Fun and Practical Learning Activities for Adults that Learn Differently

We were approached in 2009 by James Shanley of HMP Birmingham to look at ways we could possibly help the prison service manage offenders with learning difficulties/ disabilities, challenging behaviour mental health and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder with the overall aim of reducing continual re-offending along with reducing tensions between offenders and prison staff.

The program began by working alongside prison staff and assisting the prison to identify offenders within these groups helping to reduce the number of vulnerable offenders mixing with mainstream offenders.

It quickly moved into providing a service within the prison, initially one day a week now four days a week delivering life skills programs under pinned with ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network) principles.

This service has helped to encourage and create a better understanding/tolerance between offenders and prison staff helping to reduce the tensions that can easily occur from communication misunderstandings within this group.

The work undertaken with offenders looks closely at how the individual learns; adapting the teaching around the individual’s needs and embedding education into ‘practical’ activities. This style of teaching enables the individual to feel valued, empowered and confident to re-approach their disability in a way that assists the individual to look at an alternative to crime and play a positive role within the community.

The right learning & skills in this complex area is vital to the individual learning and inclusion pathway, reintroduction to community life and sustained employment or volunteering.

To help meet these objectives Care First Ltd has a post release program, via it’s community provision and bike workshop to give offenders a purpose in life. This new purpose in life helps remove the temptation to slip back into drug, alcohol dependency or crime and encourages rehabilitation and decreases the likelihood of re-offending.

The delivery of learning and skills for offenders with learning difficulties/learning disabilities, challenging behaviour, mental health, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and complex needs is a key priority for Care First Ltd.

To support this key priority Care First Ltd can provide training to professionals who work within the prison and the judicial system, such as prison officers, probation officers, magistrates, court officials and the police. Knowledge of conditions such as autism is crucial when handling offenders with learning disabilities, as behaviours can often be due to environment or other such triggers and not a reaction to the process the offender has to go through. Situations often escalate through misinterpretation of behaviours!