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Social Support Policy – Theory and Practice
The text of this training paper has been transcribed for the Web. Click on the links
below to go to the paragraph you need:-
Amity's Social Support Policy: Have you heard of it? Do you know what it is? Are you
doing it?
By the time you finish this tuition note the answer to all the above questions will be
"yes", but just as important, you will also know why we have a Social Support
Policy.
At its simplest, Social Support can be defined as the identification of a Student's problems or needs, and the provision of advice or other
help to enable them to be tackled.
In practice it's a little more complicated, and this note explores some of the
ramifications.
We need to start with our Students. The typical Amity Student has special educational problems; they are such that
conventional Adult Education Classes cannot cope. In short, our Students
need to commit themselves to literacy work for a lengthy period, possibly several years if
they are to succeed in their literacy goals.
A commitment of this nature is a major decision, and one, which is easy to break. Yet
we all know Students at the Clubs who have made this commitment
and stuck to it. This is no accident, there are many features about our style of operation
which reinforce this dedication. However it is the Social Support Policy which provides
the "Glue" which binds them all together. But before we look at the glue, we
must first look at the ingredients.
There are many contributory factors, and they include:-
 | We call them Clubs because you join a Club rather than
attend a class. As a Student you also get the chance to learn
that you are not alone in your reading problems, which reduces the sense of isolation.
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| For our Students, there is no doubt about it, the immediate
feedback given by one to one tuition is absolutely vital. It enables us to tailor our work
to the individual needs of the individual Student, and adjust
them on a dynamic basis. If it isn’t working, you try something else. |
| This is fundamental, and is enshrined in our Constitution.
Not only is it a measure of respect, it is also common sense that if you are using
material a Student wants to work with, they will be more
strongly motivated to learn. With the right approach, there is very little material that
is entirely inappropriate. |
| We hold our Clubs in Community Buildings, such as Libraries, by choice. We were offered
School premises out of hours, and have experimented with them. But the reality is that for
many of our Students, Schools are where their failure occurred,
and we do not wish to remind them. |
| Although it is dreadful to say so, some of our Students are
so protected at home, that they are little more than the "family pet". They have
no chance to develop their personality. At our Clubs this is not the case, Students are respected as individuals, we listen to their views,
and they get the chance to express their personality with us in a way that is impossible
at home or at work. It is with "psychological freedom in psychological safety"
that our Students get the opportunity to mature.
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| Our Social Support Policy is entirely Student driven. It is
their needs and requirements, which trigger our involvement. There is also a
"ladder" of activity in which you, the Volunteer can progressively get
involved:- |
| This is the first rung on the ladder. Your Student will tell
you about their concerns and needs, and the simple process of articulating them will be
beneficial, acting as a kind of release. Little more than simple encouragement is needed
at this stage, and that may be all that is required. |
| The second rung is a more pro-active
role. Here you can provide advice, guidance and support based upon common sense and your
own literacy skills.
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| Examples could be; helping to fill out
a form; choosing a present for a friend's wedding; or explaining how the new Council Tax
works.
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| Help could even extend outside the
Club; I once helped a Student get measured for a suit, because
he didn't know what was involved. The next time he went on his own.
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| When you reach the stage of active
Counselling, be sure to tell your Supervising Tutor what is
going on, particularly if you are planning a meeting outside Clubs hours.
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| The third rung involves active support
for the Student in addressing their problems, outside the Club
venue, and utilising the full resources of the organisation.
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| As a Volunteer,
you will have discussed the matter jointly with your Supervising Tutor and Student. The Supervising Tutor in turn
will discuss it with Central Office and a plan of action will be agreed.
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| At every stage it is the wishes of the Student, which are paramount and their best interests is our
touchstone for action.
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| Club resources are slender, so we do
not throw cash at problems. However, contacts, knowledge and influence are powerful tools
to bring to bear, and we are skilful in their application. Amongst our tools we include
the ability to invoke outside help, the writing of letters and references, acting as
representatives, or character witnesses, attending at Court or Case Conferences, the
obtaining of legal advice, and much more. In short, as with much of our work, we tailor
our input to the perceived needs of the Student.
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The organisation of the Club evening is designed specifically to facilitate our Social
Support Policy in a number of ways:-
| This early part of the session allows both Student and Volunteer to recap on the weeks events, and is often the stage
at which a concern or need is first revealed. |
| This is another opportunity for informal chat, in a group context. It is often useful in
highlighting problems, some of which may be shared amongst several individuals, and not
just Students! |
| As your Student's Volunteer, you
will readily see whether or not they are paying attention, or are distracted. There is
little point continuing tuition if a Student is not paying
attention, so it is well worthwhile spending time finding out what the problem is, and
starting on the first rung of the Social Support ladder. |
The benefits come in a variety of forms:-
| Nobody likes problems, but we all get a kick out of sorting them out. It provides a
"feel-good factor". |
| Not all problems can be solved. However, for a Student to
have their problems taken seriously by you their Volunteer,
and by the Club, is a sign of respect. It develops and reinforces dignity and maturity in
adversity. |
| The Student will respect the help given. Unconsciously, if
not overtly, they will link the benefits of Social Support to the potential for benefit in
their literacy work. At this point you may well see a jump forward in their skills level.
Remember, learning is very much a matter of sudden advances followed by a plateau of
consolidation. |
| At the beginning of this page I asked
three questions about our Social Support Policy: Have you heard of it? Do you know what it
is? Are you doing it?
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| Now, you have heard of it and know what
it is. Interestingly, you may well have found, in part at least you have been doing
it already. After all, much of it is plain common sense; if you are working in the
supportive club environment fostered by Amity.
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| However, the major gain is a greater
understanding of "Why we have a Social Support Policy", as well as how it is
implemented.
|
Philip Glascoe
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