For work and your wellbeing

Our staff our always on hand to provide support before, during and after your course. If you have a health, disability or a financial concern that could affect your learning, please let us know so we can give you support to help you complete your course successfully. We would like to give you the support you need as soon as possible, so please give as much information as you can when you book your course.

You can also speak to your lecturer or our learning centre staff during your course. Your lecturer can help you decide how/if the course content, equipment and materials can be adapted to meet your needs.

Laptop loans for our learners

We understand that it can be hard to access a computer to keep up with your learning. To help, we have a new laptop loan service and we are exploring ways to help with internet access too.

Thanks to a grant from the Greater London Authority, we currently have 300 laptops to loan to our learners. Ask about our laptop loans – and free digital skills support – during your free course assessment.

Your health and learning needs: additional help while you learn with us

If you have a health concern or disability that could affect your learning, please let us know. We can give you support to help you complete your course successfully.

We would like to give you the support you need as soon as possible, so please give as much information as you can when you book your course.

You can also speak to your lecturer or our learning centre staff during your course. Your lecturer can help you decide how/if the course content, equipment and materials can be adapted to meet your needs.

Further assessments

We want you to get the most out of our courses and training. You might need to do extra learning assessments so you can tell us more about your needs. We can then give you more support, or suggest another course or learning provider. If you are worried about learning with us, please ask our staff for advice before the start of your course.

Learner Support Fund

The Learner Support Fund is for low-paid learners who are equally likely to experience financial hardship as those who are unemployed.

Eligibility

To apply you must be resident in the borough and receiving working tax credits.

What help with costs is available?

The fund can help with the following:

• Exam/accreditation costs.
• The fund will pay up to 70% of course fees.
• Equipment/materials.
• Set text books.
• Childcare.

More information about the Learner Support Fund.

We can provide a range of equipment such as:

• Brailing machines.
• Computer hardware and software.
• Hearing loops.
• Magnifiers.

We can provide support staff, for example:

• Communicators.
• Learning Support Assistants.

Support can also include help with:

• Computer skills.
• Dyslexia support.
• English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL).
• Numeracy.
• Study skills.
• Writing – for example, with course work.
• Computer skills.

Childcare

The service has access to a small amount of funding that can be used to contribute towards the fees of an Ofsted registered childcare provider for some learners attending certain government approved courses with us.

This is a very flexible option, enabling the service to help parents and carers with childcare in the evenings and weekends as well as during the weekdays.

Funding is for childcare for children below the age of two who meet the criteria to receive the Free Early Education Entitlement once their child reaches the age of two years.

You may be eligible for this help if you have children receiving Free School Meals or if you currently receive Working Tax Credit and have a household income between £20,963 to £25,000 and you live in London or a household income between £17,004 to £25,000 and you live out of London.

To find out if you are eligible for this option, please contact us using the details below.