Support for Providers and Colleges by Internships Work

Internships Work is dedicated to empowering providers and colleges in their mission to create meaningful and effective supported internship (SI) programmes for young people with SEND.

Here's how Internships Work can provide valuable support to providers and colleges:

1. Upskilling Operational Staff:

We understand the importance of equipping operational staff, including Supported Internship Job Coaches, with the right skills and knowledge to ensure the success of SI programmes. Through our partnership with BASE and Inclusive Trading, we offer free training opportunities for Supported Internship Job Coaches in Supported Employment Techniques and/or Training in Systematic Instruction.

Training Flexibility: Our training programmes are designed to be flexible, offering options for both online and face-to-face training to suit your specific training needs.

Eligibility: To access this free training offer, your staff must fall into one of the following categories:

• A job coach working on a Supported Internship programme.
• A follow-along job coach working with graduate supported interns, supporting them in their journey into employment.
• A direct manager of a job coach working on a supported internship.

2. Access to Resources:

As part of the free training offer, providers and colleges gain access to a wealth of valuable resources aimed at facilitating the smooth operation of supported internship programmes. These resources include:

• Example vocational profiles.
• Methods for efficient data capture.
• Details outlining the business case for employers.
• And many more resources tailored to enhance the effectiveness of your internship programme.

3. Access to the Supported Internship Quality Assurance Framework (SIQAF):

The SIQAF Self-assessment tool has been specifically designed to assist providers and colleges in assessing the quality and success of their SI programmes. It is intended to be used in conjunction with the Supported Internship Guidance. This tool highlights your programme's strengths and should be employed as an annual continuous improvement resource.

4. SIQAF and Peer Reviewing:

Organisations that undertake the SIQAF can, as part of the Internships Work programme, enroll in a peer review process to validate their SIQAF self-assessment. This free service involves two trained peer reviewers, including a lead reviewer and another peer reviewer. They will visit your Supported Internship programme, assess your self-assessment score, and provide support for your continuous improvement efforts with recommended actions and good practice examples.

5. Opportunity to Upskill Your Staff:

We are actively recruiting peer reviewers from across the Supported Internship network. Peer reviewers provide a practitioner perspective and offer a "critical friend" challenge to organisations participating in the peer review process.

This opportunity allows your staff to:

• Receive training as a peer reviewer.
• Gain insights into other Supported Internship provisions in your region.
• Network with other providers in your region.
• Learn about best practice delivery of SI.
• Become familiar with the SIQAF peer review process in advance of booking your own.
• Access Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities.
• Develop valuable interviewing and feedback skills.

All training is provided free of charge, and all expenses are covered. By participating in the peer review process, your staff can play a crucial role in ensuring the quality and success of your SI programme, while also benefiting from valuable professional development opportunities.

6. Get Support to Link With Local Employment Forums:

Employment forums enable all the key stakeholder taking part in supported internships provision to link. Through these employment forums, together, they can growth sustainable employment pathways for young people with SEND.

Through our partnership with NDTi’s regional leads, college and providers can access valuable support and introductions to their local employment forums and SEND employment forums.

These forums are essential for supported internships providers. They play a crucial role in linking all the stakeholders involved in SIs programmes, creating more and sustainable opportunities for provider to develop their programme.

If you're seeking assistance in establishing or enhancing your relationship with these forums, please feel free to reach out to the following contacts in your region: Download NDTI’s Internships Work Regional Leads Contact List Here.

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