Connecting Families:

As part of a new initiative we worked on called ‘Connecting Families’, a free tablet device with internet connectivity was given to a vulnerable family who we know would really benefit from it.

 

With a focus on improving the lives of the children and young people in the household. ACDA Skills Training set up and distributed devices specifically for disadvantaged families with children who are most in need.

 

As part of the service, we will also provided initial and ongoing support to those families who receive devices to support their children, by using the device to keep healthy and safe online, use essential services, manage their financial health and connect to family and friends.

 

 

 

 

Reducing Parental Conflict:

ACDA Skills Training helped parents learn how to resolve conflict at home more successfully and make them more self-aware of how their words and actions as parents can affect their children indirectly without really thinking about it. 

We provided training to help parents and carers to learn how to resolve conflict at home more successfully and make them more self-aware of how their words and actions as parents can affect their children indirectly without really thinking about it through the ‘See it Differently’ videos and training.

Skills like ‘Staying calm’, ‘Speaking for yourself’ and ‘Re-thinking how you say things’ can change how things play out in households and let parents, their family and their children see it differently.

The aim of this intervention was to help parents recognise, identify and reflect on conflictive behaviour so that they can make things better in the future.

We offered this free support to a number of local schools and children's centres who we were working with. The resources and content were produced by an organisation called OnePlusOne who are trying to find out how families get along, the challenges they face, and to see how we can help families get on better.

 

 

Digital Financial Inclusion 

We partnered on this project with CleanSlate in helping to improve the financial wellbeing of low-income households to become better off.

We helped individuals take control of their finances by working with them on a one-to-one basis on their budgeting and helping to check if they are getting all the financial support they are entitled to. 

Virtual support was available to support eligible participants ‘Future Proof their Finance’ using a range tried and tested tools and resources. Guidance and recommendations are made on areas that the individual could work on to help them understand and manage their finances more confidently.

As part of this project we also assisted in providing relevant skills and training to people at risk of or affected by poverty and/or unemployment so that they can make informed choices about their finances and can continue to provide for themselves and their family.

 

 

 

 

Playing and Learning to Socialise (PALS):

We have previosuly offered a 10-week evidence-based programme called 'Playing and Learning to Socialise’ (PALS) which is aimed at children aged 4 to 6 years old who have difficulties with social interaction and display one or more of the following behaviours e.g. shyness, aggression, stubbornness, difficulty making friends etc.

The program wass designed to help young children develop a range of social behaviours that will help them develop friendships and get along with others.

Sessions activities involved using puppets, watching a short video, listening to songs, using props, playing short games, story-telling, role-play to teach the children the various skills with short feedback and home exercises given to parents/ carers/ guardians in a group at the end of each session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E-Safety

We have also delivered E-Safety training to schools on how to keep parents/ carers and their children safe when online.

We did this by offering workshops and training to help individuals gain the skills and knowledge they need to keep themselves safe so they can experience the Internet positively and responsibly using resources from Internet Matters and other well-known organisations.

During the workshop parents / carers gained an understanding of:

• how technology is changing and its effects

• what children and young people do online

• the risks that technology can pose

• which children are more vulnerable

• what we can do as individuals

 

 

 

 

 

DevicesDotNow

Our organisation was part of a network coordinating industry action through a new initiative, DevicesDotNow, targeting the 1.7 million households who don’t have access to the internet and are digitally excluded as we face a socially distanced world gripped by COVID-19.

 

As part of this initiative, a free tablet device with internet connectivity was given to a vulnerable person who we knew would benefit from it.

 

ACDA Skills Training worked closely with a number of services to help identify vulnerable individuals who were eligible and who would really benefit from having access to a device with internet connection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

English My Way

‘English My Way’ is a pre-entry level ESOL programme which has been developed by Things Foundation (the organisation that manage the UK Online Centres network) in partnership with BBC Learning and the British Council, funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

 

'English My Way' focused on supporting adults with no or low levels of English to improve their confidence in speaking English so that they can better integrate with their local communities through an effective mixture of tutor and/ or volunteer-led learning sessions. Topics included: 'All About Me', 'Daily Life', 'Out and About', 'My Child's School', 'Healthcare (At the Doctors)', 'Where I Live', 'Shopping', 'Accessing Local Services' and 'Things I Want to Do'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital Skills Training

Alongside the ESOL programme ACDA also delivered Digital Skills (Basic IT training) at a number of libraries in Ealing, Hillingdon, Harrow and in Hounslow, again at no cost to the centre or the learners.

 

The Digital Skills sessions were delivered on a ‘drop-in’ basis. The only eligibility requirement was that learners have to be adults (aged 18+). The Digital Skills sessions were ideal for those individuals who want to improve their IT skills and become more confident with using computers and being on-line. 

 

The drop-in sessions covered a number of topics including: how to set up an email account, using search engines, searching and applying for jobs, using Universal Jobsmatch, using social media e.g. Facebook, accessing health information through the NHS website, on-line shopping, banking and how to be safe online, etc. The course content for the Basic IT course was delivered through an effective mixture of online learning as well as one-to-one support.

 

 

Directions West London

As part of a London Councils and ESF funded Programme called 'Directions West London', ACDA Skills Training offered Education, Training and Employment support to individuals living in Ealing, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Richmond and Brent.

We also offered specialist support for those who were homeless, experiencing issues with mental health or with drugs and alcohol addiction.

 

The Directions West London Training and Employment service provided:

• a dedicated and supportive adviser

• a comprehensive assessment

• advice, guidance & information on courses, volunteering and work

• help with setting goals and planning ahead

• personal development sessions

• pre-employment skills support and job search strategies

• regular reviews and on-going support