Working with Volunteers in ESOL Provision Evaluating Volunteer

Working with Volunteers in ESOL Provision Evaluating Volunteer Experiences and Learner Impact Kristen Fraley Jo Jarvis Fergus Andrew

Aims for today: • Discuss your work – particularly around training volunteers and supporting volunteers • Reflect on your own practice and identify areas to develop • Take home potential ideas for how to address gaps • Connect with other practitioners for future discussions

Previous Discussion Evaluations: 90% of participants have found it useful 80% have made a new contact You said We did More time for discussions Focus on 1 or 2 topics to discuss Keep networking lunch opportunity Option to video conference Experimented with Skype Used Education Scotland for a venue Suggested discussion on training Discussed at last day and notes made available to interested parties “What will you take away from today? ” I feel I have a much better picture of the policies and strategies employed by different organisations working with volunteers in Scotland. It was particularly helpful to find out more about work done by the different city councils. Contact with other ESOL tutors. Ideas about organising and training volunteers. For me, face to face discussion about issues is more helpful that an on-line discussion. revise volunteer policies. review PVG systems.

Glasgow ESOL Forum’s Vision and Mission Our Vision We see Scotland as a welcoming place where non-native English speakers have the language skills and confidence to live fulfilling lives. Our Mission We provide accessible and relevant ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learning opportunities for adults, supporting integration, employability and personal development. We support ESOL practitioners and learners to have their views heard. We welcome all non-native English speakers, including asylum seekers, refugees, economic migrants and members of settled communities. www. gl; asgowesol. org

Volunteer Tutor Project • We provide free drop in group classes and individual tuition, delivered by trained volunteers • We recruit, train and support are CELTA/TESOL qualified tutors to volunteer for our project. Currently over 40 volunteers • Delivered with partners we provide 8 community classes and 6 individual matches, - reaching 150 learners • Development Workers provide induction, on-going training/support and swap shops each term • National Remit to share practice with other volunteer co -ordinators

Working with volunteers in ESOL provision in Scotland Glasgow ESOL Forum have produced a report following a survey and consultation with volunteer projects around Scotland. We looked at a volunteer's journey: • • Volunteer Roles Recruitment and Induction CLPL and Support Progression • • Minimum Requirements Policies and Procedures Retention Learner Impact Report can be found on National Improvement Hub (search ESOL volunteers)

Benefits of involving volunteer tutors for learners: Increased learner involvement in community 13 Increased learner involvement in organisation 6 Greater capacity of organisation 12 Greater capacity in class 13 More opportunity to practise English 16 One-to-one support 15 Other 3 0 2 4 6 8 10 Number of organisations 12 14 16 18

Evaluation methods used by coordinators • Evaluation forms • Learner interviews • Volunteer interviews • Observation – formal, informal or anecdotal • Surveys • Staff observation of learners progress • Monitoring numbers accessing college • Accreditation achieved

The impact on learners from involving volunteers in their projects

Welcoming our Learners Scotland's ESOL Strategy 2015 -2020 Volunteers are supported to be competent and confident in their supporting role. p 22

Education Scotland’s self-evaluation frameworks Mandy Watts For Scotland's learners, with Scotland's educators

Group work Discuss your evaluation practice: • Impact on Learners - How well do your volunteers contribute to a positive impact on ESOL learners? • Volunteer Experience - How well do we support volunteers to delivery high quality services?

Next Steps Add your project/contact details of any organisation working with volunteers to our website: http: //www. glasgowesol. org/volunteer-tutor-projects-in-scotland Attend National Discussions and share examples of good practice Make suggestions for future discussions. Keep in touch fergus@glasgowesol. org and jo@glasgowesol. org

Looking forwards What action do you intend to make following your discussions today?