Blue Cat Initiative and Tresham college winners at Leading the Learner Voice Awards

Blue Cat Initiative and Tresham College have been named as Providers of the Year at the Leading Learner Voice Awards.

Hosted in partnership by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) and the NUS, this is the fifth year the awards have been held.

Blue Cat Initiative won the award for Work Based Learning and Adult and Community Learning. The winner for Provider of the Year, General FE, Sixth Form, Independent Specialist Colleges was Tresham College. Both were voted for at the award ceremony by the audience of 120 delegates, after giving presentation about their work.

The award ceremony took place at One Drummond Street, London on Thursday 21 June.

The awards were open to learners, staff and providers in the Further Education and Skills sector. This includes sixth form and independent specialist colleges for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, work-based learning, adult community learning and offender learning.
Learner voice refers to listening to learners' opinions and concerns and involving learners in planning. The awards are given in recognition of leadership and commitment to the learner voice, and celebrate individual and organisational achievement and success. The awards are also an opportunity to disseminate best practice.
Since they were first held in 2008, the Leading Learner Voice Awards have provided a strong national focus for the work of thousands of learners and staff across the sector who are actively engaged in leadership for learner representation and participation. The occasion provides an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of learners, individually or collectively, and of practitioners, managers and organisations who have shown leadership and commitment to learner voice whether for organisational change and development, or in a wider community, social or political context.

Mike Smith-Clare co-founder of Blue Cat Initiative said: “We worked so hard for 10 years with the most vulnerable people. We’re very proud that their voice has been heard.”

Graham Wooldridge, Learner Involvement coordinator and Ellis Deuchar from Tresham College said: “We are really proud. This reflects the work of some fantastic young people. Thanks to LSIS, other colleges and past colleagues.”

The other winners were:

• Learner Representative of the year (new for 2012) - Lukas Churchrowski, Middlesbrough College
• Learner Voice Practitioner of the year - Sarah Laszio, Derwen College
• Leading Learner of the year - Stephen Walker, Southport College
• Student Governor of the year - Jayne Morris, Shrewsbury College
• Principal or Senior Leader of  the year - Ken Warman, BSiX Brooke House Sixth Form College
• Innovative Approaches to Learner Voice (new for 2012) - Cornwall College and Students’ Union
• Social Cohesion and Civic Participation - The BSiX Political Academy, BSiX Brooke House Sixth Form College
• Health and Well-being - Five Ways Initiative, Highbury College
• Most Improved Provider - North Warwickshire and Hinckley College

Ann Ruthven, Head of Learning and Learner support said: “The award categories highlight the changing and evolving priorities facing the Further Education and Skills sector.

“We are proud to have co-hosted the awards as it illustrates our commitment to driving forward outstanding teaching and learning.

“In May LSIS received the results of an internal audit which was conducted to establish the impact we are having on the sector. What was clear from the review was there were three primary areas that were benefitting from our support: improving the quality of the sector; improving the skills and capability of professionals in the sector; and helping providers improve outcomes for their learners. These awards are an example of how we are acheiving the latter.”