Access to Basic Skills for People with Mental Health Difficulties 48. About one in five people will have mental health difficulties at some stage in their lives. People at all levels of educational ability are affected. Those with mental health difficulties may need flexible forms of provision which reflects the episodic nature if mental ill health. Learners may need to take breaks from learning during periods of ill health, which will affect the continuity of learning and the degree to which material is retained. Medication may interfere with learning and memory function. Some people may have a history of institutionalisation which makes it a struggle for them to deal with everyday tasks; for example, using money, where others have previously looked after their finances. Confidence and communication skills are often adversely affected. Some people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities may have additional mental health difficulties. 49. The main additional barrier for people with mental health difficulties is the widespread ignorance and prejudice about mental health. This can present an attitudinal barrier to people improving their basic skills. Training for all tutors should include an awareness-raising element on mental health difficulties. The side effects of medication may interfere with cognitive processes and create a further barrier to learning. 50. The views of learners, trainers and teachers were as follows. Learners would like opportunities to regain lost skills and thereby to increase their confidence and self esteem. They wish to be regarded as students to escape the label of 'patient' or 'client' and to be encouraged to learn in a welcoming environment. Tutors would like more training in mental health awareness and felt that service users should be involved in its delivery. They believe that it is necessary to acknowledge learners small steps of progress and to recognise the importance of social skills, confidence and relationships when measuring achievement. More guidance, outreach and effective learner support was also needed. 51. What should the ideal basic skills arrangements look like? Ideally, basic skills provision would be developed to include an inter-agency framework in which health, social services and voluntary organisations work with adult and further education providers to plan and review provision. There should be well-established outreach provision in day centres and hospitals, which would link into adult and further education. This should enhance the availability of support and would enable, for example, courses in communication and self-expression to be linked to basic skills as a means of helping individuals to progress and gain self-confidence. Provision must be flexible so that learners can take breaks from learning when unwell, then have fresh opportunities to start again. Recognition of learning should include accreditation of achievement as part of an appropriate progression route. Mental health awareness training should be an integral part of training for all basic skills tutors. Dearne Valley College has a very successful creative writing course for people with mental health difficulties. Lancashire's 'Stepping Stones' programme involving the LEA and 10 colleges offers a model for agencies working collaboratively. New College in Nottingham has close links with its local health authority and has a well-established programme which includes outreach provision, discrete classes and inclusive provision. Sandwell College and West Nottinghamshire College make extensive provision for people with mental health difficulties, developing a curriculum around their expressed wishes, which includes basic skills. Some providers offer a range of provision, which includes classes in hospitals, day centres and other community centres. In other cases, the provision offered is not flexible enough to meet the needs of learners with mental health difficulties. Recommendations specific to this group The impact of mental health difficulties should be openly acknowledged. Learning opportunities for people with mental health difficulties, including basic skills provision, is under-developed nationally. There should, therefore, be funded pilot projects relating to mental health and basic skills. More flexible provision, allowing for periods of illness without penalty to learner or provider, should be developed. A multi-agency framework should be established in which partners from different agencies can plan, deliver and evaluate learning programmes. Partnership agreements which facilitate mutual support and exchange of information should be encouraged. A training programme should be developed to raise awareness of the needs of learners with mental health difficulties who have basic skills needs. This should be readily available as part of all initiatives to improve teaching standards and raise awareness. It should emphasise the importance to learning of increasing learners self esteem and confidence. Support must be available at any transition stage. Materials for use in learning basic skills should take account of the particular needs of those with a mental health difficulty.

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