Training available at the Social Care Academy for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent

ESOL courses, starting in September, aim to help adult learners improve their English language skills, focusing on speaking, listening, reading, and writing. These courses are ideal for those whose first language is not English, providing key language skills to boost confidence in everyday life and the workplace.   These courses are offered and completed through local colleges within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. They are held externally to the Social Care Academy.   At the point of creating this course, all courses were free, however learners should contact the college to confirm they are eligible to complete the course for free. Some courses may result in a charge if they are not finished in time. We recommend enrolling in this course as a reminder, and to see the more detailed descriptions of each college's offer.   Be sure to also check out the ESOL - Preparing for Care course.   Stoke-on-Trent College English as a second language (ESOL) - Pre-Entry to Level 2 Course overview ESOL courses are delivered from September and seek to allow learners to improve their English language skills. The skills focused on are in streams as follows: Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing. Course levels cover a wide range of abilities from Pre-Entry to Level 2 and successful completion of all courses are based on an assessment at the end of the course. Assessments are based upon the English skills that have been worked on throughout the course. Progression is usually, based upon successful completion of the previous level, to the next stream of English skills. For example, completing Entry 3 Speaking and Listening could lead to enrolment onto Entry 3 Reading and Writing.  These three skills will be taught up to Level 2. Accessing the course The course is available through Stoke-on-Trent College.     Newcastle and Stafford College Group English as a second language (ESOL) - Beginners English Course Overview This ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) course is designed for learners who want to improve their basic English skills. The course will also help improve your confidence when communicating in everyday life situations. During the course, you will: Learn essential English vocabulary and phrases Practice everyday conversations Improve listening skills Read simple texts and understand main ideas Write short sentences and paragraphs The course combines reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills each week to prepare you for work a variety of everyday tasks through role play and peer learning. Your teacher will support you throughout the course, but you need to be committed and motivated to succeed. To support your progress, you will also need to complete an additional 2 hours of self-study each week through homework and online resources. Accessing the course The course is available through the Newcastle and Stafford College Group.   English as a second language (ESOL) - Level 1 Course overview Teaching will be taught in a holistic way, combining all skills to ensure you are prepared for living in the UK. Modules will include the following; however, more advanced grammatical concepts are embedded throughout the course. Reading Speaking and Listening Writing You will be encouraged to improve your speaking/listening skills using discussion/role play and presentations at a higher level. Different reading and writing strategies are used along with exam techniques, with lessons supporting everyday life activities. For example: writing will focus on more advanced letter writing and emails. Grammar is embedded into classes along with themes that comply with a citizenship element, such as: problem solving and education/giving advice about past situations and hypothetical scenarios. Students are encouraged to work in groups, pairs or independently to gain confidence and encourage expression along with the use of colloquial expressions. Your teacher will support you throughout the ESOL course, but it is important you have a real drive and commitment to achieving an ESOL qualification. Whilst studying with us you will need to complete an additional 2 hours of weekly self-study learning through homework. Accessing the course This course is available through the Newcastle and Stafford College Group. Read more

This course is for Staffordshire Adult Social Care providers delivering care to individuals in Staffordshire or for individuals outside of Staffordshire receiving care funded or commissioned by Staffordshire County Council. Course Dates Improving your CQC rating - 10th February 2026 - 10:00 -16:00 - The Stone House Hotel, Brooms Park Stafford Road, Stone ST15 0BQ  Improving your CQC rating - 10th March 2026 - 10:00 -16:00 - The Stone House Hotel, Brooms Park Stafford Road, Stone ST15 0BQ  How to book this training To book a training event, add it to your cart, there will be an option to choose a training session and "purchase" it from the storefront, if there is only one training session available for that course, you will automatically be enrolled on to that session and if there are multiple dates available then you will be prompted to select an available date. Please note there is no cost for this training. Session Details This training is being held at: The Stone House Hotel,  Brooms Park Stafford Road, Stone, ST15 0BQ  Course Aim and Description Are you struggling to meet CQC standards? Join our training and discover practical strategies to achieve a good rating. Maintaining CQC standards is crucial for any regulated adult social care provider committed to delivering excellent care. It's essential to understand the CQC assessment process and how you can provide evidence that your care quality aligns with national standards. This not only benefits the individuals you support and your staff teams but also enhances your service's reputation. Tailored for registered managers, quality leads, compliance leads, nominated individuals, owners and team leaders, the interactive seminar presents a step-by-step approach to driving improvements. You will gain insights into successful recovery strategies from a 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate' rating, learn how to identify and overcome obstacles to improvement and understand the specific evidence required to demonstrate successful resolution of issues. The course includes two key elements: 1) Looking at the importance of implementing improvements and overcoming obstacles. ▪ The benefits of making improvements ▪ The impact of CQC regulations, notifications and breaches ▪ What to avoid on your improvement journey ▪ Overcoming the barriers to improvement 2) Looking at how to involve others in driving forward improvements and evidencing changes made. ▪ Involving others in helping you to improve ▪ Practical problems and solutions ▪ How to action and evidence improvements ▪ Maintaining quality Key Benefits include: - Strategically prepare your team for CQC re-assessment, ensuring a clear path to success. - Understand what evidence is expected and learn how to demonstrate that your service meets the CQC's standards. - Gain a comprehensive understanding of the support systems available to you for effective CQC assessment. - Understand how to implement practical solutions within your service. - Receive an electronic participant toolkit with seminar materials, useful insight and guidance. Booking Changes Please note, by booking onto this training course you are committing to attending at the referenced date and time. Your space on this session has cost Staffordshire County Council and while there is not a cost to yourself or your organisation, public funds have been utilised to fund the training.  If you cannot attend, you can send someone in your place but we will require notification so we can update the course register.  If you are unable to attend or send someone in your place, we ask for 7 working days’ notice in order to have the opportunity to offer this space to others.  All bookings or unenrolment changes should be emailed to cmdt@staffordshire.gov.uk Car Parking Please note that there is free on site car parking at The Stone House Hotel. Refreshment's A small basic lunch will be provided on the day.  Drinks will not be provided on the day, however there are shops close by and a cafe on site. If you have any additional requirements, such as the need for British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation or mobility requirements, please let us know in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs. Waiting List If this course is fully booked, or you are unable to attend of the available dates, you can request to be added to the waiting list. Read more

Develop the skills to grow people and performance across your team. Explore the relationship between people development, personal growth and performance management, and learn when to apply training, counselling, consulting, mentoring or coaching. Build confidence in active listening, powerful questioning and emotional intelligence, while using practical frameworks like GROW and OSCAR. Finish equipped to run purposeful conversations, give constructive feedback and foster a culture of learning that supports both individual and organisational success.   Through five structured modules, you will: Understand the relationship between people development, personal development, and performance management. Explore key approaches to development, including training, counselling, consulting, mentoring, and coaching. Learn when and how to apply coaching and mentoring effectively in different workplace scenarios. Develop core values and skills such as emotional intelligence, active listening, and powerful questioning. Apply proven models and frameworks (e.g., GROW, OSCAR, CIGAR) to structure conversations, set goals, give feedback, and resolve conflict. ​ Target Audience This course is mapped to the requirements within the following Care Workforce Pathway Roles: Supervisor or Leader Practice Leader Deputy Manager Registered Manager Read more

Preparing to work in care - English as a Second Language (ESOL) This ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) course is designed for learners who want to work in the care sector. The course will help you develop the knowledge needed to work in care alongside the essential English language skills to be able to communicate effectively with service users and colleagues. This course is accessible to all residents of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. It is available at: Newcastle and Stafford College Group     These courses are offered and completed through local colleges within Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. They are held externally to the Social Care Academy.   At the point of creating this course, all courses were free, however learners should contact the college to confirm they are eligible to complete the course for free. Some courses may result in a charge if they are not finished in time. We recommend enrolling in this course as a reminder, and to see the more detailed descriptions of each college's offer.   Read more