Annual Report

HaringtonThe Scheme Annual Report Supported by: The Leathersellers’ Company 2011–2012 The Harington Scheme Annual Report 2011-2012 1 The Harington Scheme The Harington Scheme affords a unique opportunity for young adults with learning disabilities and/or difficulties, providing Contents individual learning programmes designed Chairs’ report 3 to help them into employment, further education or a more rewarding life. Manager’s report 4 Set up as a charity by the local community Treasurer’s report 6 some 32 years ago, the majority of learners come from the North London area, though Friends of Harington report 7 the unusual nature of the scheme attracts people from all over the capital. Beneficiary overview 8 The scheme is situated on a land-locked site Thank you to our supporters 9 behind Highgate High Street in North London. Grants and Donations 2011-2012 9 There are four main strands to the training: The Harington Scheme 2011-2012 10 ■ The Vocational Training Scheme aims to Diary dates for 2013 11 prepare learners for work, find them further employment and support them Contact details 11 in their new jobs. Qualifications and training in horticulture and retail are Donation form & Gift Aid declaration 12 offered, and the programme is designed as a holistic package that develops transferable skills vital for successful and sustained employment. ■ Harington Gardeners is a supported employment initiative offering a stepping stone for those learners who are not ready to go straight into work at the end of their training. ■ The Day Service provision offers horticultural activity of a therapeutic nature to adults with a learning disability or mental health support needs. ■ The Foundation Skills provision equips young people with the basic skills needed for employment, self-direction and personal development. Every learner has an individual programme of activities to support their personal development and skill needs. The majority of learners are found a job or further education when they leave, and the Scheme supports them for as long as is needed for them to settle in. Working in the greenhouse The Harington Scheme (founded in 1980) Founding Chairman Registered Charity No. 279376 55a Cholmeley Park, Highgate, London, N6 5EH Dame Geraldine Aves DBE • [email protected] • www.harington.org.uk Patron Joe Swift The Harington Scheme Annual Report 2011-2012 2 Chairs’ report Last year we shifted the AGM from July to rent. However, the fact that we have an “I am being helped with my November, and this year we are moving it to agricultural lease should be helpful in reading and writing, it’s better December and holding it after the Plant terms of the size of the increase. Next April than other colleges” Sale, so that Members have the opportunity the PCT will be transferring the freehold of Sinan, Learner to visit the Scheme, buy some plants for our site to NHS Property Services Ltd, who, Christmas, and catch up with the events of we fear, may not have any local knowledge the past year at the AGM. of the valuable work that is done by the Scheme. We are currently in discussions We were very fortunate that Pauline Treen with the PCT, and hope to persuade them to joined the Trustees in May 2012. Pauline is take full account of the interests of our known to many of you as the former learners and the value of maintaining the Fundraising Director of the North London Harington Scheme. Hospice and we look forward to her bringing these skills to the Harington. While the outcome of the income and Scheme. We have now recruited three new expenditure account for the year shows an trustees in the last two years which has overall profit, this is due to the one off renewed the energy and experience of the generous legacy of Lord McIntosh, and we Trustees. will need to make additional efforts to raise income in the coming year. This last year the Scheme has been faced with two major developments, an Ofsted The Trustees completed a new three year inspection, the first in six years, and the Business Plan (2011-2014) whose progress Celebration of Achivements financial implications of the forthcoming is being monitored by the Trustees twice a demise of the PCT ( Primary Care Trust), our year via an action plan. the Leathersellers’ Company Charitable landlords, under the Government’s Fund, the City Bridge Trust, the CLA reorganisation of the Health Service. The Friends, under their Chair Rosalind Charitable Trust, the Rank Foundation, the Laurie, have been as active and supportive Dudley and Geoffrey Cox Charitable Trust, In terms of the Ofsted inspection the picture as usual. They provided refreshments and, the Hubert Blake Charitable Trust, the Jack is overwhelmingly positive. We surpassed together with the staff, helped organise the Petchey Foundation and the Fogel our results in the previous inspection in two Plant sales in December and May, as Charitable Trust. 2006. All areas were graded 2, which means well as organising the annual quiz in Good, with the exception of Outcome for February hosted by John and Katie Plews We would also like to thank Joanna Baxter, Learners, which was graded 1, which means from Upstairs at the Gatehouse. In addition who has been on maternity leave for a large Outstanding. We would like to congratulate they have organised a wine tasting in June part of the year, but who returned on a part Joanna and her team and also Donald Lush which was a great success. As a result they time basis just before the Ofsted inspection who was Acting Manager of the Scheme in have raised the splendid total of £14,085 in May and steered the Scheme through to the time leading up to the Inspection. for the Scheme. such a successful conclusion, and Donald Lush, who took over as Acting Manager in The implications of the demise of the PCT We would also like to thank all the September 2011, and stayed on till the end are still uncertain. We have been paying an individual and charitable foundations who of the year, and who has contributed a lot annual peppercorn rent of £150, but the have given us grants this year including to maintaining the progress and morale of PCT is now talking about setting a market Tottenham Grammar School Foundation, the Scheme in the absence of two of the senior managers. We would like to congratulate both Joanna and Rachel Pilkington on the birth of their daughters. In addition we would like to pay tribute to the staff and volunteers who have faced a “I like gardening and making friends. challenging year from which they have I have fun at the Harington Scheme” emerged with such notable success. Alicia, Learner Finally we would like to thank our fellow Trustees for their support and commitment “It’s good because everyone gets over the past year. included. No one is left out and there is good teamwork” Tony Baker and Carol Burgess, Co-Chairs Daniel, Learner Pond Square stall The Harington Scheme Annual Report 2011-2012 3 Manager’s report We have had a very successful year at the Working on the vegetable plots Harington Scheme in challenging circumstances. The learners have once again excelled themselves and the staff have worked particularly hard to achieve some great outcomes. With an Ofsted inspection due, a stretching learner recruitment target, a tight budget, and two managers, including myself, about to go on maternity leave, the trustees and staff greeted the new academic year with some trepidation, but things soon fell into place. We were fortunate to recruit Donald Lush as roles and became valuable members of the work experience and support that is so vital acting Scheme Manager and Lynne Hamer management team. to ensure progression. Over the course of to cover the Vocational Teamleader post. the year all learners who had qualification After a (very) brief induction from the We also welcomed Erica Levy and Paula targets as part of their programme achieved mums-to-be, they quickly adapted to their Edwards to the teaching staff in September one or more qualifications (84% of all and said farewell to John Fairweather, leavers) and 79% of learners who left Horticultural Trainer, who after many years during the year went to a positive “I like looking after the tools, mowing, of commuting from Hampshire decided to destination. Congratulations to all of our hedge cutting and loading up the van” get a job closer to home. leavers and we wish you all the best for Philip, Learner the future. Recruitment to our new Foundation Learning provision got off to a slow start. Another major task of the year was to prepare At the residential With a dramatically reduced Connexions for inspection. As the maximum time service locally, the Recruitment and between inspections was getting closer, we Progression team put a huge effort into were well prepared and somewhat relieved strengthening our links with the Jobcentre when Ofsted announced their inspection in Plus, schools and colleges to increase May 2012. Three inspectors visited the referrals, and by the end of the year Scheme for four days to evaluate our ninety–three young people and adults had Foundation Learning provision. All aspects of participated in our training, an increase of the training provision were judged good or 18% on the previous year. outstanding, with ‘Outcomes for Learners’ judged as outstanding, an excellent result In our first full year of Foundation Learning that reflected the hard work and there was a strong focus on learners improvements made since our last achieving a range of qualifications in inspection in 2006. The main findings of the horticulture, retail, personal and work inspection team included: skills, English, Maths and ICT, but importantly we managed to retain the • Qualification rates and progression rates flexibility to offer each learner a into further education, training and personalised package of qualifications, sustained employment are very high.

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