level 2.

Pathway for candidates taking a second year in SEP: they would be assessed by their teacher to see whether they should keep working at the same level or be raised to the next level. If raised to the next level, then they would still receive accreditation for the partial award completed.

Candidates who already have GCSE grade 1-4 in either maths or English are exempt from taking a formal qualification. These candidates either:

1. Follow the Level 2 work in class as the work is contextualised to fit in with our café training and work skills but with personal targets for achievement.
2. Undertake another qualification independently e.g, Level 1 or Level 2 Certificate in Food Hygiene and Safety.

Before starting work on the qualification, we teach our own in-house bespoke time management course called ‘Managing My Time’. This is because we feel that time management is such a key skill for young people aspiring to go into the workplace. A suitable unit is not available within the NOCN numeracy award.

Our time management course has three components taught over three afternoons:

Getting to know my timetable

During this session we check that candidates are familiar and comfortable with their new timetable, days of the week, am and pm.

My break times

This component focuses on how our café rotas work and helps candidates navigate the changes each week. Candidates learn how to manage their own break times by being able to read a digital clock and setting alarms on their phones. They learn the importance of having a break and that this is the law.

Getting to work on time

Candidates consider how they are going to get to their Team Domenica sessions on time in the mornings. They put together a morning routine and work out the time they need to get up. They consider whether there are preparations they can make the evening before to make the morning less rushed.

2.4 Literacy qualification

NOCN Award in English Skills (Entry Level 1 – Level 2)

According to NOCN “This qualification is vocationally based and offers the opportunity for learners to demonstrate an achievement of practical skills, understanding and knowledge in English. This qualification will enable learners to build confidence and provides a foundation for further study towards a GCSE in English, a Functional Skill in English, a move into em-ployment or as a steppingstone to higher level study. Learners will gain knowledge of communicating, reading and writing. These qualifications support government priorities to im-prove the standard of English and Maths. Completion of the NOCN Awards in English Skills (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2) does not mean that the learner has reached ful competence across the English curriculum at the level achieved, but it does show that the learner has made significant progress in improving competence in specific areas and rec-ognises the first steps of the journey that the learner needs.”

The award is a 6-credit qualification with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 60, including 60 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Year 1

Planning unit: All levels

Using information from baseline assessments, candidates identify strengths and weakness in literacy and identify areas they would particularly like to improve. This unit is revisited at the start of Year 2 and at the end of Year 2.

Reading texts unit: Entry level 1 – Level 2

Candidates are exposed to instructional, explanatory and persuasive texts with high vocational relevance for example, job adverts, recipes and safety signage.

Asking questions unit: Entry level 1 – Level 2

This unit is taught mainly within the context of delivering good customer service. Candidates also practise their communication skills through interviewing each other about their work placements. Evidence is recorded on video.

Writing unit: Entry level 1 – Level 2

Candidates learn about CVs and create their own CV using laptops. The unit also covers sending e-mails and text messages.

Year 2

Planning unit: All levels

The planning unit is reviewed at the start of year 2 and at the end of year 2.

Group discussion unit: Entry level 3 – Level 2*

Candidates take part in two group discussions with vocational themes for example ‘Which are the most important skills and qualities for the workplace’. Evidence is recorded on video.

* Entry level 1 and Entry level 2 candidates don’t require evidence for their award portfolio, but complete the unit anyway

Presentation skills unit: Level 1 – Level 2*

Candidates hone their presentation skills by preparing and delivering two presentations. Firstly, a presentation about their SIP placement, and secondly a presentation about a topic of their choice. These are presented in front of a live audience, and the candidates also present their SIP presentations to the SEPs in the year below. The presentations are recorded on video.

* Entry level 1, Entry level 2 and Entry level 3 candidates don’t require evidence for their award portfolio, but complete the unit anyway

Extra: Entry level 1 – Level 2

Towards the end of year 2, candidates update their CVs to include SIP placement information.

Our employability element again has two interlinked modes of delivery. Candidates work in the classroom towards Employability Qualifications, which are detailed at the end of this section. There is a lead teacher of this work who mentors our Supported Internship (SIP) candidates and works closely with Job Coaches to monitor individual progress.

Most of the work of this element is carried out during our supported internships with Job Coaches taking a lead role in supporting learners build on the more generalised skills learned in earlier parts of the Team Domenica ACE Curriculum and apply this learning to the specific workplace.

A Job Coach provides tailored support in the workplace for the duration of the Supported Internship. They ensure that the candidate fully understands the job requirements and can identify skills which require further development. The Job Coach visits the employer before the candidate’s start date to discuss the placement, walk through the role and meet the team. The Job Coach can help the employer make any reasonable adjustments that may be needed for the candidate. The Job Coach meets the candidate before the start of the Supported Internship. This is important for learning about the candidate’s specific needs and building a relationship, so the candidate feels secure working 1:1 with someone new.

The Job Coach will provide bespoke support which could include training in systematic instruction, modelling a task, regularly checking in to assess progress or to assist with any behavioural or emotional issues. Every week the Job Coach will set incremental targets with the candidate and identify ways this can be achieved. These are entered onto a weekly report along with a summary of the progress made that week. The Job Coach is also on hand to facilitate effective communication between the staff team and the candidate and is available to discuss any issues or concerns as the Supported Internship proceeds.

Every 6 weeks the Job Coach will attend a review meeting with the employer, candidate, Team Domenica teacher and a member of the Employment Team to discuss progress and plan for the following 6-week period.

As the candidate grows in confidence and aptitude over the course of the Supported Internship, and both the candidate and the employer are happy with progress, the Job Coach will determine an appropriate level of ‘fading’ to increase the independence of the candidate. The aim is for the candidate to be fully independent by the end of the Supported Internship and be ready to commence paid work.

Employability Qualifications

2.1 Open Awards

We have chosen to work with Open Awards for our employability qualifications for three reasons: Firstly, OA have experience in working with Supported Internship providers. Secondly, being based in Liverpool, their qualifications are rarely used in this area of the country and so we can provide fresh courses that candidates from this area are unlikely to have encountered before. Thirdly, assessment is by portfolio which is suitable for our candidates.

We have two suites of Open Awards qualifications for our SEP and SIP candidates enabling progression over two or three years if required.

• Award in Skills for Further Learning and Employment (SFLE)
• Award in Employability and Professional Development

2.2 Baseline and pathways

Candidates are allocated to an Entry Level 3 or Level 1 qualification SEP group. This judgement is made by staff based on candidates’ prior knowledge, qualifications and experience. Occasionally we have Entry Level 1 candidates who are allocated to the Entry 3 SEP group. It is possible to move candidates between groups during the first three weeks of term.

First year (SEP) candidates are registered for:

Award in Skills for Further Learning and Employment (SFLE) – Entry 1, Entry 3 or Level 1

Second year (SIP) candidates are registered for:

Either      Award in Skills for Further Learning end Employment (SFLE) – Entry 3, Level 1 or Level 2

Or           Award in Employability and Professional Development – Entry 3 and Level 1

Typical pathways for candidates on the two-year programme are:

For the very small number of candidates who take two years to complete SEP, then in their second year they either progress onto the next level SFLE or their current award can be extended into a certificate. See appendices 3 and 4 for pathway diagrams.

2.3 Qualification: Skills for Further Learning and Employment Award (SFLE)

According to OA “The primary purpose of this qualification is to prepare learners for further learning or training”. This qualification offers learners a good starting point for their vocational education and training. It offers a mix of personal development and employability skills alongside an introduction to a range of vocational sectors.

Ofqual Purpose: Recognise personal growth and engagement in learning.

Ofqual Sub-Purpose: Recognise development of employability skills and/or knowledge.

Each qualification is comprised of a mandatory unit, employability units and vocational pathway units. We can match the employability units with our aim of getting candidates ‘work-ready’. The pathway units match our café training/hospitality provision. Details are as follows:

Entry Level 1 Award in SFLE

The award is a 6-credit qualification with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 60, including 60 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Mandatory unit: Personal Action Planning

Candidates are encouraged to recognise some of their own strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement, then identify a possible target for improvement.

Employability unit: First Steps in Communicating with Others.

Basic communication skills including being able to indicate acknowledgement of a greeting and when someone has said goodbye, be part of an audience and demonstrate interest.

Vocational pathway unit: Preparing Drinks and Snacks

This unit complements our café training enabling candidates to demonstrate that they can prepare food and drinks safely.

Entry Level 3 Award in SFLE

The award is a 6-credit qualification with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 60, including 60 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Mandatory unit: Personal Action Planning

Candidates are encouraged to recognise their own strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement, identify two targets for improvement, then create, carry out and review an action plan.

(Note: This unit lacks substance and should be delivered in conjunction with some of the Learning Objectives from the L1 mandatory unit ‘Developing Own Interpersonal Skills’)

Employability unit: Understanding a Work Experience Placement

This unit complements the work experience undertaken by candidates. Focusing on one of their placements, candidates are asked to find out the purpose of the organisations and their role within it. They have to be able to demonstrate suitable personal presentation and behaviours, understand and follow safe working practices and be able to carry out tasks appropriate to their role.

Vocational pathway unit: Serving Food and Drink

This unit complements our café training enabling candidates to demonstrate that they can prepare drinks and snacks safely and are able to work as part of a food and drinks service team. We use SMILE therapy to deliver this unit which entails use of video recordings of ‘before’ and ‘after’ to demonstrate progress.

Level 1 Award in SFLE

The award is a 9-credit qualification with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 90, including 72 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Mandatory unit: Developing Own Interpersonal Skills

The central theme of this unit is developing candidates’ ability to get on with people in the workplace. Objectives include identifying one’s own strengths and weaknesses, good time management, being confident and displaying appropriate body language, being able to take criticism, assertiveness and dealing with stress.

Employability unit: Work-Based Placement

This unit complements the work experience undertaken by candidates. Candidates are asked to make choices about which work placements they would like to try, then focussing on one of their placements, they create an action plan for the placement. They learn about the health and safety requirements in their placement and what to do in the event of an accident. At the end of the placement, they reflect on the value of the placement and how the placement has helped to inform decisions about their future in work.

Vocational pathway unit 1: Introduction to Barista Skills

This unit complements our café training enabling candidates to demonstrate that they can prepare a range of hot drinks safely. Candidates learn about the different products made by baristas and the ingredients required to make these products. They learn about the coffee roasting process. They learn the 25-stage process in making coffees including all the cleaning stages and associated health and safety considerations. Finally, they learn about the importance of customer service in the barista role. This unit includes a trip to our Roastery, a trip to a café to see how customer service is delivered elsewhere, and lots of practical coffee-making experience in our cafes.

Vocational pathway unit 2: Kitchen Equipment

This unit complements our café training enabling candidates to demonstrate that they know how to identify and use a range of hand tools, medium and large items of kitchen equipment safely and hygienically.

Level 2 Award in SFLE

The award is a 9-credit qualification with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 90, including 67 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Mandatory unit: Developing Own Interpersonal Skills

This unit revisits the themes in the level 1 qualification, but one year on, and with SIP approaching, the objectives are examined within the context of working in candidates’ chosen sectors. The central theme of this unit is developing candidates’ ability to get on with people in the workplace. Objectives include identifying one’s own strengths and weaknesses, good time management, being confident and displaying appropriate body language, being able to take criticism, assertiveness and dealing with stress.

Employability unit 1: Effectiveness at Work

This unit allows candidates the chance to reflect on their own practice now that they are in work as they are asked to identify ways to behave effectively in work, represent their companies effectively outside of work and also asks candidates to document ways in which they have interacted effectively and appropriately with their colleagues.

Employability unit 2: Personal Presentation in the Workplace

This unit focuses on how candidates should present themselves at work not only in an aesthetic sense but also in terms of how they should present them-selves when interacting with colleagues and customers – both when speaking to them and communicating in writing. The unit also asks candidates to con-sider their body language at work.

Employability unit 3: Researching Employment Opportunities

This unit asks candidates to explore different types of paid and unpaid roles and the characteristics of the different types of contacts that typically come with different roles. Candidates are also asked to search for real jobs online which match their own credentials and create a mock introductory email.

Vocational pathway unit: Principles of Customer Service in the Hospitality Sector

This unit focuses on what constitutes excellent customer service in the hospitality sector and asks candidates to assess how they would meet different customers’ needs and expectations as well as highlighting where customers’ expectations face limitations on how their needs can be met. Candidates also discuss how organisational procedures can positively impact customer service.

2.4 Qualification: Employability and Professional Development

According to OA “The primary purpose of this qualification is to recognise development of employability skills and/knowledge”. This qualification has been designed to either support learners with their active search for employment or aid them in their professional development whilst in the workplace. The qualification addresses the increased demand, as an outcome of a changing economy and competitive global environment, for employees across all sectors to be proficient in the application of generic and transferable employability skills. The qualification will enable learners to develop skills attributes, behaviours and values, which contribute to increased confidence and motivation and enable sustained and successful employment.

Ofqual Purpose: Prepare for further learning or training and/or develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area.

Ofqual Sub-Purpose: Prepare for further learning or training

Each qualification is comprised of Employability units and Professional Development units. At least one credit must be obtained in each of these categories. This qualification ties in well with preparing candidates for work and experiencing reviews and appraisals. Details are as follows:

Entry Level 3 Award in Employability and Professional Development

The award is a 6-credit qualification with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 60, including 60 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Employability unit: Job Search

This unit asks candidates to research different places where they can find employment support and asks them to find four different job adverts which match their personal profile. Candidates must then identify key information in the job adverts and are asked to discuss different types of contracts.

Prof. Development unit 1: Appraisals and Target Setting

In this unit candidates reflect on their own work placement and identify strengths and weaknesses ahead of their termly workplace review meetings. Candidates describe how to behave appropriately in workplace meetings and set themselves work action plans and work-based targets to help them achieve their goals.

Prof. Development unit 2: Managing Stress in the Workplace

This unit focuses on candidates identifying their own symptoms of stress and possible causes of stress at work, as well as strategies they can use both in and outside of work to alleviate stress. As part of this unit, candidates peer review each other’s methods that they use to regulate themselves when they are stressed.

Level 1 Award in Employability and Professional Development

The award is a 6-credit qualification with a Total Qualification Time (TQT) of 60, including 48 Guided Learning Hours (GLH).

Employability unit: Job Search

This unit asks candidates to research different places where they can find employment support and asks them to find four different job adverts which match their personal profile. Candidates must then identify key information in the job adverts and are asked to discuss different types of contracts.

Prof. Development unit 1: Making the Most of Appraisals and Reviews

In this unit candidates reflect on their own work placement and identify strengths and weaknesses ahead of their termly workplace review meetings. Candidates describe how to behave appropriately in workplace meetings and set themselves work action plans and work-based SMART targets to help them achieve their goals.

Prof. Development unit 2: Managing Stress in the Workplace

This unit focuses on candidates identifying their own symptoms of stress and possible causes of stress at work and strategies that they can use both in work and when they are not at work to alleviate stress. As part of this unit candidates peer review each other’s methods that they use to regulate themselves when they are stressed.

At Team Domenica the purpose of mentoring is to support a candidate in their journey through the Team Domenica programmes. In the first year, when a candidate is on the Supported Employment programme they are allocated personal mentors and are timetabled to have weekly 1-1 sessions. In the second year on the Supported Internship, candidates are allocated a different mentor who, with their Job Coach, mentors them through the internship into employment

Mentoring is done in a collaborative way with the aim that with guidance, candidates will learn to take ownership of these sessions. There are two types of mentoring that happen, pastoral mentoring which supports the candidate with their social, emotional, and mental health needs and academic mentoring which is about target setting linked to areas of the curriculum and EHCPs. Candidates are supported to lead on setting their own targets, some are able to do this independently, others need guidance.

The aim of mentoring is to give candidates the skills to think independently, manage themselves and problem solve.

Confidence, Independence and Wellbeing

Confidence

• What successes have you had this week?
• What skills have you used/tried/improved in?
• What problems have you fixed/overcome?
• What have you learned?
• What new things have you encountered?

Independence

• Who has helped you this week?
• How did you ask for help?
• What have you done without help?
• How did that go?
• What next?
• What decisions are coming up and how are you going to tackle them?

Wellbeing

• How hopeful are you feeling?
• Are you thinking about the future, who is doing this with you?
• Are you feeling safe/well?
• Do you feel respected and understood at TD this week?

Candidates join Team Domenica at different ages and with different life experiences. Our admissions process allows us to get to know candidates well and make good judgements as to their suitability for our programme, however a thorough, holistic baseline is essential is we are to support progress across our full curriculum, target interventions and personalise the candidate journey to employment.

September

In September and before candidates start their programme the full curriculum team meet and start to fill out the Baseline Assessment Report for each learner by completing a pen portrait, sharing the outcomes on the Education and Health Care Plan and noting prior attainment. A full day is given over to this so that teaching and training teams are well prepared for each learner and the needs of the incoming cohort are understood. This day also allows for resources and equipment to be ordered or modified before teaching starts. In addition, a note is made of other important documentation on the learner, such as any medical notes and risk assessments. This means that all information is summarised in one place, with links used to take necessary staff to more detailed information if needed.

Later in September, as explained elsewhere in this document various methods are used to triangulate any given literacy and numeracy levels. Teacher moderated levels are included in the baseline reports.

Also, over September a copy of our Curriculum Framework is completed for each learner for the Adulthood and Competency elements of our curriculum. This gives an indication of the areas in which teaching and training teams need to use their more detailed tracking tools to set targets. Over the year updated versions of the plan are saved so that headline progress can be monitored, one significant advantage is that while those responsible for specific subjects can update this framework, all staff can have an overview of the candidate as a whole and understand what is going on for each individual across our provision, allowing for highly personalised interventions, challenges and support to be instigated rapidly.

The Baseline Assessment generates the Personal Learning Agreement, which is signed by the candidate.

The timeline for the year is…

October 15th: Baseline Assessment Report and Personal Learning Agreement completed for each learner.

December 10th: Progress Review 1 completed for each learner.

February 9th: Progress Review 2 completed for each learner – baseline of Employability Element Underway.

April 26th: Progress Review 3 completed for each learner.

July 5th: Progress Review 4 completed for each learner.

1. The full curriculum framework
2. Unit completion and time frames
3. Employability qualification pathways for two-year course
4. Employability qualification pathways for three-year course
5. The baseline report template
6. Observation record

To read the full Curriculum Framework, please follow this link.

Lesson Expectations.

Each lesson should have:

1. Start each lesson with a ‘Today I am learning’ on the board and ask ‘Why?’ (To prompt discussion/understanding)
2. Do any purple pen marking at the start of each week.
3. Prime candidates so they have a clear understanding of why they are learning what they are learning.
4. Ask yourself – ‘what is most impactful for the learners?’
5. Include a recap of what they have learnt before.
6. Formative assessment during the lesson – e.g., through Q&A
7. When work is complete, learners tick off their assessment checklist.
8. End the lesson with a summary of what had been learnt.
9. Encourage learners to engage with visitors who walk in the door – welcome to our lesson – how can we help you?
10. Evidence can be in the form of:
    a) Videos/Photographs
    b) Observation of performance
    c) Questioning (written or oral)
    d) Practical Activities
    e) Personal statements
    f) Project work
    g) Worksheets
    h) Witness testimonies
    i) Group discussion
    j) Research
    k) Visits
    l) Recognition of Prior Learning

Unit Expectations. Each unit should have:

1. Front cover with qualification title, unit name, number and level, candidate name
2. Page 2 (Assessment Checklist) with contents and declarations signed – candidates to tick and date contents as they progress through the units; page numbers entered.
3. Page 3 – literacy page with 3 keywords and explanation of green, pink and purple pen marking. Also, explanation of spelling and grammar expectations.
4. Page 4 – feedback page. When the unit is complete the teacher completes a feedback page on page 4, with assessor comment, strengths and areas for development. There’s also a space for candidates to reflect by writing a response.
5. Final page with summative ‘End of Unit Quiz’ – mark out of 5 for half termly assessment record.
6. All pages to have the assessment criteria number.
7. Work to be marked with good comments in green, developmental feedback in pink, and candidate responses in purple. Aim for a green and a pink comment on every page.
8. Also, plenty of green ticks to acknowledge you have read the work.
9. Teacher to sign and date all comments – both green and pink comments – dating is very important to show that work has been marked and responded to in a timely manner.
10. Purple comments to be signed and dated with a ‘double green tick’ to differentiate from first round of marking.
11. Learners to write name and date on every sheet, and date purple comments.
12. Inclusion of:
    a) Witness statements
    b) Q and A sheets
    c) Photographs – clearly annotated by the candidate with name, date, AC and sentence to explain what the photo shows.
    d) Any posters of collaborative or group work to be clearly annotated with comments attributed to individual candidates.
    e) Scribes to sign/initial and date any scribed work

Timeframes

1. Work to be completed according to the timeframe set out by the IV.
2. Work is IV’d at intervals throughout the year.
3. Meetings with the teaching team are held fortnightly. Subjects for discussion include:
   Progress through the units
   Standardisation of work
   Training
4. Meeting with EV usually occurs midway through the year.
5. Registration of learners occurs during the October half term.
6. Results are uploaded at the end of the Summer Term

Teachers to use the ‘End of unit checklists’ and ‘teacher checklist’ to ensure all aspects of the unit are complete.

Teachers maintain record sheet for the whole group.

All workbooks to be proofread by another member of staff PRIOR TO USE to ensure that all above criteria are met.

Pre-verification of units is carried out and units are reviewed after the first time of teaching.

SOW or equivalent to be completed for every unit by the teacher writing the unit.

Year 1

E1 Award in SFLE

Year 2

E3 Award in SFLE

E3 Award in EMP and Prof

Year 1

E3 Award in SFLE

Year 2

E3 Award in EMP and Prof

L1 Award in SFLE

L1 Award in EMP and Prof

Year 1

L1 Award in SFLE

Year 2

L1 Award in EMP and Prof

L2 Award in SFLE

Year 1

E1 Award in SFLE

Year 2

E1 Cert in SFLE

E3 Award in SFLE

Year 3

E3 Award in SFLE

E3 Award in EMP and Prof

Year 1

E3 Award in SFLE

Year 2

E3 Cert in SFLE

E3 Award in EMP and Prof

L1 Award in SFLE

Year 3

E3 Award in EMP and Prof

L1 Award in SFLE

L1 Award in EMP and Prof

Year 1

L1 Award in SFLE

Year 2

L1 Award in SFLE

L1 Award in EMP and Prof

Year 3

L1 Award in EMP and Prof

L2 Award in SFLE