Support for learners

Advice and guidance is available to help you make the right decisions. We can help with extra support with learning, financial assistance or childcare. Help is available from:

• Centre staff who can give information and advice on further courses.

• Your tutor or programme manager who will give you advice and more details on courses and progression routes within our service.

• An advice worker who will offer a free one to one confidential interview about a range of learning opportunities, progression routes and career options. A range of software packages is also available to help you make informed choices. Appointments can be made via your tutor, booked through the centre or with the advice worker directly.

Financial help

Financial hardship should not be a barrier to learning. Through our access fund we are able to help some learners who are in genuine financial need and who would find it difficult to meet the costs of their studying.

Priority is given to students wanting to undertake certain courses and applicants may not receive everything they apply for.

Usually assistance is given to those in receipt of benefit, on a very low income, or who are a dependant of someone in financial need. We ask for details of financial circumstances on the application.

What can the access fund pay for?

It can be used towards

• tuition, or exam fees where these are not already paid for by us

• travel costs

• materials, books, and equipment.

How to apply for financial assistance

Please ask for an application form and guidelines from the centre reception or from your tutor.

Alternatively contact Call Derbyshire 08 456 058 058.

Childcare

We are delighted to offer daytime crèche facilities at some of our main centres.

To find out more about the facilities and the times or to book a place please contact the programme clerk at the centre of your choice.

If a crèche is not available or is not the most appropriate kind of childcare, then it may be possible for us to pay for alternative childcare such as a child minder or nursery through our Childcare support fund.

This fund is for learners in genuine financial hardship, and where lack of suitable childcare is a barrier to learning.

How to apply for childcare

Please ask for an application form and guidelines from the centre reception or from your tutor.

Alternatively contact Call Derbyshire 08 456 058 058.

Help for those needing extra support

We realise that some learners have additional needs and require extra support to help them undertake their course of study. We want to help.

These needs may be because of a physical disability or a specific learning disability.

The support we offer will always be to meet the specific needs of the individual and will be arranged in consultation with the learner, tutor and programme manager.

The support could be a note-taker, a signer, or a specialist piece of software.

To find out more please talk to our staff at your nearest centre.

We encourage learners who are hesitant about attending a class to bring along a friend, companion or partner to support or study with them.

There are course discounts available to individuals who help learners in this way.

Further information is available at the centres.

Help with English and maths

Please see the Skills for Life pages. 
 
Equality of opportunity for everyone

We are working towards learning which involves everyone and which gives everyone the opportunity to achieve to their full potential. Hence we promote equality and diversity and are committed to the removing of all forms of discriminatory actions and practices.

We are committed to providing a high quality learning experience for all our learners regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, creed, age, disability, gender, marital, social status, or sexual orientation.

A copy of the Equal Opportunities Policy document is available from the centres or from your programme manager upon request.

We also promote the council's Race Equality Scheme, Gender Equality Scheme and Disability Equality Scheme.

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

We have a duty to comply with the DDA and will make 'reasonable adjustments' to help learner’s access courses and continue in their studies.

We can offer additional learning support, adaptive learning materials and technology, and specialist help.

Use your local library

You can support your learning by using books and online resources available from Derbyshire libraries.

For further information contact your local library or visit our libraries section.