Successful Pilot for Social Software's eLearning

Following successful pilots in YOTs across the country, Social Software are pleased to report that preliminary feedback on their new eLearning programme has been very positive.

Social Software have been piloting their new eLearning programme in four YOTs across England and Wales, and have just received feedback from the 36 YOT workers taking part. The pilot sites include Bradford, Derbyshire, Lambeth and Rhondda Cynon Taff.

With quick and easy access to on-line modules, Social Software’s eLearning enables teams to incorporate learning within day to day practice, taking into account the reality that different organisations grow and develop at different rates and have different learning needs.

Each participant in the pilot was given access to the soon-to-be-released. ‘Complete Induction to YOIS’ and ‘Induction to Case
Management’ modules. The interactive modules are designed to explain, demonstrate and then prompt understanding through a combination of questioning, selection, screen prompts and user interaction.

Each module consists of number of lessons; once all lessons have been completed for a module and the test is passed - at the 75% pass mark - the module is complete and a certificate is issued to the team member.

The feedback from the pilot sites indicates that users see eLearning is an easy-to-use tool which can be beneficial to all workers, as Anita Nagha from Derbyshire says, “the information was very useful; easy to follow and very clear.” Dawn Dickens, also from Derbyshire, explains how eLearning will help with training by giving “a good overview of these screens for new workers”.

The potential for eLearning to really make a difference to recording practice was also highlighted in the feedback. Louise Morgan, from Rhondda Cynon Taff describes how she thinks eLearning will make a substantial difference to her work, “I think that the amount shown in this lesson is just right, and very useful with showing the information that should be entered. When I help workers with YOIS often I know that information needs to be entered in certain fields, but as I am not a case holder can't always advise as to the content.

”The pilot has supported Social Software’s belief that their online, interactive learning programme could prove to be very important for Youth Offending Teams in the future. As Peter Whittome, from Rhonnda Cynon Taff sums up, “overall the concept and execution method was good and had a good look and feel to it. I am quite excited by the potential of this.”