A HEALTHY APPROACH TO EDUCATION
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EDLIFT
UNITING HEALTH AND EDUCATION FOR BETTER RESULTS
Better results come from seeing the whole person
Learning, health and work are closely connected. Health conditions, disability, low confidence and unidentified learning differences can all make learning harder. In turn, education and good work are key foundations for long-term health and wellbeing. Traditionally the services that support people are often organised in silos. Health services may assess and treat without links to a person’s learning or work. Education providers teach towards a qualification without always understanding the barriers a learner faces. Employability programmes focus on job starts rather than what helps someone stay in work or to identify the jobs that suit their skillset. People are passed between organisations, repeat their story and too often fall through the gaps.
EDLIFT was built differently. As an occupational therapist-led organisation, we bring clinical insight into every stage of learning and progression. We identify barriers early, adapt teaching and support to each learner’s needs, and focus on the practical skills people need for everyday life, study and work. The result is one joined-up pathway, from assessment to qualifications, learner support and careers guidance. It is designed to help more people stay on programme, achieve and move forward with confidence.
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ASSESSMENT
The right starting point for every learner
Every successful learning journey starts with understanding where a person is now and what may be getting in the way of success. EDLIFT offers two distinct types of assessment:
Clinical assessment
Where needs are more complex, our qualified clinicians and specialist assessors provide evidence-based assessments, including dyslexia screening, cognitive assessment, visual-motor integration, visual perception and sensory processing. Each assessment results in a clear report with practical recommendations for education, work and everyday life. This means that reasonable adjustments can be put in place to help you to succeed. We also ask every learner about barriers such as disability, learning difficulties, caring responsibilities, transport or access to technology, so that support is in place from day one.
Skills assessment
Initial and diagnostic assessment identifies each learner’s current level in English, maths and digital skills. The results place learners on the right course, shape their individual learning plan and provide a baseline for measuring progress. Skills assessments are not clinical assessments and cannot identify a learning difficulty.
Many young people and adults have struggled with learning in the past because of needs that were never identified. Our clinically informed approach helps us recognise these needs early and support learners to stay on programme, achieve and progress. Assessments are available in our training hub, in workplaces, online or in your home.
EDUCATION, TRAINING & SKILLS
Skills for life, work and progression
EDLIFT is led by an occupational therapist, knowing that education and health must both be supported to succeed. We focus on the everyday activities that matter to people, including managing a home, looking after their health and wellbeing, learning and working, and on the skills and support that help them do these with confidence.
Accredited qualifications
As an approved NCFE centre, we deliver qualifications in subjects from journalism, to photography, and digital skills. Learners build practical, creative and technical skills for further study, freelance work and careers in the digital and creative sectors.
Life skills
Practical learning that builds independence, including understanding money, budgeting and debt; self-care, wellbeing and healthy routines; and managing time and household responsibilities.
Employability and employer-led programmes
Essential employment and digital skills combined with sector-focused training, work experience and interview preparation, designed with employers to meet real skills needs. We consider each learner’s routines, workplace demands and the adjustments that help people start and stay in work.
Career Development
Every learner can access the NetWORK NotWORK Careers Navigator programme through one of three pathways, Ignite, Ascend or Orbit, matched to their age, level and stage of life. Learners explore career options and plan their next steps into further learning, work and produce a career development portfolio.
Professional training
Occupational therapist-led training that helps education staff, managers and HR teams understand neurodiversity and make effective reasonable adjustments.
SUPPORT
Support that helps learners start, stay and succeed
Good teaching is only part of what helps people achieve. EDLIFT’s occupational therapist-led learner support helps learners to understand what gets in the way of their learning and develop practical strategies that work in everyday life, study and work. Support is available to learners on EDLIFT programmes and partner programmes including Careers Navigator.
Personalised one-to-one support
Learners can access individual support face to face, by telephone or by email, depending on their preference and needs. Support is shaped around each person’s goals, strengths and needs, and may include help with organisation, time management, confidence, routines, study skills and reasonable adjustments.
Workshops and masterclasses
Interactive group sessions explore practical topics such as managing workload, building confidence, wellbeing and preparing for assessments, giving learners the chance to learn from specialists and from each other.
Online learner support modules
Flexible online modules let learners revisit strategies at their own pace, complementing their tutor-led learning and one-to-one support.
Joined-up progression
Learner support links with our clinical assessment, qualifications and Careers Navigator, so needs are identified early and every learner has a clear next step.
OUR
Facilities
Our centre provides a welcoming, accessible environment for learning, support and collaboration.
- Training room. A modern space seating up to 20 people, equipped for presentations, group learning and assessments.
- Photography and videography studio. A professional studio with podcasting facilities, where learners gain hands-on experience using industry-standard equipment.
- Meeting spaces. Private rooms for one-to-one learner support, assessments and meetings with partners and employers.
- Co-working. For adult learners and those who want to work with like-minded people.
in partnership with
careers navigator and network notwork FOR career development and progression
Connecting learning to careers, businesses and community
EDLIFT works in partnership with Careers Navigator and NetWORK NotWORK CIC to help learners connect what they learn to real opportunities.
Careers Navigator: Careers Navigator is a gamified careers and employability platform designed by an occupational therapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). It is built to be inclusive of neurodivergent learners and those with special educational needs and disabilities. Learners complete practical challenges designed by businesses and sector experts, earning XP (work experience points) and badges that evidence their skills for CVs and interviews. EDLIFT learners use the pathway that suits their age and stage of life: Ignite XP! for ages 8 to 16; Ascend XP! for ages 16 to 24, including young people not in education, employment or training; and Orbit XP! for adults aged 18 and over who are employed or self-employed.
NetWORK NotWORK CIC: NetWORK NotWORK is a not-for-profit business and education community across the North East. It hosts free, informal networking events and runs a business hub at Wynyard. Through this partnership, learners can meet local employers, build confidence and professional connections, and explore enterprise and self-employment.
Together, these partnerships help EDLIFT learners move from learning into work.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CAREERS NAVIGATOR & NETWORK NOTWORK CIC
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