Purpose and scope

The Institute of Faith Education (IFE) is committed to providing learner support to deliver excellent training and formation and as part of its commitment to meet all legislative requirements. This Learner Support Policy is designed to articulate how IFE will ensure that the RTO has sufficient educational and support services to meet the needs of the learner cohorts undertaking training and assessment (Standard 1.3b), and how we will determine the support needs of individual learners and provide access to educational and support services (Standards 1.7).

Responsibility

Responsibility for setting learner support policy rests with the Director. Responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the policy rests with the Senior Education Officer.

Learner support framework

Resourcing learner support needs

Educational and support services are identified for each cohort in the Training and Assessment Strategy (TAS). The TAS articulates the target learner for the course and the resource strategy for the course which specifies how training and assessment will be resourced for the target learner cohort. Articulation and review of the resource strategy in the TAS ensures that sufficient and suitable learning and assessment resources, trainers and assessors and learner support are in place prior to commencement of training and assessment.

Determining learner support needs

IFE gathers information on student needs, especially disability and language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) needs, as part of the enrolment procedure. LLN data is gathered using targeted approaches designed and varied by learner group to ensure an efficient and effective process.

  • VETiS courses (Certificate III and IV): LLN needs are identified and evaluated through school processes such as SET (senior education and training) plans, subject selection processes and school guidance services. The RTO does not need to duplicate LLN assessment that is already available to the college.
  • Higher level courses (Diploma, Graduate Diploma): Learners are required to provide details of prior tertiary studies completed, or of completion of senior secondary schooling as well as of LOTE and disability background. This documents that learners have attained literacy skills commensurate with the Australian Core Skills Framework at a minimum level of 3 for Learning and numeracy, and level 3 for reading, writing and oral communication.
  • Learners (other than VETiS learners) who identify disabilities or learning support needs are reviewed by the Senior Education Officer who discusses with the learner, where relevant, the learning support required and how this can be provided. Records are kept and provided to trainers and assessors, where relevant, along with any negotiated learning support strategies.
  • Learning needs may also emerge through other channels, including:
    • in conversation with prospective learners as part of enrolment enquiries
    • in pre-enrolment interviews where these are used for a specific learner cohort
    • in the course of conducting training/assessment.

Where learning needs are identified, IFE staff and trainers are advised to provide details to the relevant IFE staff member (e.g. Senior Education Officer) so that these learning needs can be recorded and considered as part of the enrolment process or in providing training and assessment.

Providing support to learners

All IFE assessment tools and procedures include the possibility of reasonable adjustment.

IFE will provide access to learner training and wellbeing support, which may include referral to external support services where required.  IFE reserves the right to pass on the cost of providing individual support services to the learner.

IFE provides access to learner support using the following strategies:

  • training/assessment support provided by trainers
  • support for using the Learning Management System provided by Student Services
  • Well-being support provided by trainers, Student Services and Senior Education Officer, which may include referral to external sources of support
  • Review of supports provided for learners with known learning needs by the Senior Education Officer or other designated supervising staff member for a course to ensure that learning supports are effective and are provided across a course, with appropriate hand-over across trainers where relevant.

IFE may draw on resources available in a learner’s local community to provide learning support. This includes support available in the learner’s employment context or school in a VETiS context. To source or provide this support locally IFE may need to discuss learner needs with local staff who may be able to assist. Learner permission to discuss learner needs will be sought prior to such discussions.

IFE will provide adjusted materials for learners with a disability or for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) learners where appropriate. Such requests for providing individually adjusted learning materials will be managed by the Senior Education Officer and Registrar, with approval to be sought from the Director where the provision of materials or learner support will incur significant cost. In that instance the Director will determine how costs are to be met and whether the learner will be asked to cover, or contribute to, the cost of providing learning materials or support.

Compliance

The Director IFE has strategic responsibility for monitoring compliance with approved policy documents.

Non-compliance with this policy will be brought to the attention of the trainer/assessor involved where a trainer is not providing learner support. This will be treated, in the first instance, as a trainer support and development issue, with the provision of guidance on how to determine and provide learner support.