ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION (WIGAN) LIMITED
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Mission Statement
Helping people with learning disabilities learn, grow and achieve
About This Cause
ACE was founded in 1990 in response to the identified gap in education and training opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues. ACE is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CC LG), incorporated on 23 October 1991 and gaining charitable status on 26 April 2002. Adult Community Education provides pre-entry and entry level education and accredited qualifications for people with learning disabilities in Wigan and Leigh. We are a member of the Local Authority Day Services Framework and generate our day to day income through personal budgets. ACE continues to fill a gap within the local market of care providers by offering lifelong learning opportunities to a client group that have been marginalised and excluded from post 25 education and training. ACE works primarily with the nationally recognised awarding body ASDAN, for which ACE is a registered centre. Students work on a variety of modules of their choice within the ASDAN curriculum as well as taking part in one-off activities and events. Our learning programmes enable students to get the best out of their lives, learning about how to use community facilities and integrate with others where they live. There is no pressure to complete activities or modules by a specific date or within a set time frame. Each student has a plan which details their learning outcomes and includes statements of what the student is expected to know, understand and/or do as a result of learning at ACE. These vary considerably between individual students based on their aspirations and needs. Outcomes may include: • the skills to live more independently and increased communication skills, confidence and autonomy, leading to improved resilience and reduced risk; • the ability to understand and develop healthy relationships with peers; • qualifications which enable them to progress to further education; • gaining the employability skills and experience. We have two teaching sites and pre-COVID we delivered 121 teaching sessions to 60 students each week at our community bases. COVID19 has amplified the need for ACE to reflect on and refine our education provision in response to changing needs and circumstances. Throughout lockdown our service was closed, however to lessen the adverse impact of the restrictions for our students, their families, and carers, contact with some students was maintained. Some students were worried about nonattendance and needed reassurance, others were worried about falling behind with their studies, and so staff put together student activities that could easily be completed, at home. As part of the ongoing management of the pandemic and restoration of service, ACE reopened on 3rd September 2020 with all practicable safety measures and a COVID-19 safe place risk assessment in place. Resuming our service allowed families to maintain their caring responsibilities and was essential to the wellbeing of students who had been significantly restricted over the period of closure. One of our current aims is to continue to support those students who already rely on us day to day and to offer our service and support to any additional service users who reach out to us.