Member Learning: Helping members learn skills to use at home and in the workplace

Since April saw the closure of our offices across the region there has been a huge change the way in which we facilitate learning for our members, with all learning events now being hosted online.

Online provision of learning has meant that we can continue to offer our Member Learning Programme and reach more members than ever before.

In addition to approximately 50 webinar sessions since April, we have completed three sessions of Makaton for our members in the South East.

Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. 100,000 people currently use Makaton as a form of communication in the UK. (The Makaton Charity)

Six UNISON members have successfully gone onto study Level 2 Makaton with the union. They have given amazing feedback from their sessions:

“Learning Makaton will mean that I will be communicate and include more individuals when I am out and about on the district…. I really enjoyed learning Makaton. Not only was it fun BUT it gave me a nice feeling knowing that I was learning a new language that potentially could make someone else feel included and involved.”

“I have used Makaton with a student.  We sang and signed nursery rhymes. It was a lovely way to connect and enabled the child to have a voice.”

“The experience of learning Makaton was great and I believe it could help me in my role as Welfare Officer for Unison in the future, also it is a skill that I may be able to pass onto others”

“Learning Makaton will be hugely beneficial for my job role. I work in a front facing customer service role, be able to communicate using Makaton to customers that use it will allow me to make sure they have the best day they can, and also being able to help them if needed.”

If you would like to know more about learning opportunities available to members in the South East, please see our Education Programme

We are always looking for new opportunities to offer our members, if you have any suggestions of any learning that would benefit you, your workplace or branch please let us know by emailing membereducationse@unison.co.uk