Advocacy Information & Advice—Education

Colleges often provide support and advice for people with difficulties, including mental health problems. Some courses are organised so that you can start them at most times of the year and some are quite short, so that you can just get a ‘taste’ to see if you like it. People on benefits can often get courses free (after payment of a small registration fee), if those courses are ‘accredited’.  You can find out which ones are accredited from the college concerned. If you have a course you would like to do and feel you need extra support to be able to take part, you can contact Susan Owen Tel: 01638 508430 or Val Cambers Tel: 01480 383491.

Local Contacts

Adult and Community Learning
Tel:  01223 718484
Email:  val.cambers@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

People on benefits can often get courses free (after payment of a small registration fee), if those courses are ‘accredited’. You can find out which ones are accredited from the college concerned. If you have a course you would like to do and feel you need extra support to be able to take part, you can contact Adult and Community Learning using the details below.

Cambridgeshire County Council
Community Education, Adult Special Needs Service
Box ELH1101
Castle Court
Shire Hall
Cambridge
CB3 OAP

Tel: 01223 718474
Fax: 01223 718482
Email: susan.davies@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Susan.owen@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Val.cambers@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

The County Adult Special Needs Team is a county-wide service involved in the provision and delivery of classes to people with learning difficulties, physical and sensory impairments and to people with mental health problems. Classes take place in a variety of venues including day centres and hospitals.

The team is also responsible for organising and supporting the learning partner scheme which is a project which aims to support an adult learner through mainstream or discrete activities by matching them with a co-learner who follows the course and provides friendship and help where necessary.
Classes are available term-times, Monday – Friday for day and evening sessions. The co-ordinators can be contacted at other times.  People may contact them direct or via other agencies e.g. social services, health workers, carers, volunteer groups.

Cambridge Online
Hester Adrian Centre
Hawthorn Way
Cambridge
CB4 1AX

Tel: 01223 300407
Email: andrew@cambridgeonline.org.uk
Website: www.cambridgeonline.org.uk

Open Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm

Cambridge OnLine is a charity working across the East of England helping disabled and disadvantaged people use computers by providing training and advice to individuals and groups.  They run tutorial sessions each week for people who have used mental health services.  All their services are free, and they aim to make lessons fun and relaxed.  Tutorials are provided one-to-one in different locations and at different times.  Potential learners can contact them direct, or ask Lifecraft or a member of the mental health services to refer them.  They welcome visitors to their training room at the Hester Adrian Centre between 10 & 4 Monday to Friday.

Cambridge Regional College
Science Park Campus
Kings Hedges Road
Cambridge
CB4 2QT

Tel: 01223 418200 or 01223 418249
Email:  enquiry@camre.ac.uk     
Website:  www.camre.ac.uk   

The college runs classes on a very wide range of subjects, many of which lead to qualifications. These include small basic skills classes in literacy and numeracy. Students receive educational guidance about other courses that might suit their needs. Study Support can provide additional one-to-one tuition and help in classes if required. The support is adapted to the needs of the student. These needs can include mental health and emotional issues. A counselling service is available for students. There is continuous enrolment and courses are free to people in receipt of benefits.  If you would like information about the full range of Cambridge Regional College’s full and part-time courses please telephone either of the numbers detailed above.

The following courses may be of particular interest to people with mental health difficulties who would like to return to education and feel that they would like to develop their confidence in order to successfully complete other courses:

Creative Studies
Telephone: 01223 418505
Contact Mary O’Sullivan
Creative Studies is a bridging course specially designed for students with mental health difficulties. The courses run over ten weeks, for three hours per week. Exercises on motivation, self- esteem and assertiveness help to promote learners’ confidence. Courses include creative writing, media studies, communication and visual arts. Students are supported in the group where they may build new friendships and may then move on to another course of their choice.

Options
Telephone: 01223 418505
Contact Mary O’Sullivan
Options is a programme of study for adults who, for a variety of reasons, have missed out on life’s opportunities and now wish to return to education. Some have enduring mental health problems or have been long- term unemployed. The Options programme provides a unique opportunity to increase self-confidence in a small group, in a relaxed and friendly environment. The course runs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9.00am to 3.00pm.

Alpha Programme
Telephone: 01223 532205
Contact Jeremy Symes
This course is run from the Newmarket Road Campus.  It features a programme of educational opportunities for service users and ex service users of mental health services. Courses run during term times only (36 weeks). Courses are free, but there is a small registration fee. Phone or write for an informal meeting. The tutor can visit students at home, work or in hospital for the initial meeting if necessary.

Learning and Training with the Parkside Federation
All enquiries to:                                                                     
Coleridge campus
Radegund Road 
Cambridge
CB1 3RJ

Tel: 01223 - 712340
Email: learn&train@parksidefederation.org.uk
Website: www.parksidefederation.org.uk

The Parkside Federation offers a wide range of leisure and training courses in venues around the city. Contact them for further details about all their courses, including numeracy and literacy for those who do not have maths or English GCSE. They are happy to talk to you about to returning to learning or training  by offering free, impartial and confidential advice about your learning options.  Contact their friendly staff and let them know how they can help you get involved in learning some new skill or even training for a new job.

Red2Green
Harvey’s Barn
Park End
Swaffham Bulbeck
Cambridge
CB25 0NA

Tel: 01223 811662
Email: info@red2green.org
Website:  www.red2green.org

Red2Green provides leisure, educational and work opportunities for people aged 14 upwards with a wide range of disabilities. This includes learning disability, physical disability, sensory impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and mental health problems. They work over Cambridgeshire. They also raise awareness about the positive capacities of people with disabilities and promote the positive and valuable contribution they make to society.