Support Worker Central

Supporting learning and learners in practice can be complex. You will be facilitating learning which will mean empowering and motivating learners to take more control of their own learning and providing them with the tools and support to do so. 

Supporting others to learn can be about formal, pre-planned activities or seizing informal, opportunistic learning moments. Either way it requires a range of skills, including: 

• being committed to supporting learning and developing
• identifying learning opportunities
• knowing the type of learning that will be effective
• recognising the range of factors influencing learning
• recognising others’ learning styles
• having access to the resources needed 

People learn best in practice when we pay attention to the learning environment and create the right conditions; these can be psychological, physical, contextual and cultural, to support people to acquire and develop knowledge and skills. Supportive practice learning environments don’t just happen on their own, they need to be created and you have an important role in this. 

Learning can be undertaken in a variety of different ways for example: 

• daily work experiences like attending safety briefs and huddles
• knowledge sharing with peers and colleagues
• having good conversations
• supervision
• peer learning
• professional networks and communities
• reading relevant materials
• workbooks
• reflecting on practice
• undertaking web-based learning
• practical learning
• statutory and mandatory
• e-learning modules
• shadowing 

There are a wide range of tools and strategies to improve communication within Health Literacy that can be utilised to support learning as well. You may have already used them to support patients and families that you are working with. 

Some great examples are ‘teach back’ and ‘chunk and check’. The teach back method is a useful way to confirm that the information you provide is being understood by the learner by asking the learner to 'teach back' what has been discussed or what instruction has been given. This is more than saying 'do you understand?' and is more a check of how you have explained things than the learner understanding. 

You can find out more about Health Literacy at NHS The Health Literacy Place.

People who have specific learning difficulties are protected under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments and not to discriminate against employees.  

You may be supporting learners who may have specific learning difficulties, some examples are:  

• Dyslexia 
• Dyscalculia 
• Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder 
• Dysgraphia 
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)  

It is important that you appreciate the learner’s needs, and you are aware of the adjustments and resources which are available which could support the learner.  For example, there are simple adjustments that can be made to support someone with Dyslexia using a coloured acetate overlay, changing the colour on a computer/device screen and using coloured papers.   

We have linked to resources that you will find information in that can be applied to the HCSW learners.  

Dyslexia awareness for managers

This resource, aimed at managers, was developed with the help of Dyslexia Scotland and with contributions from dyslexic NHS staff. You will learn about some of the characteristics of dyslexia, how it is identified, and what can be done to support dyslexic staff.