Success Stories
Bradford Youth Development Partnership
Positive role models in the community
Young people in Leeds have a unique opportunity to learn ‘ambassadorial skills which will help them to become more actively involved in their local communities and become positive role models.
In the process, they are also be able to gain a nationally recognised certificate to boost their future career prospects.
The idea for a Community Ambassador Skills course arose through consultation with members of the Leeds Muslim Youth Forum (LMYF) in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings and their links with the city.
Mohammed Kamran, Development Worker for the LMYF explained: “There was a real consensus among young Muslims that they wanted to engage with their communities and build better community relations but they felt they were lacking the skills to do it.”
Created by youth training specialists Bradford Youth Development Partnership (BYDP) in partnership with Open College Network Yorkshire & Humber Region, the course includes modules on community cohesion, conflict resolution, leadership, governance, public speaking and media training.
Successful completion of the course provides a NOCN Certificate at Level Two, the equivalent level to GCSE or NVQ2.
Salima Hafejee, Director of BYDP, said: “The skills that the young people learn on this course are valuable life skills that will help them in their home and working lives - as well as in their community involvement. This course is transferable to different groups in different settings.”
Health matters for Young People
The Leeds NHS Health and Wellbeing Programme is an innovative schools education programme, which helps vulnerable young people to gain a nationally recognised qualification while giving them vital healthcare information.
Combining information on health and access to health services with an opportunity to achieve educationally, the programme provides disadvantaged young people with a package of support which increases their confidence and motivation and generally improves their health and life chances.
Devised by health and education specialists in partnership with Open College Network, the programme now involves schools throughout Yorkshire and Humber and well over 3000 young people have been awarded certificates.
The 3000 milestone was reached at Primrose High School in Leeds, which was one of the first schools to introduce the programme.
Head teacher Tonia Bowden said: “To date more than 500 Primrose High pupils have successfully completed the programme, which is an important feature of our school curriculum.”
Lynda Ross-Field, education liaison manager for the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are proud of the fact that we are making a difference to the health and educational achievement of some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in our region."
She added: “There is no other awarding body which allows such flexibility in the production of portfolio evidence for accreditation. Our young people can express themselves in ways which are appropriate to them in order to demonstrate their learning. For example, if a person has written literacy problems they can produce oral evidence which is taped and then validated by an assessor. It is very often the case that students have achieved the learning and can use it in a variety of different environments but have problems in expressing that learning in the very rigid ways required by most awarding bodies.”
The Goodwin Volunteer Doula Project
Not all expectant mums are fortunate to have a partner, a relative or a friend to provide them with support through pregnancy and childbirth. Hopefully, though, they can call on the support of a doula!
Doulas are women experienced in childbirth who can provide physical, emotional and informational support to mothers before, during and immediately after childbirth.
In Hull, the Goodwin Volunteer Doula Project recruits and trains people to become volunteer doulas. It runs a six week training course, which consists of a two day active birth workshop and six two hour sessions on topics including confidentiality, child protection, domestic violence, health and safety, and working alongside health professionals.
Successful completion of the course earns people a nationally recognised Level 2 OCN qualification, which is equivalent to pass level at GCSE.
Project Manager, Heather Barnes, commented: “Our volunteer doulas come from all walks of life. While many are mums who just want to put something back, quite a few have ambitions to move on to nursing or midwifery and see this as a useful stepping stone. Having the course accredited by Open College Network gives these people valuable qualifications that can help them move on to other learning programmes."
“We are also hoping to develop the training course so that it delivers a Level Three OCN qualification, which is equivalent to an ‘A’ level.”
The Goodwin Volunteer Doula project is unique in the UK in that the doulas volunteer their services. While there are doulas in many areas of the country, they are commercial ventures that charge for their doula services.