Developing a Learning Culture

The Prison Officers Association has developed a learning culture with learning centres at the heart of its delivery. It has extended the scope of U-Net, the unionlearn network of learning centres and satellite centres and continues to deliver high quality e-learning provision on a flexible basis, supported by a network of union learning representatives.

Haverigg “Key Learning Centre” was opened in May 2003, the second POA learning centre to be opened. The Centre has developed over the years, initially offering only learndirect courses. A wider range of learning opportunities is now on offer, mainly due to the centre moving location to a larger venue. The centre is open to all, staff, their family and friends and the wider community.

In Liverpool, the POA, in partnership with Mersey Care, opened a regional union learning centre, providing specialist mental health and learning disability services for people of Liverpool, Sefton and Kirkby. The centre caters for all staff, whether members of the POA or not and has delivered learndirect and other learning opportunities to staff members for over 4 years. The centre provides a wide range of accredited and non-accredited learning, from Skills for Life through to European Computer Driving Licence to support professional qualifications.

Phil Kelly, ULF Project Manager said “All 11 POA regional learning centres offer work based learning and transferable skills to all POA members, their families and friends and staff in prisons and secure hospitals”. He said “We offer all our ULRs high quality training in information, advice and guidance so that they can support all staff throughout their learning experience. One member came into a centre about 3 years ago to take Maths and English qualifications. He has since completed a Certificate in Education and has joined the POA learning staff”.

Steve Wrighton, a POA ULR at the learning centre at Bullingdon Prison, Oxfordshire, said “it’s been tremendous help having a learning centre bang on site. It means that you can directly signpost members to the centre and let them know what’s on offer. Once they are in, they often go on to engage in all sorts of different kinds of learning.”