Additional Learning Support

Clear Links makes supporting your apprentices and claiming Learning Support Funding simple, clear and reliable.

A complete Additional Learning Support service
A bespoke online portal that provides essential data

Universities

Supporting students on Higher Level Apprenticeships.

We can set up apprenticeship support within timeframes to match your needs.

We support students at more than 300 HEPs nationwide, providing Additional Learning Support (ALS) to apprentices which can match the provision of NMH support and offer a level playing field for disabled students.

For HEPs, working with us means:

Established relationships between your support staff and our support supervisors.
A familiar support management dashboard.
A single point of contact for your apprenticeship and disability support teams to manage support journeys.

Training Providers

Supporting your apprentices with additional learning needs.

Our specialist learning support service is easy to implement.

We ensure our highly qualified support workers are screened, trained and monitored to deliver tailored support to learners with additional learning needs such as:

Specific Learning Differences (SpLDs),
AD(H)D,
Autism,
Mental Health Conditions, e.g. Stress, Anxiety, OCD.

You can stay focused on the delivery of your apprenticeship programs with our complete support service.

We are able to offer real-time reporting tool accessible 24/7 to view data for funding draw-downs.

You can be confident about the support your apprentices receive from Clear Links - A Disability Confident Leader.

Why choose Clear Links?

Improve retention and completion rates

Our support service enhances the learner’s apprenticeship journey. Better supported learners are more likely to complete their apprenticeship, improving your success rates.

Supporting you to draw down your funding

Our online portal provides you with live and exportable support records and reviews; the evidence you need for your Learning Support Fund (LSF) draw-downs.

Free-to-use support management system - Crystal

We provide you with a user-friendly online platform with dashboards, online referrals functionality and real-time KPIs, giving you all the data and evidence you will need for LSF claims.

Human 1-to-1 support

Using our support service will help build your reputation for quality and inclusivity. We individually match learners to ensure personalised and effective support is delivered. Our office team and support workers are highly qualified and have extensive experience in assisting learners.

Quality and compliance

Utilising our quality-driven service and support management software will demonstrate your commitment to effective learner support to Ofsted and ESFA.

Peace of mind of working with a leading support provider

Established in 2006, you can refer your apprentices to us with confidence. Our dedicated team will take care of onboarding, quality, monitoring, reporting, reviews and feedback - resulting in more engaged learners.

Enquire about apprenticeship support

The number of Education Providers where we support learners:

> 300

The number of workers registered with us to support learners nationwide:

> 1000

We have the experience, systems and expertise to support learners of all ages at every steps of their educational journey.

How it works

You have identified a learner who has Additional Learning Support needs... What’s next?

Support is put in place quickly through tracked referral and matching processes. We are so confident about our efficiency that our referral processing and matching speed are published live on our homepage. Support is delivered within the funding threshold and in line with learner needs. Our support workers provide flexible support that fits around the learner’s busy schedule and commitments.

Refer to us Our online portal makes it quick and reliable to refer to us.
Referrals are processed within 1 working day.

We match We assign a support worker based on the specific requirements of the learner.
The apprentice is matched with their support worker within 4 days.

We deliver the support Sessions are arranged directly with the apprentice to fit around their study and work commitments.
Learners are engaged.

We evidence support sessions Session records are logged in our online portal, ensuring they are in line with the support plan and reviewed at each session.

We report Real-time data can be accessed 24/7 and exported from your dashboard. Usage and engagement is monitored, ensuring your teams are kept up to date.

99% student satisfaction.

We appreciate the feedback that we receive from our learners. We consistently achieve 99% satisfaction with individuals we have supported since 2015.

Supporting Apprentices

Our bespoke service can help apprentices in many different ways.

Support is tailored to individual needs in accordance with the ILPs.

Here is a sample of the type of support we can provide to apprentices:

Study

Establish exam revision and oral presentation strategies to support recall of information and academic performance.
Build valuable time management and organisational strategies.
Develop techniques for prioritising workload, setting and achieving role/ academic goals.
Academic writing skills – for example critical, analytical and/or reflective writing techniques.
Develop practical study strategies for improved note taking, assignment planning, structuring, reading and research techniques.
Effective reading strategies to help manage reading requirements.
Developing citation and referencing methods. Spelling, grammar, punctuation skills and helpful proofreading and editing techniques.

Wellbeing

Bespoke sessions to match life and study demands and personal life commitments.
Helping you to balance the requirements of employment and education.
Signposting to internal and external services such as financial support, healthcare, etc.
Personalised support to individual learning needs.
Develop successful approaches for dealing with study or role-related stress and anxiety.
Manage life as an apprentice, including maintaining an academic routine.
Explore solutions to issues affecting apprenticeship performance.

Find out more about how we can support your learners in an introductory meeting with our Partnership Lead for:

Higher Education Providers Training Providers

Learning support funding

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides funding to support students enrolled on a Degree Apprenticeship.

The Gov.uk website states:

“Learning support will be fixed at a monthly rate of £150 when it has been reported in the ILR for the months in which there is an identified learning need. If your costs exceed £150 per month, but less than £19,000 per annum, you can claim via the earnings adjustment statement (EAS).”

Should you wish to claim for Learning Support for your apprentices but are unsure of the eligibility criteria and/or what evidence would be acceptable to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), you can find some more information here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeship-funding-rules-for-training-providers/who-can-be-funded

Need advice?
We are here to help.